Biographia Literaria (Magill Book Reviews)
At a glance:
- Author: Samuel Taylor Coleridge
- First Published: 1817
- Type of Work: Literary Autobiography
- Genres: Criticism, Nonfiction, Autobiography
- Subjects: Intellectuals, Philosophy or philosophers, Authors or writers, Literature, Poetry or poets, Imagination, Drama or dramatists, Life, philosophy of, Romanticism, Intellect, Literary criticism
The book’s 24 chapters constitute a narrative of Coleridge’s literary life spanning approximately two decades--from the publication of his first book of poems at age 24 through his mid-forties. But the narrative, as Coleridge admits, serves only to give continuity to a statement of his views on a variety of subjects.
Central to his critical thought is his theory of imagination. Drawing on the German philosopher Kant’s distinction between understanding and reason, Coleridge distinguishes between fancy and imagination. Fancy is a mechanical human faculty, the ability to...
[The entire page is 500 words long]
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See Also:
Samuel Taylor Coleridge (Cyclopedia of World Authors)Samuel Taylor Coleridge (Poetry)Samuel Taylor Coleridge (Dictionary of World Biography)
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