Samuel Taylor Coleridge

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Samuel Taylor Coleridge (21 October 1772 – 25 July 1834) was an English poet, literary critic, philosopher, and theologian who, along with his friend William Wordsworth, was a founder of the Romantic Movement in England and a member of the Lake Poets. He is best known for his poems The Rime of the Ancient Mariner and Kubla Khan, as well as his major prose work Biographia Literaria.

Early Life

Coleridge was born in Ottery St Mary, Devon, the youngest of ten children. His father, John Coleridge, was a well-respected vicar of the parish and headmaster of the local grammar school. After his father's death in 1781, Coleridge was sent to Christ's Hospital, a charity school in London, where he met lifelong friend Charles Lamb.

Education and Early Career

Coleridge attended Jesus College, Cambridge, but left without a degree. During his time at Cambridge, he became friends with Robert Southey, with whom he planned to establish a utopian society in America, which they called Pantisocracy. The plan never materialized, but the friendship with Southey remained significant throughout his life.

Literary Career

In 1795, Coleridge met William Wordsworth and his sister Dorothy Wordsworth. This meeting marked the beginning of a fruitful literary partnership. In 1798, they published Lyrical Ballads, a collection of poems that is often considered the starting point of the English Romantic movement. Coleridge's contributions included The Rime of the Ancient Mariner and Frost at Midnight.

Later Life and Opium Addiction

Coleridge struggled with poor health and became addicted to laudanum, a form of opium. His addiction affected his personal and professional life, leading to estrangement from his family and friends. Despite these struggles, he continued to write and lecture, producing significant works such as Biographia Literaria and Aids to Reflection.

Death and Legacy

Coleridge died on 25 July 1834 in Highgate, London. He is buried in the crypt of St. Michael's Church in Highgate. Coleridge's work has had a lasting impact on English literature, influencing writers such as Edgar Allan Poe, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and John Keats.

Related Pages

• William Wordsworth
• Lyrical Ballads
• Romantic Movement
• The Rime of the Ancient Mariner
• Kubla Khan
• Biographia Literaria
• Lake Poets
• Charles Lamb
• Robert Southey