writing as a poem Unity is a Must Coleridge commences his explanation of the poem with reference to philosophy which is the mother of all branches of knowledge He argues that philosophy confers truth on any topic through intellectual unity Likewise in philosophy a poem must have unity Difference between Poetry and Prose Coleridge asserts that a poem contains the same elements as a prose composition There is no difference between poem and prose composition in the case of using the medium as both use words However the distinction lies in combining the different elements because the poem conjointly uses meter or rhythm Thirty days hath in September April June and November etc Coleridge's reference is a prose composition though there is meter and rhythm in the lines Thus Coleridge s theory of poetry has created a superficial difference between poetry and prose Immediate Object Pleasure According to Coleridge a poem must communicate immediate pleasure Though science and history have communicated truths they are in a shortage of creating immediate recreation Finally Coleridge has guessed or deduced a definition of a poem A poem is that species of composition which is opposed to works of science by proposing for its immediate object pleasure not truth So Coleridge's poetic theory promotes the paths of composing a poem by declaring its purpose Opinion on Poetry Coleridge would like to define poetry to emphasize the meter and rhythm of poetry writing Though his opinion is uncontroverted as to rhythm and meter he lays assertions for rhyme or measure or both According to Coleridge the works of Plato and Bishop Taylor would be considered the best works of poetry if there were no limitations in rhyme and meter So Coleridge's poetic theory advocates maintaining proper literary technique for poetry Opinion about Poet The most praiseworthy aspect of Coleridge s poetic theory is his outstanding understanding of the qualifications of the poets Coleridge suggests that if the question questioned is about what poetry is or what poetry is the answer to one is certainly involved in the solution of the other Coleridge says No man was ever yet a great poet without being at the same time a profound philosopher Poetic genius sustains and modifies the poet's images thoughts and emotions Some specific qualities a poet must possess in accordance with the scholar critic Good Sense Fancy and Imagination These are the coined terms expressed in the essay According to Coleridge good sense is the body of poetic genius Fancy is the drapery and motion Finally in Coleridge's opinion imagination is the soul of poetic genius which is absent in Wordsworth Coleridge s opinion about fancy The fancy is indeed no other than a mode of memory emancipated from the order of time and space In light of the above discussion it is acutely understandable and realizable that Coleridge s incompact poetic theory is a landmark in the history of English literary criticism This theory created poets