Đang tải... (xem toàn văn)
The most important topics discussed in biographia literaria are Imagination,critical theory of Poetry and criticism appropriate of Wordsworth. In Biographia Literaria, Coleridge had written meditations to suspect that fancy and imagination were two distinct and widely different faculties,instead of being,according to the general belief either two names with one meaning,or at furthest the lower and higher degree of one and the same power.
BIOGRAPHIA LITERARIA • The most important topics discussed in biographia literaria are Imagination,critical theory of Poetry and criticism appropriate of Wordsworth IMAGINATION • In Biographia Literaria,Coleridge had written meditations to suspect that fancy and imagination were two distinct and widely different faculties,instead of being,according to the general belief either two names with one meaning,or at furthest the lower and higher degree of one and the same power • • Coleridge takes up the line again and writes,the Imagination,then he considers either as primary,or secondary.The primary Imagination he holds to be 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 he considers as an echo of the former coexisting 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 its operation.It dissolves,diffuses,dissipates,in order to recreate,or where this process is rendered impossible,yet still at all events,it struggles to idealize and to unify.It is essentially vital,even as all objects are essentially fixed and dead • Fancy,on the contrary,has not other counters to play with but fixities and definite The fancy is indeed no other than a mode of memory and space and blended with and modified by that empirical phenomenon of the will which we express by the word choice.Bu equally with the ordinary memory it must receive all its materials ready made from the law of association VIEWS ON POEMS AND POETRY • • • • Coleridge deals with the genesis of the Lyrical Ballads,Preface to its second edition by Wordsworth and the philosophic definition of a poem and poetry In his conversations with Wordsworth,Coleridge reached the conclusion that a series of poem must be composed of two sorts In the one the incidents and agents were to be,in part at least supernatural and he excellence aimed at was to consist in the interest of the affections by the dramatic truth of such emotions as would naturally accompany such situations supposing them real.And real in the sense they have been to every human being who from whatever source of delusion has any time believed himself under supernatural agency For the second class,subjects were to be such as will be found in every village and its vicinity where there is a meditative and feelings mind to seek after them,or to notice them,when they present themselves.In this idea originated the plan of the Lyrical Ballads • • Coleridge agreed that his endeavors should be directed to persons and characters supernatural,or at least romantic yet so as to transfer from our inward nature a human interest and a semblance of truth sufficient to procure for these shadows of imagination that willing suspension of disbelief for the moment,which constitutes poetic faith Wordsworth,on the other hand,was to propose to himself as his objective to give the charm of novelty to things of day,and to excite a feelings analogous to the supernatural,by awakening the minds attention from the lethargy of custom,and directing it to the loviness and the wonders of the world before us,an inexhaustible treasure,but for which,in consequent of the film of familiarity and selfish solicitude,we have eyes,yet see not,wars that hear not and hearts that neither feel nor understand • Coleridge gives the definition of a poem that a poem is that species of composition,which is opposed to works of science by proposing for its immediate object pleasure,not truth and from all other species it is discriminated by proposing to itself such delight from the whole as is compatible with a distinct gratification from each component part • After determining the character of a poem,he proceeds to seek for a definition of poetry because a poem of any length neither can be nor ought to be all poetry • • • The poet,described in Ideal perfection 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,which blends and fuses each into each by the synthetic and magical power to which we have exclusively appropriated the name of imagination He enumerates the elements of poetry.Finally good sense is the body of poetic genius,fancy its drapery,motion its life and imagination the soul that is everywhere and in each and forms all in to one graceful and intelligent whole THEORY OF DICTION • • • Coleridge gives a very good criticism of wordsworth’s views about the subjects of poetry and the language of poetry.Coleridge praises Wordsworth for his attempt to reform poetic diction,his emphasis on the truth of passion,his views on the dramatic propriety of figures and metaphors in original poets and his pointing out the the process by which the language was corrupted He says,he undertook a useful task and deserves all praise,both for his attempt and for the execution.Since his preface was published a remarkable change has come over poetry,which might lead him to think that he has succeeded in his attempt Whether true or false it has at any rate excited a curiosity as to this questions of poetic diction and that is in itself of great importance • Coleridge believes that what Wordsworth says is true of a certain class of poetry and that also in a limited sense.As a rule it is not true.According to Coleridge,low and rustic life affords pleasure for three reasons: (i) Naturalness of things(subjects) represented (ii) Naturalness of things(subjects) represented (iii)The contrast which the reader conceives between his condition and the life depicted in the poem that is the escape from the monotony of life.But Wordsworth has chosen rustic life for altogether different reasons • • • Taking Wordsworth