Task of coleridge

Samuel Taylor Coleridge

“Biographia literaria” by samuel taylor coleridge, which he published in 1817. There are autobiographical elements, it is not a straightforward or linear autobiography. Instead, it is meditative. Here we are going to see what coleridge talk about the difference between poem and prose also between poem and poetry.


Poem and prose


 In lower sense addition of meter and rhyme makes difference between prose and poem if we think like that  then to remember something special we organized words in proper way then it is also called as poem? But to coleridge this is not the difference.

Coleridge thinks that both have same composition, the difference is between the combination of those elements and objects aimed at in both the conposition. Difference of object will be difference of combination. According to him the difference is in immediate purpose and ultimate end of poem and prose.

Generally the immediate purpose of prose is to give truth and ultimate end is to give pleasure while in poem the immediate purpose is to give pleasure and ultimate end is to give truth. Here also coleridge says that mere addition of rhyme does not make poem it the meter is added to the poem that the whole poem should have to harmonious with is whole poem should have to that synchronism.

Coleridge also differentiate the prose and poem which has same elements, for example prose like novels and romances have their immediate purpose as to give pleasure and ultimate end is to give truth so this is same as poem but here coleridge called it legitimate poem.

He defines legitimate poem as  “it must be one, the parts of which mutually support and explain each other; all in their proportion harmonizing with, and supporting the purpose and known influences of metrical arrangement”.

While reading legitimate poem reader not only think about ending the poem or there is not only end which give pleasure the whole process of reading the poem is delightful. So not only end whole journey of reading poem should be pleasurable.

To prove coleridge's point here I'm giving one example of poem which titled as "How beautiful is the rain" by H.W Longfellow.



How beautiful is the rain!

After the dust and heat,

In the broad and fiery street,

In the narrow lane,

How beautiful is the rain!

How it clatters along the roofs,

Like the tramp of hoofs!

How it gushes and struggles out

From the throat of the overflowing spout

Across the window-pane

It pours and pours;

 And swift and wide,

Like a river down the gutter roars

The rain, the welcome rain!


Poem and poetry



Coleridge not only give difference between prose and poem he also try to give difference between poem and poetry. He says that length doesn’t make any difference between poem and poetry there is nothing like that poem is short and poetry is long. He also says that not all poem is poetry and neither ought to be a poetry.

So what is poetry? Coleridge defines poetry as, “Distinction resulting from the poetic genius itself, which sustains and modifies the images, thoughts, and emotions of the poet's own mind.”

After this john shawcross says that the difference between poem and poetry is not cleared by coleridge and further instead of talking about poetry he started talking about poet’s mind. For coleridge poetry is an activity of mind while poem is merely one of the form of its expression rather verbal expression.

Further David daiches says that poetry for coleridge is a wider category than a poem. It brings ‘The whole soul of man; in to activity. With each faculty playing its proper part according to its ‘relative worth and dignity’. It happens when the power of mind and imagination both are at work and the all objects combined and make complex unity then it results as the poetry.