Coleridge lived from October
21, 1772- July 5, 1834. He was from a family of 12 with him being the youngest of 10 children. Coleridge
spent most of his younger days in the library feeding his passion for literature. He later attend Jesus University,
Cambridge and was torn from his family for long periods of time. Samuel became lonely and depressed. He left the
University, but returned to never finish his degree. His family had to intervene for he was accused of being "insane".
Coleridge and a friend named Robert
Southy started a quest for a "Utopia" which consists of a perfect society. They soon give up and marry two sisters.
Coleridge soon becomes unhappy and divorces his wife. During the marriage he loves another, but soon grows unhappy with
her as well. She didin't share his passion. Coleridge soon becomes an addict and is addicted to opium. Despite
his troubles he still managed to write many works that are still rememebered today.
"The Rime and the Ancient Mariner" was
a true masterpiece Coleridge wrote early in his career. The story is very imaginative and supernatural , which are both
characteristics of the Romanitc period. In the story, the mariner kilss an albatross, which was believed to be a good
omen by the crew memebers aboard a ship. The men come across a supernatural ship with skeleton crew memebers whom played
a dice game for sailors souls. The crew dies except the mariner who is cursed.
Biographia Literaria" was
quit different from his other writings. He wrote about his beliefs in imagination and talks about the supernatural.
He also speaks about William Wordsworth (a fellow poet) and their different opinions.
"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 infinite mind of the eternal act of creation in the finite mind of the eternal
act of creation in the infinite I am."
