A General Estimate of Colleridge as a critic ,Colleridge greatness as a literary critic

A General Estimate of Colleridge as a critic ,

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Colleridge greatness as a literary critic

SAMUEL TAYLOR COLLERIDGE AS A CRITIC

Colleridge is one of the greatest of literary critics , and his greatness has been almost universally recognised . He occupies , without doubt , the first place among English literary critic , after eliminating, one after another the possible contenders for the title of the greatest critic , Saintsbury concludes "So , then there abide these three - Aristotle , Longinus , and Colleridge ".

According to Arthur Symon's , Colleridge's Biographia Literaria is , " The greatest book of Criticism in English ".

A man of Stupendous learning, both in philosophy and Literature, ancient , as well as modern , and refined sensibility and penetrating intellect , Colleridge was eminently fitted to the task of a critic . His practical criticism consists of his evaluations of Shakespeare and other English Dramatist , and of Milton and Wordsworth. Despite the fact that there are so many digression and repetition, his practical criticism is always illuminating and highly original. It is rich in suggestion of for reaching values and significance and flashes of insight rarely to be met within any other critic . His greatness is well brought out , if we keep in mind the state of practical criticism in England before him . The Neo-Classic critics judged on the basis of fixed rules , they were either legislative or judicial or were carried away by their prejudices. Colleridge doesn't judge on the basis of any rules . He doesn't pass any judgement , but gives his response and reaction to a work of art , his criticism is impressionistic-romantic , a new kind of criticism , a criticism which dealt a knock out blow to Neo-Classic criticism, and has been in Vogue , more or less eversince . He could disclose new beauties in Shakespeare and could bring about french re-valuation of a number of old English Masters . Similarly , his criticism of Wordsworth and his theories enable us to judge him and his views in the correct perspective .READ FURTHER ,Colleridge greatness as a literary critic

Colleridge greatness as a literary critic

Introduced philosophy and psychology into literary criticism

In the field of theoritical inquiry , Colleridge was the first to introduce psychology and philosophy into literary criticism. He was interested in the study of the process of poetic creation , the very principles of creative activity and for this purpose freely drew upon philosophy and psychology. He thus made philosophy the basis of literary, inquiry and thus brought about a union of philosophy, psychology and literary criticism .

Revolutionised the concept of imagination

His greatness and most original contribution to literary criticism is his theory of imagination, Addison has examined the nature and function of imagination and Wordsworth, too ,had developed his own theory on the subject .He is the first critic to differentiate between imagination and fancy , the first literary critic to distinguish between primary and secondary imagination, through his theory of imagination he revolutionised the concept of artistic imitation.

Poetic imitation is neither a service copy of nature , nor is the creation of something entirely new and different from nature . Poetry is not imitation, but creation , but it is creation based on the sensations and impression received from the external world , such impression received from the external world , such impression are shaped , ordered , modified and opposites are reconciled and harmonised , by the imagination of the poet ,and in this way poetic creation takes place .

Lack of Appreciation : causes

However , it may be mentioned in the end that Colleridge's views are too philosophical, he is a critic not easy to understand, often it is fragmentary and unsystematic Victorian's in general could not appreciate him and his appeal was confined. George Watson in this connection ,as a descriptive critics ,his achievement is brilliant but sporadic , and he offers no single example worthy to be advanced as a model.If his criticism survives , as it vigorously does. It is not virtue by virtue of what it demonstrates but by what it abundantly suggests ,for no english critics has so excelled at providing profitable point of deparature for 20th century critics ,it is only in the 20th century that his literary criticism has been truly understood and recogonition and appreciation have followed. Today his reputation stands very high and many go to him for inspiration and illumination .

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