Reviews of Coledrige’s
Biographia Literaria
Chapter-14
Biography:
Philosopher, poet, religious and political Samuel Taylor Coledrige was born in
Devonshire England and attended the University of Cambridge in 1795.
Biographia Literaria a fusion of
autobiography, literary criticism and religious philosophical theory. He was
the premier poet-critic of Modern English Tradition, distinguished for the
scope and influence of his thinking about literature as much as for his
innovative verse. It was published in 1817 in two volumes.
His critical work was contained in 24
chapters of Biographia Literaria. In Chapter XIV of Biographia Literaria
Coledrige’s view on nature and function of poetry, difference between prose and
poem, philosophical terms etc…Coledrige concerns himself not only with the
practice of criticism but also with its theory. First we see the difference
between Coledrige and Wordsworth.
Wordsworth:-
He sought to give the charm of novelty to things of everyday objects of
nature-by coloring with the power of imagination. Teacher-moraalist. Simplicity
in diction-no difference between prose and poetry. High priest of nature.
Coledrige:-
He sought to give the charm of novelty to things of everyday objects; known as
supernatural nature. Created the atmosphere of magic. Lived in the world of
fancy and thought.
In
imaginative power and narrative skills, Coledrige surpassed Wordsworth.
Coledrige focuses on these main points;
· Fancy
& Imagination
· Greatest
poetry is that which achieves synthesis among elements, emotions and attitudes.
· Poem
and Poetry
· Coledrige’s
new technique of criticism is called “appreciative criticism”
Two Cardinal Points of
Poetry: The object of the poetry is to
instruct. Coledrige begins this chapter with his views on two cardinal points
of poetry.
i.
The power of exiting the sympathy of
the reader by modifying with the colors of imagination.
ii.
The power of giving the interest of
faithful adherence to the truth of nature.
According to him it was
decided that Wordsworth would write poetry dealing with the theme of first
cardinal point. For the first type of poetry the treatment and subject matter
should be, quote Coledrige, “The sudden charm, which accidents of light and
shade, which moon-light or sun-set diffused over a known and familiar landscape, appeared to represent the
practicability of combing both these are the poetry of nature.”
In the second type of poetry, the
incidents and agents were to e supernatural. With the help of imagination the
natural will be dealt supernaturally by the poet and the readers will
comprehend with ‘Willing suspension of disbelief.’
Coledrige define both words Imagination
& Fancy.
· Imagination:
devided into two parts 1. Primary 2. Secondary
· Fancy:
it is the secondary imagination. It is the source of baser desire is not a
creative faculty but a repository for lust.
· Primary:
uniting the object of senses.
· Secondary:
uniting the objects of senses with emotions and feelings.
Poetry
is the creation of secondary imagination. Coledrige is the first English critic
who based his literary criticism on philosophical principles. He was more
interested in the creative process.
Coledrige’s
view towards Wordsworth’s poetic creed: in defense of
Wordsworth’s poetic creed Coledrige did not agree with Wordsworth’s view on
poetic diction, he vindicated his poetic creed in chapter 14 of Biographia
Literaria.
Coledrige
writes in defense to the violent assailant to the ‘language of real life’
adopted by Wordsworth in the Lyrical Ballads. Coledrige writes in his defense:
“Had Mr. Wordsworth’s poems been childish thing, they had been really
distinguished from the composition of other poets merely by manners of language
and inanity of thought …debate between Wordsworth and Coledrige. But it does
not mean that he agree with Wordsworth on all points. Coledrige argues that
Wordsworth really meant that the poetic manner of combining words was no
different from that of prose.
Coledrige
is frank enough to point out that some of the views of Wordsworth were wrong in
principle and contradictionary, not only in parts of the preface but also the
practice of the poet himself in many of his points.
Coledrige
clearly writes: “ with many parts of this preface in the sense attributed to
them and which the words undoubtedly seem to authorize, Mr. Wordsworth in his
recent collection has I find degraded this prefatory disquisition to the end of
his second volume,……
Wordsworth’s
own poetic performance, Coledrige noted that Wordsworth suffered the
difficulties of a ventriloquist in his undue liking for the dramatic form. Here
we are shown that about Wordsworth poetic creed Coledrige give full credit to
the genius Wordsworth, but at some point he is not agree with him.
Difference
between prose and poem: The poem contains the some elements as a prose
composition. But the combination of those elements and object aimed at in both
composition.
Poem:-
composition in verse.
