Concetti Chiave
- Samuel Taylor Coleridge was a precocious child from Devonshire, who attended a charity school in London after losing his father.
- He studied at Cambridge University but left without a degree, forming a friendship with radical poet Robert Southey and sharing revolutionary ideas.
- Coleridge became addicted to opium in 1800 due to health issues, leading to depression and a break with his friend Wordsworth.
- In 1811, he moved to London, overcame his addiction, and shifted focus to prose, lecturing famously on Shakespeare.
- Despite his past struggles, he published notable works like "Christabel," "Kubla Khan," and "Biographia Literaria" before dying in 1834.
Childhood and Education of Coleridge
Samuel Taylor Coleridge was born in Devonshire in 1772. A very intelligent and imaginative child, he soon lost his father, and attended a charity school in London. Then he went to Cambridge University, but he left without taking his degree, and made friends with young radical poet Robert Southey. Like many other young intellectuals of the time, the two young men were enthusastic supporters of the French Revolution and were influenced by radical ideas, and for a periof they dreamt of founding a “Pantisocracy” – an ideal community based on egalitarian principles.
Opium Addiction and Break with Wordsworth
When In 1800 his health worsened, and he gradually increased the opium dosage with which he alleviated the pains of neuralgia, untill he became an addict. A period of depression ensued, during which he was haunted by the idea that his poetic inspiration and his powers of concentration were waning. All these circumstances led to a quarrel with Wordsworth who did not approve of his friend’s opium addiction, and the momentous friendship between the two poets came to an end.
Life in London and Later Works
In 1811 Coleridge returned to London, where he spent the rest of his life, regained strenght and managed to control his drug addiction. But his period poetic creativity was over, and he devoted himself to prose works; he gave lectures – particularly famous his lectures on Shakespeare, and charmed people with his brilliant conversation. 1816 saw the publication of Christabel and Kubla Khan, and a year later his Biographia Literaria came out. He died in 1834.
Domande da interrogazione
- What were the early influences on Samuel Taylor Coleridge's intellectual development?
- How did Coleridge's health issues impact his relationship with Wordsworth?
- How did Coleridge's career evolve after moving to London in 1811?
Coleridge was an intelligent and imaginative child who, after losing his father, attended a charity school in London and later Cambridge University. He befriended radical poet Robert Southey, and both were enthusiastic supporters of the French Revolution, dreaming of creating a "Pantisocracy," an ideal community based on egalitarian principles.
Coleridge's health worsened in 1800, leading to increased opium use for neuralgia pain relief, resulting in addiction. This addiction and subsequent depression strained his friendship with Wordsworth, who disapproved of Coleridge's drug use, ultimately ending their significant friendship.
After returning to London in 1811, Coleridge managed to control his drug addiction but his poetic creativity waned. He focused on prose, delivering famous lectures on Shakespeare and engaging audiences with his conversation. Notable works from this period include "Christabel," "Kubla Khan," and "Biographia Literaria."
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