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christabel
First published 1954 · 650 pages
A meticulous, chronological journey through the restless imagination and evolving genius of a master poet.
What it feels like
Reading this collection feels like stepping into the restless, endlessly creative mind of a master poet. The pace is leisurely and contemplative, inviting readers to linger over the meticulous evolution of verse through comprehensive scholarly notes and significant textual variants. The mood is deeply archival and reverent, tracing a chronological path that captures the soaring heights of imagination, the steady maturity of craft, and the poignant decay of genius. The prose blends lyrical, imaginative poetry with informative, analytical annotations. It is an experience designed for readers who are fascinated by the creative process and literary history, offering a profound, atmospheric immersion into the lifelong revisions and enduring legacy of a celebrated English author.
- Mood
- reflective
- contemplative
- archival
- atmospheric
- Tone
- scholarly
- reverent
- analytical
- poetic
- Pace
- leisurely
- Themes
- the creative process · poetic revision · the evolution of genius · imagination and creativity
- The writing
- Lyrical and imaginative in its primary verse, supported by meticulous and informative scholarly annotations.
- The arc
- A chronological journey tracing the soaring heights of imagination through the maturity and eventual decay of a poetic mind.
- Who it's for
- Readers fascinated by the creative process, literary history, and the meticulous evolution of English poetry.
Content notes
- death (mentioned in poem titles)
About the book
Endowed with a surfeit of imagination and creativity, Coleridge endlessly revised his poetry, changing passages, adding new lines, and even writing several variations of the same poem. Faced with the challenge of putting together an authoritative collection, William Keach presents the final texts of all the poems published during Coleridge's lifetime and a substantial selection from the verse still in manuscript at his death, together with comprehensive, informative notes on significant variants. For four of the best-known poems -- "A Monody on the Death of Chatterton", "The Eolian Harp", "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner", and "Dejection: An Ode"--Important earlier versions are included in full. The poems are arranged in chronological order of composition, in keeping with Coleridge's view that this best preserves "the interest which arises from watching the progress, maturity, and even the decay of genius."
Includes bibliographical references (p. [xxvii]-xxx) and index.
Description from Open Library.
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