In "Biographia Literaria," Samuel Taylor Coleridge delves into the concepts of primary imagination,

secondary imagination, and fancy, discussing how they work together to contribute to the creative
process.
The term "harmonious whole" in the context of Coleridge's ideas primarily refers to the unification and
synthesis achieved by the secondary imagination in creating a cohesive and imaginative work along the
primary imagination and the faculty of fancy. Together, these faculties contribute to the creation of art,
poetry, and creative expression, with the secondary imagination playing a central role in producing truly
original and imaginative works. This concept emphasizes the transformative and unifying power of the
secondary imagination specifically.
The primary imagination is the essential and basic agency of human beings which provides the raw
material or sensory perceptions, the secondary imagination is the creative and transformative force which
is peculiar to poets only, it reshapes and combines these perceptions into new imaginative wholes, while
fancy represents a more superficial and logical rearrangement of these images. without the deeper creative
power which is found in the secondary imagination.
While the primary and secondary imaginations are essential components in this process, Coleridge's
distinction suggests that the harmonious whole is more directly linked to the transformative power of the
secondary imagination rather than an amalgamation of primary and secondary imaginations along with
fancy.
The harmonious whole, therefore, is mostly associated with the transformative and creative synthesis
accomplished by the secondary imagination. It's the result of this deeper imaginative faculty's ability to
unify diverse elements into a cohesive and meaningful artistic or imaginative creation.
This concept emphasizes the idea that true creativity involves more than just the random association of
ideas or images. Instead, it involves the ability to bring together disparate elements and weave them into a
cohesive and harmonious structure that resonates with meaning, depth, and artistic expression.
The harmonious whole represents the culmination of the imaginative process, where the artist or poet
creates something that feels unified and complete. Where the familiar become unfamiliar. This notion
involves presenting familiar things in a way that allows us to perceive them anew, to see them with fresh
eyes by defying habitual perceptions or expectations.