Samuel Taylor Coleridge - Selected Poems

The Folio Poets

by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, John Beer

From the time he was very young, Coleridge hoped he would be remembered as a poet; masterpieces such as "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner," "Kubla Khan," and "Frost at Midnight" assured that his dream would come true. These verses, and the 32 others in this extraordinary collection, testify to the genius and power of his writing. From the time Coleridge produced his first volume of poetry in 1796 till his death in 1834, he created works as diverse as "The Eolian Harp," which begins as a sweet love poem but by the end becomes something much more; "To a Critic," a sharp rebuke to those who cruelly tear apart and misinterpret the poet's work; and the unfinished narrative verse, "Christabel."

Genres: Poetry, Classics, English Literature, Fiction, 19th Century, Romanticism, British Literature

139 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 2003

About the author

Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772-1834) was an English poet, critic, and philosopher who was, along with his friend William Wordsworth, one of the founders of the Romantic Movement in England and one of the Lake Poets. He is probably best known for his poems The Rime of the Ancient Mariner and Kubla Khan, as well as his major prose work Biographia Literaria.

Reviews

[Bryan--The Bee’s Knees · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to confess that Romantic Poetry is not my bailiwick...poetry of any kind is mostly beyond me, even though I'd like to be more appreciative. But, Coleridge happens to have written two poems that I do appreciate, which was the reason for picking up this slim volume of his selected poetry: The Rime of the Ancient Mariner and Kubla Khan. And, as I had started reading The Road to Xanadu: A Study in the Ways of the Imagination by John Livingston Lowes (which traces the sources Coleridge used in these two of his most famous poems), I thought this would be a good companion volume to read at the same time.

This edition has a thirty page biographical introduction to Coleridge and his poetry by the critic and poet James Reeves, which I found extremely helpful, especially in conjunction with The Road to Xanadu, as well as the other poems themselves. Of these, there are about 50 complete poems and fragments, in roughly chronological order, the first sixteen of which might rightly be called juvenilia. These seemed to me to be on par with most emotionally fraught poetry--in other words, difficult to read. In a volume of selected poetry, it seems like a waste to include these, as Coleridge enthusiasts would likely want a complete edition, with all he wrote, and those of us who are likely only to appreciate his mature work could quite likely do with a much abbreviated selection of his younger efforts.

But starting with This Lime-Tree Bower my Prison, we get to Coleridge's creative period, and even I could immediately tell the difference. Still, though, reading through the collection one time, there were only three poems that had any real effect on me--the two already mentioned, and Christabel. There were moments in others, and I will undoubtedly return to this again, if for no other reason than for Kubla Khan, Mariner, and Christabel, and at the same time re-sample some of the others. For that, this is a handy volume to have around, even with the earlier works I found unpalatable.

[Brat Virdžinije Vulf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Neko tvoj i niko moj

Sjedimo, jedno naspram drugog, pričamo, ćutimo, samo naizgled slutimo...

Samo na trenutke kradem ti poglede, jer hoću da ih pamtim. (Možda ove minute ne mogu da vratim)

Sjedimo tako kako više nikada nećemo. Pričam ti o Kolridžu i kako su nekada pjesnici pričali priču.

Ti meni govoriš o svojim snovima, o zemljama dalekim, da voliš muziku i feminizam...

Neću te grliti za srećan put,
jer mogao bih ti šapnuti jedan misticizam...

Odlaziš, a ovdje ostaje
neko tvoj.
Ostajem, a tamo odlazi
niko moj.


Mirza Guberinić

[J. Alfred · Rating 4 out of 5]

My one quarrel with Coleridge is that, somehow, his verse is much harder to memorize than, for instance, Wordsworth. Except for the very beginning of Kubla Kahn, (which is awesome) I can't think of nuffin. I have no idea why.
He's great though: the storytelling, the mythic qualities, the Christian qualities busting through the Romantic craziness... he's pretty great.

[Jonathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Christabel," "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner," and "Kubla Khan" are Coleridge's finest works. A few like "Lewti" and "To a Critic" are witty, and the former only at the end. But when Coleridge waxes overly sanctimonious or over praises nature he loses me altogether. I can see why he is a great and admired though. I would recommend this only because it has the three great poems.

[Well of Lost Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

These poems are magnificent. Lush, eerie, emotionally charged — the man knew how to conjure atmosphere.

