Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772-1834) was a famous Romantic poet and thinker. In his book “Biographia Literaria” (1817), he shared his thoughts on literature and poetry. In chapter 14, the author clearly talks about prose, poetry, and poem. He shows the difference between them. He says that prose and poetry may use the same words. However, their purpose and style are different. He also says that poetry is more than just a poem on paper. Coleridge also discusses the “willing suspension of disbelief.” This concept explains how readers accept unreal things in stories.
Purpose of Prose vs. Poetry: Coleridge says prose is for sharing information clearly. It explains facts, tells stories, or teaches lessons directly. Poetry, however, is not about facts. Its purpose is to create beauty, strong feelings, or deep thoughts. Poetry makes readers feel something special. A poem is the final written form of poetry. While prose informs, poetry touches the heart. For example, a history book is prose, but a love poem is poetry. The difference is in their goals. One teaches, the other moves us emotionally. The following words show the differences clearly.
“A poem contains the same elements as a prose composition; the difference must consist in a different combination of them; in consequence of a different object proposed.”
Structure and Language: Prose uses normal sentences and paragraphs. It flows like everyday speech. Poetry breaks these rules. It uses short lines, rhythm, and sometimes rhyme. This makes it sound musical. A poem follows these special rules, like stanzas or meter. Coleridge says the way words are arranged in poetry matters. For example, prose says,
“The sun rises in the east.”
A poem might say,
“Golden sun, rising bright,
Painting the sky with morning light.”
The same idea becomes more beautiful in poetry.
Willing Suspension of Disbelief: Coleridge introduces this idea for poetry and stories. It means readers willingly accept unreal things, like magic or ghosts, if they feel emotionally true. For example, in “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” (1798), we believe in a cursed sailor because the poem makes it feel real. This "suspension of disbelief" helps us enjoy imaginary worlds. Prose doesn’t always need this, as it stays closer to reality. Poetry, however, often asks us to believe in the impossible for a deeper experience.
Poem vs. Poetry: Coleridge makes a key difference here. A poem is just the written words. It is the finished piece we read. But poetry is the creative process in the poet’s mind. Poetry is the imagination at work. It shapes thoughts and emotions into art. A poem is like a cake, while poetry is the baking process. The real magic happens in the poet’s mind before the poem exists.
“What is poetry? is so nearly the same question with, what is a poem? that the answer to the one is involved in the solution of the other. ….”
Role of Imagination: For Coleridge, imagination is the heart of poetry. It transforms ordinary ideas into something meaningful. A poet’s genius lies in seeing universal truths and expressing them beautifully. Prose does not need this. But poetry uses imagination to connect feelings, images, and ideas. For example, describing a sunset in prose is simple. In poetry, the same sunset becomes a symbol of hope or endings. This creative power makes poetry unique. The role of imagination in poetry is as follows:
“It dissolves, diffuses, dissipates, in order to recreate; or where this process is rendered impossible, yet still, at all events, it struggles to idealize and to unify.”
In conclusion, Coleridge’s definitions help us see prose, poetry, and poems clearly. Prose informs, while poetry inspires. A poem is the physical result of poetry’s creative process. The "willing suspension of disbelief" lets us enjoy imaginary worlds in poetry. Most importantly, imagination is what makes poetry special. Unlike prose, poetry uses rhythm, emotion, and creativity to touch our souls.
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