poems themselves such as the Brothers,Michael,Ruth,the Mad mother,Coleridge says the persons introduced are by no means taken from low or rustic life in the common acceptation of theses words.Similarly the sentiments and language of these are not due to their natural occupations,namely independence religious education and chiefly the reading of the Bible Education or original sensibility,or both must pre-exist,if the changes,forms and incidents of nature are to prove a sufficient stimulant and the man becomes selfish,sensual gross and hard hearted So education and original sensibility are required to appreciate and profit by the influence of nature and a mere contact with nature will not help to give these qualities • As regards the language of poetry Coleridge disagrees with Wordsworth.He offers two points (i) A rustic’s language purified from all other provincialism and grossness,does not differ from the language of any other man of common sense (ii) The rustic has no new association of ideas to convey whereby language may develop • He further shows that communication with natural objects implies reflection on them and not mere physical contact,as the brutes or the Negroes have • Besides the best part of the human language is derived from the process of reflection and even the rustic barrow their language from the educated • Coleridge describes the main points which he is going to oppose in Wordsworth’s preface.Wordsworth’s use of the word real is ambiguous.In fact with every individual,every town,every distinct,there are peculiarities of language.It is only when these peculiarities are left that we get the real language of men and it is this language that will be common to all,rustic and educated alike • For real,Coleridge suggests to subscribe the word ordinary.The addition of the words in a state of excitement does not improve Wordsworth’s position because excitement does not invent a new language but only quickens the process of bringing a series of mental images.For the property of passion is not to create,but to set in increased activity.This is possible if such images exist already in the mind and if the language preexist for expressing them METRICAL COMPOSITION • • • • Coleridge throws light on the difference between the language of metrical composition and that of prose.He is of the opinion the Wordsworth views about language are impracticable The power of making the selection implies the previous possession of the language selected,the reproduction of words only,but order in which they are used This order is defective in the case of the uneducated person because he lacks the prospective ness of mind which enables one to foresee the whole of what one is to convey Coleridge illustrates from Wordsworth poems how common words are used,but not in the order in which the rustic would use them • • • Coleridge elaborates Wordsworth’s sentence,there neither is,nor can be any essential difference between the language o prose and metrical composition He points out that the language of prose differs in itself according to the purpose for which it its used the prose of argumentative works differs from the language of conversation In Italy and Greece they have not set aside a separate body of words for poetry,but the same words and phrases are put under new grabs by declining and conjugating them in a particular way • Coleridge considers the exact significance of the words essential difference as used by Wordsworth.The word essence can mean one of the two things,the inmost principle of a thing which particularizes it,the point of difference or distinction between two modifications of the same subject.Wordsworth has used the word in the latter sense.It maybe that in some cases,what is beautifully expresses in metre,may stand equally beautiful when stated in prose in the same words.But generally it is not so • Coleridge reflects on the origin and effect of metre.He contends that in both cases for the unfitness of each(language of prose and that of poetry) for the place of other frequently will and ought to exist • He advances five points to explain this.First Coleridge ascribes the origin of metre to the spontaneous effort of the mind to hold in check the working of passion and to control emotion.But because metre blends delight and emotion into one,it is as good as being the natural language or emotion,though strictly speaking,it is artificial • Secondly as afar as a metre acts in and for it self,it tends to increase the vivacity and susceptibility both of the general feelings and of the attention.thus metre worthless in itself gives greater vivacity to the main poetic idea and thus resembles yeas.Before the invention of printing metre had an additional claim,namely,as its association to memory,but an additional claim,namely its association to memory,but now fitness of the idea must govern the diction.The poet writes in metre because he thinks that a language different from that of prose would be appropriate for the subject • Thirdly metre is the proper form of poetry and poetry is imperfect and defective without metre • Fourthly human beings instinctively seek unity by harmonious adjustment and metre is helpful in this respect • Lastly,he appeals to the practice of the best poets,of all countries and in all ages,as authorizing the opinion that in every import of the word essential,there may be,is and ought to be an essential difference between the language of prose and metrical composition ...IMAGINATION • In Biographia Literaria, Coleridge had written meditations to suspect that fancy and imagination were two... all in to one graceful and intelligent whole THEORY OF DICTION • • • Coleridge gives a very good criticism of wordsworth’s views about the subjects of poetry and the language of poetry.Coleridge... education and chiefly the reading of the Bible Education or original sensibility,or both must pre-exist,if the changes,forms and incidents of nature are to prove a sufficient stimulant and the