(On the Imagination, or Esemplastic Power)
In Chapter 13 of Biographia Literaria, Samuel Taylor Coleridge explores the concept of imagination, specifically focusing on what he terms the ‘esemplastic power.’ This chapter is a significant contribution to Romantic literary theory, as it distinguishes between two types of imagination: primary and secondary, and delves into the nature and importance of the imagination in the creative process.
Primary Imagination: Coleridge defines Primary Imagination as a unifying and creative force that is present in all humans. This form of imagination is responsible for synthesizing our perceptions and experiences into a coherent whole. It is an involuntary and unconscious process that allows us to make sense of the world around us, shaping our thoughts, feelings, and understanding of reality.
Secondary Imagination: The Secondary Imagination, on the other hand, is a conscious and intentional act of creation. Coleridge views this form of imagination as the faculty that enables artists, poets, and other creative individuals to produce works of art. By exercising their Secondary Imagination, these creators can transcend the limitations of their individual experiences and generate new, unique, and universal forms of expression.
Esemplastic Power: Central to Coleridge’s understanding of the imagination is the concept of the esemplastic power. This term, coined by Coleridge, describes the imagination’s ability to mould and shape diverse and seemingly unrelated elements into a unified and coherent whole. The esemplastic power is an essential aspect of both primary and secondary imagination, as it allows for the blending and harmonizing of different perceptions, experiences, and ideas.
Coleridge emphasizes the importance of the esemplastic power in the creative process. He argues that it is not enough for artists and poets to merely reproduce their experiences; they must also transform and recombine them into something new and original. The esemplastic power enables creators to synthesize various elements, transcending the boundaries of the individual experience and evoking a sense of the universal in their work.
Chapter 13 of Biographia Literaria is a profound exploration of imagination and its role in the creative process. Coleridge distinguishes between primary and secondary imagination and introduces the concept of the esemplastic power, which allows artists and poets to create works that transcend their individual experiences and tap into the universal. By delving into the nature and importance of the imagination, Coleridge contributes significantly to our understanding of Romantic literary theory and the creative process.
In this chapter, Samuel Taylor Coleridge delves into the concept of the imagination and distinguishes between two types: primary and secondary. Primary imagination, according to Coleridge, is a fundamental and universal mental faculty that is present in all human beings.
Primary Imagination is an unconscious and involuntary process that helps us make sense of the world by synthesizing our perceptions and experiences into a coherent whole. It is a unifying force that enables us to perceive and comprehend the world around us by integrating diverse sensory inputs and thoughts into a single, unified experience.
Coleridge describes Primary Imagination as “the living power and prime agent of all human perception,”emphasizing its essential role in our cognitive processes. He also refers to it as a “repetition in the finite mind of the eternal act of creation in the infinite I AM.” This suggests that Primary Imagination reflects a divine creative power that is present in all human beings, allowing us to process and understand reality.
In short, Coleridge’s views on primary imagination highlight its importance as an inherent, unifying mental faculty that helps us navigate and make sense of the world around us. Coleridge recognizes primary imagination as a universal and fundamental aspect of human cognition: the ways in which we perceive, comprehend, and engage with reality.
While Primary Imagination is an unconscious, involuntary mental faculty present in all humans, the Secondary Imagination is a conscious, intentional creative force that is particularly relevant to artists, poets, and other creative individuals.
Coleridge views Secondary Imagination as a higher form of the creative process, exercised by creators to produce works of art, literature, or other expressions that go beyond their individual experiences. This faculty enables artists to transcend the limitations of their own perception and generate new, unique, and universal forms of expression.
Secondary Imagination shares similarities with Primary Imagination, as both involve the esemplastic power – the ability to shape and mould diverse elements into a unified, coherent whole. However, Secondary Imagination differs in that it is consciously directed and controlled by the creator. It allows them to recombine and transform their experiences, perceptions, and ideas into original works of art that convey a sense of the universal.
Coleridge’s views on Secondary Imagination emphasize the importance of this creative faculty in generating works that are not mere reproductions of the creator’s experiences but instead offer fresh and inventive perspectives. By exercising their Secondary Imagination, artists can evoke deeper emotions, insights, and universal truths through their creations, ultimately enriching the human experience.
Fancy: In contrast to imagination, Coleridge describes fancy as a lower mental faculty. Fancy involves the combination and recombination of existing images and ideas, drawn from memory or experience, without fundamentally transforming or synthesizing them. Unlike imagination, fancy is passive, less creative, and less capable of generating original insights or expressions.
Coleridge sees fancy as a mechanical process, where the mind brings together various sensory impressions and memories to create new combinations. However, these combinations are not truly transformative, as they don’t result in a deeper understanding or synthesis of the elements involved.
Coleridge’s views on fancy and imagination revolve around their different roles in the creative process. While imagination is seen as a creative, unifying, and transformative mental faculty, fancy is considered a less significant and passive process that merely recombines existing ideas and images. Coleridge’s distinction between fancy and imagination is essential to understanding his overall theory of the creative process and his contribution to Romantic literary theory.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. In Chapter 13 of Biographia Literaria, Coleridge discusses which central concept?
a) The Gothic novel
b) The role of nature in poetry
c) The imagination
d) The influence of Greek tragedy on Romantic literature
Answer: c) The imagination
2. Coleridge distinguishes between two types of imagination in Chapter 13. Which of the following is NOT one of them?
a) Primary Imagination
b) Secondary Imagination
c) Tertiary Imagination
d) Esemplastic Power
Answer: c) Tertiary Imagination
3. What is the primary imagination, according to Coleridge?
a) A creative force used by artists and poets
b) A unifying and creative force present in all humans
c) A specific talent for writing poetry
d) The ability to create original stories
Answer: b) A unifying and creative force present in all humans
4. What is the secondary imagination, according to Coleridge?
a) A creative force used by artists and poets
b) A unifying and creative force present in all humans
c) A specific talent for writing poetry
d) The ability to create original stories
Answer: a) A creative force used by artists and poets
5. What term does Coleridge coin to describe the imagination’s ability to mould diverse elements into a unified whole?
a) Esemplastic Power
b) Transcendental Synthesis
c) Creative Fusion
d) Unifying Principle
Answer: a) Esemplastic Power
6. Which aspect of imagination is responsible for creating a coherent whole from our perceptions and experiences?
a) Esemplastic Power
b) Primary Imagination
c) Secondary Imagination
d) All of the above
Answer: a) Esemplastic Power
7. According to Coleridge, which type of imagination is a conscious and intentional act of creation?
a) Primary Imagination
b) Secondary Imagination
c) Both primary and secondary imagination
d) Neither primary nor secondary imagination
Answer: b) Secondary Imagination
8. Which type of imagination does Coleridge associate with the divine creative power present in all human beings?
a) Primary Imagination
b) Secondary Imagination
c) Both primary and secondary imagination
d) Neither primary nor secondary imagination
Answer: a) Primary Imagination
9. Which type of imagination allows artists to transcend the limitations of their individual experiences and create works that evoke a sense of the universal?
a) Primary Imagination
b) Secondary Imagination
c) Both primary and secondary imagination
d) Neither primary nor secondary imagination
Answer: b) Secondary Imagination
10. In Chapter 13 of Biographia Literaria, Coleridge contributes to our understanding of which aspect of Romantic literary theory?
a) The importance of historical context in literature
b) The role of the imagination in the creative process
c) The influence of the sublime on the Romantic poets
d) The connection between nature and spirituality
Answer: b) The role of the imagination in the creative process
Literary Latitude 