The Rime of the Ancient Mariner and Christabel absolutely stole my gothic little heart, dripping with dread, superstition, and that delicious sense of something-not-quite-right lurking just beneath the surface. Coleridge’s language is rich without being suffocating, and his ability to evoke sorrow, fear, wonder, and hope in just a handful of lines is genuinely impressive.

What struck me most is how cinematic the poems feel: images linger, emotions echo, and the mood stays with you long after the page is turned. Even when the themes are dark, there’s a strange beauty and tenderness to his writing that makes the experience immersive rather than heavy. This collection was a joy to read slowly, letting the language do its thing and sink in properly.

Consider me converted: gothic girlie humbled, haunted, and absolutely ready to read more. 🖤📜

[Sarah Bernard · Rating 3 out of 5]

A strong, thoughtfully curated selection that highlights why Coleridge remains one of the most original voices of early Romanticism. From the visionary sweep of “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” to the more intimate power of his later lyrics, this collection captures both his imaginative brilliance and the poignancy of a career shortened by ill health. Though his output was small, the poems gathered here show why he influenced giants like Keats, Shelley, Byron, and Tennyson. A compact, rewarding introduction to a foundational poet

[Dayna Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful collection of his poems.

[Dwayne Hicks · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite Romantics. If only his powers of discipline had been stronger (Kubla Khan, Christabel), but the Rime redeems all.

[Martha · Rating 5 out of 5]

love this man

[laura nicholson · Rating 4 out of 5]

seamus perry says that coleridge has an internal despondence and self-recrimination that wordsworth did not and i hate to say it but it does kind of make the words slap harder

[Mike Palmer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read The Mariner and Kubla Khan in school, but I really fell in love with Christabel and Dejection. I think I will revisit them again very soon.

[Lloyd Downey · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice collection of Coleridge's poems .....including, of course, the Rime of the Ancient Mariner, and Kubla Khan. I struggled through Christabel but found it rather hard going. There is quite a reasonable biographic section about him.....he had domestic problems. And, as some chance acquaintance described him...he was "a young man of brilliant understanding, great eloquence, desperate fortune, and entirely led away by the feelings of the moment". I give the book three stars.

[Joelendil · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read quite a bit of poetry, but it is usually of the epic (or at least narrative) variety with plenty of battles and/or bickering gods. Normally, too much overly-flowery poetry makes me want to gag. For some reason last time I was at the library I decided to read some classic English poetry. Maybe I subconsciously wanted a balance to the blunt prose and academic jargon of the other two books I was reading…and maybe it was just because an episode of Blackadder that I had recently watched featured several foppish, stoned poets. Whatever the reason, I ended up reading a collection of Coleridge’s best poems.

Since he is one of the fathers of the romantic movement there was plenty of swooning and gushing over almost-divine nature, unrequited love, lost youth, etc. Some of the language was beautiful and some was gag-me-with-sentiment over the top, but I found the spiritual musings woven throughout the poems to be very interesting as they ranged from quasi-pantheism to dark, oppressive visions. I’ve had my fill of romantic-era poetry for a while, but it was a mostly enjoyable reading experience.

[Toby · Rating 3 out of 5]

Years ago I read, and enjoyed, some of Coleridge's journals. These poems reacquainted me with the well known ones (Ancient Mariner, Kubla Khan) as well as introducing me to ones that I didn't know but enjoyed on a first reading - This Lime Tree Bower, Frost at Midnight and The Aeolian Harp. There is, however, only so much you can take in one go, and - unlike Wordsworth's - Coleridge's oeuvre is on the side of manageable.

[Charlotte · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed Coleridge's Poetry. For AS we focused on "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner". This was a great accompanying text and really helped with my studies.

Another triumph from York Notes. However, a newer edition would have been nicer.

[Lisa]

Great Poets : Samuel Taylor Coleridge by Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1996)

[Dinda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Let me be awake, my God! Or let me sleep away

[Seth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Classic stuff from a canonical author. Poetry has changed a lot since Coleridge was alive, but it's still enjoyable to read his work. Suggested for pretty much anyone.

[Zee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'd never read Coleridge before, but he's so amazing. New favorite poet.

Update after re-reading one year later: still my favorite "fancy" poet.