Biographia Literaria Characters
WW
William Wordsworth
Supporting
Collaborative
Theoretically minded
Advocate for plain language
Influential on contemporaries
William Wordsworth was Coleridge's close friend and fellow poet, featuring prominently in 'Biographia Literaria.' Coleridge reflects on their poetic collaboration and friendship while also critically engaging with Wordsworth's theories on plain language and the ordinary in poetry.
IK
Immanuel Kant
Symbolic
Philosophical
Rational
Systematic
Intellectually rigorous
Immanuel Kant was a German philosopher whose ideas significantly influenced Coleridge's philosophical thinking. His theories on perception, reason, and the nature of reality are engaged with throughout 'Biographia Literaria,' serving as a foundation for Coleridge's own theories on imagination and aesthetics.
FS
Friedrich Schelling
Symbolic
Philosophical
Conceptually innovative
Systematic
Organically minded
Friedrich Schelling was a German philosopher referenced in 'Biographia Literaria.' Coleridge drew upon Schelling's philosophy, particularly his concept of organic form, applying it to his own theories on the composition of poetry.
RS
Robert Southey
Supporting
Loyal
Collaborative
Literarily active
Socially connected
Robert Southey was a close friend of Coleridge and fellow poet mentioned in 'Biographia Literaria' in relation to their shared experiences and literary pursuits. He was a member of the Lake Poets, a literary circle that also included Coleridge and Wordsworth.
TD
Thomas De Quincey
Minor
Admiring
Critically engaged
Essayistic
Observant
Thomas De Quincey was an English essayist and literary critic referenced, though not directly depicted, in 'Biographia Literaria.' He became an admirer of Coleridge's work and would later write extensively about him.