Samuel Taylor Coleridge 1772 - 1834

Poet, Critic, Philosopher Best known for: Coleridge’s Life… Poet, Critic, Philosopher Best known for: “Rime of the Ancient Mariner” “Kubla Kahn” “Biographia Literaria” Considered a genius

Was sent away to school where he was well- educated, but very lonely Loneliness caused him to look for attention throughout life Tried to form a utopian society called “Pantisocracy” in the U.S., but the group never completed the plan, leaving Coleridge in an arranged marriage Also attended Cambridge, but never graduated

Met Wordsworth and Dorothy in 1795 and they became good friends Began taking laudanum, a highly addictive drug for pain made from opium Laudanum addiction soon controlled his life, destroying many relationships In 1814 he put himself under the full-time care of a doctor He was the inspiration for Wordsworth’s poetry – encouraged W. to write.

Fortunately, he was able to reconcile with his wife and renew his friendship with Wordsworth Lectured for several years – a benefit especially for women who were still barred from universities During these years he wrote his best poetry and was able to live in peace with himself

Coleridge struggled with addiction for the rest of his life, continually depending on the doctor to regulate his medication in order to function He died of a combination of heart failure and lung disease that had been compounded by the years of drug use

Coleridge’s Work… His best-known poem, “Rime of the Ancient Mariner,” was published in “Lyrical Ballads” in 1798 “Kubla Kahn,” a dream poem, is also well-known

Many consider him to be as good a poet as Wordsworth His work was sporadic because of depression brought about by his drug addiction Many consider him to be as good a poet as Wordsworth However, he never fulfilled his potential because he struggled to maintain a stable lifestyle Coleridge also wrote critiques of contemporary work He considered himself to be the lesser of the two poets Wrote “Biographia Literaria,” considered to be the foundation of modern literary theory