Thinking activity:- Coleridge's Biographia Literaria

 

The Biographia Literaria is a critical work by Samuel Taylor Coleridge which is contained in 24 chapter. In this critical disquisition,Coleridge concerns himself not only with the practice of criticism but also with its theory. In the chapter of XIV of Biographia Literaria,Coleridge's view on nature and function of poetry is discussed in Philosophical term. The difference between prose and poem is discussed by Coleridge and the difference between poetry and poem is discussed by philosopher.

• Difference between Poem and Prose

 If we see the difference between poem and prose we can not find a huge difference in them. It very hard to find the clear cut difference and dissimilarities in them. The main difference between these two is related with the object. The language of poem is sometimes highly ornamental and also we find complexity of word. While in the Prose, the language  is very straight forward and we do not find a use of rhyme and meter like poem. To make the poem decorative, poet uses some meter or rhyme which brings artificiality in it. prose are for giving information where as poems are to give pleasure. 

·         Difference between poem and poetry.

           

   Poem and Poetry also has a thin line between them which can separate them.  A poem is the arrangement of words which can be described as something made or created. A poem is a literary term written in verse with rhyme, meter and musicality which give us delight. While the poetry can be described as a activity of poet's mind, as Coleridge points out that "poetry of the highest kind may exist without meter and even without the contra-distinguishing objects of poem".

               He also adds that 'poetry' is an activity of mind and a poem is merely one of the forms of its expression, a verbal expression of that activity is basically an activity of imagination. If we look at this art of work than it can be also considered as a poetry.