Overview of chapter 13

Just as Descartes, speaking as a naturalist, sought to render the construction of the

universe intelligible through matter and motion, Coleridge’s “transcendental
philosopher” seeks to apprehend the self within infinity. Wrestling with
observations about the nature of space and motion, Coleridge claims that
transcendental philosophy requires that “two forces should be conceived which
counteract each other by their essential nature”. Coleridge transcribes a letter
from a friend who reproves him for the length of his arguments about
imagination. Thus Coleridge curtails his argument, concluding that Imagination is
the “living power and prime agent of all human perception,” while Fancy is a
“mode of memory emancipated from the order of time and space,” and associated
with autonomy

Original Narrative of Coleridge about Imagination from Biographia

Literaria:

The Imagination then I consider either as primary, or secondary. The primary

Imagination I hold to be the living Power and prime Agent of all human perception
and as a repetition in the finite mind of the eternal act of creation in the infinite I
Am. The secondary I consider as an echo of the former, co-existing with the
conscious will, yet still as identical with the primary in the kind of its agency, and
differing only in degree, and in the mode of its operation. It dissolves, diffuses,
dissipates, in order to re-create; or where this process is rendered impossible, yet
still at all events it struggles to idealize and to unify.

Samuel Taylor Coleridge divides imagination into two parts: the primary and
secondary imagination. As the "living Power and prime Agent," the primary
imagination is attributed a divine quality, namely the creation of the self, the "I
Am." However, because it is not subject to human will, the poet has no control
over the primary imagination. It is the intrinsic quality of the poet that makes him
or her Creator; harking back to Wordsworth, the primary imagination can be
likened to poetic genius. The secondary imagination is an echo of the primary. It is
like the former in every way except that it is restricted in some capacity. It co-
exists with the conscious will, but because of this, the secondary imagination does
not have the unlimited power to create. It struggles to attain the ideal but can never
reach it. Still the primary governs the secondary, and imagination gives rise to our
ideas of perfection. In this way, Coleridge and Shelley share the belief that
inimitable forms of creation can only exist in the mind. As soon as the poet decides
to write down his or her poem, for example, the work is inevitably diminished.

2) Fancy, on the contrary, has no other counters to play with .The Fancy is indeed
no other than a mode of Memory emancipated from the order of time and space;
while it is blended with, and modified by that empirical phenomenon of the will,
which we express by the word CHOICE. But equally with the ordinary memory
the Fancy must receive all its materials ready made from the law of association.

Coleridge also adds Fancy in his description of the Imagination. According to his
philosophy, Fancy is even lower than the secondary imagination, which is already
of the earthly realm. Fancy is the source of our baser desires. It is not a creative
faculty but a repository for lust.
Chapter 14 to 16:
Argument on Poetic thoughts and Lyrical Ballad:

 Mention of the two cardinal points of poetry:

a) The power of exciting the sympathy of the reader by faithful adherence to the
truth of nature,
b) The power of giving the interest of novelty by the modifying colours of
imagination.

Truth seems to be one of the preoccupations of the Romantic poets. In this sense,
the truth of nature will always remain superior to poetry, which is an artifice.
However, imagination is that aspect of poetry that provides another way of
looking at nature so that what is ordinary and familiar can be seen anew.

Poetry defined: it resembles the same question with what is a poet. The answer
to the one is involved in the solution of the other. It is a distinction resulting from
the poetic genius itself, which sustains and modifies the images, thoughts and
emotions of the poet's own mind. The poet brings the whole soul of man into
activity, with the subordination of its faculties to each other according to their
relative worth and dignity. He diffuses a tone and spirit of unity that blends and
fuses by that synthetic and magical power of the imagination. This power reveals
itself in the balance or reconciliation of opposite or discordant qualities: of
sameness, with difference; of the general, with the concrete; the idea, with the
image; the individual, with the old and familiar objects; a more than usual state of
emotion with more than usual order; judgment ever awake and steady self-
possession, with enthusiasm and feeling profound or vehement; and while it
blends and harmonizes the natural and the artificial, still subordinates art to nature;
the manner to the matter; and our admiration of the poet to our sympathy with the
poetry.