Prose:-universal writing
· Object
of the poet may simply to facilitate the memory to recollect creation facts, he
would make use of certain artificial arrangement of words with the help of
metre.
· Both
are distinguished some points, poem and prose distinguished from composition in
metre or by rhyme.
· Coledrige,
mere super addition of metre or rhyme does not make a poem.
· He
further explain his view point by
various prose writings and its immediate purpose and ultimate end.
· In
scientific and historical composition immediate purpose is to convey the truth.
· Prose
work like (romances & novels)to give pleasure in the immediate purpose and
ultimate end may be to give the truth.
· Next
question is would then the mere super addition of metre with or without rhyme
entitle these to the name of poems? Coledrige replies that if metre is super
added the others parts of the composition also must harmonies with it.
· In
poem each part of the composition including metre, rhyme, diction, and must
harmonies with the wholeness of the composition. In some points like, A poem
therefore may be defined as, species of composition which is opposed to works
of science, proposing for its immediate object pleasure not truth.
· About
metre it is merely a superficial decorative charm, if metre is super added, all
other parts must be made constant with it. They all must harmonies with each
other.
· A
poem therefore may be defined as that species of composition which is opposed
to works of science its gratification from each component part.
· According
to Coledrige the poem is distinguished from prose. The immediate object of
prose is to give truth and that of poem is to please. He calls this poem a
legitimate poem. Coledrige clearly defines difference between prose and poem.
He says that legitimate poem is a composition in which rhyme and the metre bear
an organic relation to the total work.
· Thus
Coledrige puts an end to the age old controversy whether the end of poem is
instruction or delight. Further Coledrige said that its aim is definitely to
give pleasure.
· Poem
has its own distinctive pleasure arising from the parts and this pleasure of
the parts supports and increases the pleasure of the whole. So here in this
review Coledrige define both words in easy way.
The difference between
poem and poetry: First Coledrige differentiate prose
and poem after he differentiate poem and poetry. Prose, poem, poetry that three
words at some extent similar but there is an major difference between them.
In the last section
chapter 14 Coledrige considers to distinguished poem and poetry. Coledrige
points out that “ poetry of the highest kind may exists without metre and even
without contradistinguished objects of a poem”. He gives example of the
writings of Plato, Jeremy Taylor and Bible. In their writings he find the
objects of a poem. In chapter-XIV of the Biographia he offers his own
defination of the poem as “composition” having “ for its immediate object
pleasure not truth”. The quality of the prose in this writing is equal to that
of high poetry.
He also asserts that the
poem of any length neither can be, nor ought to be all poetry. Here we have
questioned that what is poetry? How it is different from poem? So in that
answer Coledrige quote that poetry is so nearly with the poem. The one is
involved in the solution of the other. Poetic activity is basically an activity
of the imagination. Poetic process generally go on not a similar way it’s a
process of imaginative mind, thoughts and idea all things are combining each
other and poem or poetry exists.
As David Daiches: ( A
Critical History of English Literature) “points out that” ‘poetry’ for
Coledrige is a wider category than a ‘poem’ that is poetry is a kind of
activity which can be engaged in by painters or philosopher’s or scientist for
those who employ language of any kind”.
· Poetry
of highest time may without metre even without object poetry exists.
· Wordsworth
in his preface, gave defination of poetry in twice first he says, “ spontaneous
overflow of powerful feeling after he adds phrase, emotion recollected n tranquility”. Here David Daiches further writes in a
critical history of english literature, “The employment of the secondary
imaginations a poetic activity and we see why Coledrige is let from a
discussion of a poem’s activity when we realize that for him the poet belongs
on the larger company of those who are distinguished by the activity of their
imagination”
· Here
he says that imagination is powerful process to wrote poem. He believe that
imagination is a synthetic and magical power. He gave various elements in
short,
a) Of sameness with difference
b) The
general with the concrete
c) The
idea with the image
d) The
individual with representative
e) The
sense of novelty and freshness with old and familiar object
f) More
than usual state of emotions and order
g) Judgment
with enthusiasm
Above all points are
useful, it subordinate to nature, manner and matter. At the end he conclude in
his own words ‘ to established the principle of writing rather than to furnish
rules about how to pass judgment on what had been written by others.
Conclusion:
Coledrige’s critique distinction between words and manner of combining words.
In this chapter Coledrige mixing many points. Coledrige’s critical work is
contained in 24 chapters of Biographia Literaria (1815-17).Here he gave new
word “esemplastic imagination” about Coledrige we can say that he
frankly told his views and thoughts.
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It is very good.
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