Wordsworth and Coleridge are both lynchpins in the creation
of Romanticism. Wordsworth grew up predominately in the Lake District of
England, so his appreciation of nature and the beauty of things aside from
nobility definitely originated in his childhood. This appreciation carries forth
into his adolescence and inevitably into adulthood and his career as a poet.
Wordsworth’s main focus is on that of the commoner and examining life sans
nobility or flowery language. He purposefully deviates from the norms of the time
period and abandons “what is usually called poetic diction” and creates his own
style, his own form, and it becomes wildly popular. Because Wordsworth’s work primarily
examines aspects of real life, it is easier for the reader to get into and find
a way that they can relate to it.
Although Coleridge is equally as involved in creating
Romanticism, the main topics of his poetry differ immensely from Wordsworth’s.
While Wordsworth focused on nature and the commoner, Coleridge delved into the
imagination and the fantasy side. He did include elements of nature, as
evidenced by his piece entitled “Kubla Khan,” but he also explored the
eccentricities of the commoners, not just in what the nobility had that they
lacked, but what the commoner had that was flamboyant or eclectic, what set
them apart in ways other than just social class and financial standing.
Unfortunately, Coleridge’s exploration of the mind is what unravels his
friendship with Wordsworth and his marriage. He tumbles into a deep depression
that ends both relationships. He had health issues and tried painkillers to
alleviate the asthma and rheumatism he lived with, but those medications only
dulled his creative powers and made it difficult for him to write.
Personally, I enjoy the styles of both poets equally. One
cannot deny the imprint they have left on the literary world, regardless of
their differences.
No comments:
Post a Comment