The soul is the imagination. Coleridge's assertion that the imagination is both
synthetic and magical only reaffirms what is already known about him. His works,
especially in the Lyrical Ballads, deal with the supernatural in so far as they
express real emotions regardless of whether one believes in the phenomena.
Similar to William Blake's philosophy, this power of the imagination is revealed
inoppositions..

Chapter 17:

Language of Poetry:

The best part of human language is derived from reflection on the acts of the mind
itself. It is formed by a voluntary appropriation of fixed symbols to internal acts,
to processes and results of imagination, the greater part of which have no place in
the consciousness of uneducated man..

This begins Coleridge's objection to Wordsworth's use of the term "real language
of men." According to Coleridge, such a generalization cannot exist, for men are
individuals by nature. Furthermore, he is attributing acts of the imagination to
educated men, or in this case, those who possess poetic genius. What is apparent is
that the language of poetry undoubtedly comes from the imagination. The way the
poet perceives the world and, to use Wordsworth's term, translates it for everyone
else is an act of the imagination.

Coleridge now takes up the subject of Lyrical Ballads and the friendship between
him and his friend Wordsworth. Coleridge devotes himself to poetry relating to
the supernatural, Wordsworth to the wonders of the everyday. To this end,
Coleridge wrote “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” and other unfinished works,
different in kind from Wordsworth’s profusion of great poems. Some readers
were outraged by Wordsworth’s preface, but soon his admirers grew numerous.
Explaining his differences with Wordsworth, Coleridge firstly defines a poem and
then poetry.

Overview of chapter 18, 19

Coleridge returns to debating Wordsworth’s ideas about poetry. His essential

difference with Wordsworth is over naturalistic poetic diction. Coleridge argues
that Wordsworth’s poems are not “rustic” in their effects. Rather, Wordsworth’s
poetry is pleasurable due to three factors: the naturalness of the subject matter, its
representation, and the transcendence of these. Coleridge queries the “desirable
influences of low and rustic life in and for itself,” since country life entails
hardship. Coleridge praises the balance of Wordsworth poem “Michael” but
suggests that “The Thorn” should have been spoken in the poet’s own  voice.
Coleridge also doubts whether rustic language that is adapted for poetry differs
from more refined forms of communication. He doubts whether rustic objects
“can justly be said to form the best part of the language” . Instead, “the best part
of human language is derived from reflection on the acts of the mind itself” .
Coleridge also claims that Wordsworth confuses “real” with “common.” Finally,
Coleridge takes issue with the Words Worthian definition of poetry as taking
place “in a state of excitement,” because the “excitement” arising from the
appreciation of a truth lies in the sophistication of the perceiver.

Overview of chapter 20

Coleridge compares Wordsworth’s poetry to Shakespeare and gives examples of

Words Worthian voice. Coleridge claims that Wordsworth is more distinctive
than any other contemporary writer and more capable of eliciting a “meditative
mood” in his readers.

Overview of chapter 21

Coleridge now discusses critical journals. The Edinburgh Review is a good

example, Coleridge claims. The critic must not mix literary criticism with
“personal injury”, and The Edinburgh Review, though worthy, is guilty of
substituting “assertion for argument”. Coleridge surmises that the reviewer wrote
his critique before reading Wordsworth’s poems. Burlesque and travesty have a
place in criticism. Coleridge jokes about two Frenchmen imagining that
Michelangelo’s Moses was a cuckold. Finally, Coleridge defends the poem “The
Excursion” against its critics.

Overview of chapter 22
Coleridge examines the defects of Wordsworth poetry. The first major defect of
Wordsworth’s poetry is “the inconsistency of the style” which Coleridge finds
distracting. The second defect is pragmatism, since Coleridge prefers that poetry
“mend the intrigues of fortune by more delightful probable fictions”