Samuel Taylor Coleridge: A Literary Life (Literary Lives)

Annotation This literary life of the best-loved of all the major Romantic writers uses Coleridge's own Biographia Literaria as its starting point and destination. The most sustained criticism and ambitious theory that had ever been attempted in English, the Biographia was Coleridge's major statement to an embattled literary culture in which he sought to define and defend, not just his own, but all imaginative life. This book offers a reading of Coleridge and his life in the context of that culture and the institutions that comprised it, and is a 'must-read' for any student or scholar of Coleridge This Literary Life Of The Best-known And Best-loved Of All The Major Romantic Writers Uses Coleridge's Own 'literary Life' - His Famous Biographia Literaria - As Its Starting Point And Destination. The Most Sustained Criticism And Ambitious Theory That Had Ever Been Attempted In English, The Biographia Was Coleridge's Major Statement To An Embattled Literary Culture In Which He Sought To Define And Defend, Not Just His Own, But All Imaginative Life. Tracing The Long And Tortuous Journey From Coleridge's Intellectually Precocious Childhood And The Annus Mirabilis That Gave Us 'kubla Khan', The Rime Of The Ancient Mariner, And 'frost At Midnight', Through His Opium Addiction And Paralyzing Sense Of Failure, To The Literary Criticism Of Rare Insight And Compelling Beauty, William Christie Offers A Comprehensive And Immensely Readable Account Of Coleridge's Life And Works, Including Detailed Discussion Of The Major Poems And Criticism.--jacket. Chronology. -- Prologue: Literary Life, 1815. -- 'the Discipline Of His Taste At School': Christ's Hospital And Cambridge. -- 'the Progress Of His Opinions In Religion And Politics': The Radical Years. -- 'a Known And Familiar Landscape': Conversations. -- 'the Poet, Described In Ideal Perfection': Annus Mirabilis. -- 'the Toil Of Thinking': Private Notes And Public Newspapers. -- 'to Rust Away': The Lost Years 1800-6. -- 'the One Proteus Of The Fire And The Flood': Critic For Hire. -- 'to Preserve The Soul Steady': The Sage Of Highgate. -- Epilogue. William Christie. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 215-237) And Index. Never saw I his likeness', wrote a bereft Charles Lamb on the death of his friend Coleridge, 'nor probably the world can see again'. For William Wordsworth, Coleridge was 'the only wonderful man I ever knew', for William Hazlitt, the only person 'who answered to the idea of a man of genius'. This literary life of the best-known and best-loved of all the major Romantic writers uses Coleridge's own 'literary life' - his famous Biographia Literaria- as its starting point and destination. The most sustained criticism and ambitious theory that had ever been attempted in English, the Biographia was Coleridge's major statement to an embattled literary culture in which he sought to define and defend, not just his own, but all imaginative life. Tracing the long and tortuous journey from Coleridge's intellectually precocious childhood and the annus mirabilis that gave us 'Kubla Khan', The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, and 'Frost at Midnight', through his opium addiction and paralyzing sense of failure, to the literary criticism of rare insight and compelling beauty, William Christie offers a comprehensive and immensely readable account of Coleridge's life and works, including detailed discussion of the major poems and criticism Front Matter....Pages i-xviii Prologue Literary Life, 1815....Pages 1-13 ‘The Discipline of His Taste at School’: Christ’s Hospital and Cambridge....Pages 14-34 ‘The Progress of His Opinions in Religion and Politics’: The Radical Years....Pages 35-58 ‘A Known and Familiar Landscape’: Conversations....Pages 59-84 ‘The Poet, Described in Ideal Perfection’: Annus Mirabilis....Pages 85-115 ‘The Toil of Thinking’: Private Notes and Public Newspapers....Pages 116-138 ‘To Rust Away’: The Lost Years 1800–6....Pages 139-164 ‘The One Proteus of the Fire and the Flood’: Critic for Hire....Pages 165-187 ‘To Preserve the Soul Steady’: The Sage of Highgate....Pages 188-211 Epilogue....Pages 212-214 Back Matter....Pages 215-250 This largely chronological study of Iris Murdoch's literary life begins with her fledgling publications at Badminton School and Oxford, and her Irish heritage. It moves through the novels of the next four decades and concludes with an account of the biographical, critical and media attention given to her life and work since her death in 1999.