Samuel Coleridge

Samuel Taylor Coleridge was an English Romantic poet, critic, and philosopher of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. His poetry is known for supernatural themes, vivid imagery, and exploration of the subconscious. Biography ↓More ↓

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Samuel Coleridge

The Moon, how definite its orb! (fragment)

The Moon, how definite its orb! Yet gaze again, and with a steady gaze-- 'Tis there indeed,--but where is it not?-- It is suffused o'er all the sapphire Heaven, Trees, herbage, snake-like stream, unwrinkled Lake, Whose very murmur does of it partake And low and close the broad smooth mountain Is more a thing of Heaven than when Distinct by one dim shade and yet undivided from the universal cloud In which it towers, finite in height.

Samuel Coleridge

Something Childish, But Very Natural

If I had but two little wings And were a little feathery bird, To you I'd fly, my dear! But thoughts like these are idle things, And I stay here. But in my sleep to you I fly: I'm always with you in my sleep! The world is all one's own. But then one wakes, and where am I? All, all alone. Sleep stays not, though a monarch bids: So I love to wake ere break of day: For though my sleep be gone, Yet while 'tis dark, one shuts one's lids, And still dreams on.

Biography

He was a central figure of the Romantic Movement in England, alongside William Wordsworth. His poetry often delves into the mystical and the sublime, employing rich symbolism and musical rhythm. Major works such as 'The Rime of the Ancient Mariner,' 'Kubla Khan,' and 'Christabel' showcase themes of the uncanny, guilt, and imagination. Coleridge also made significant contributions to literary criticism through lectures on Shakespeare and philosophical writings. His influence on English literature remains profound.

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