Some Things to Think About for the Reading Due 1/9

Some things to think about for the reading due 1/9

1. What is a "vision"? How is it different from other kinds of knowing, other kinds of seeing?

2. Is there a difference in the ways Wordsworth and Coleridge express their "visions"? In their poetic intentions?

3. Do you believe Wordsworth? Coleridge? Why? Why not?

4. Identify a central image (or cluster of images) in each poem and trace it through the poem, observing how it is used (developed, undermined, altered).

5. Poetic endings and beginnings are crucial, of course. How do the openings relate to the endings of these poems?

6. If you were an editor and were going to "cut" parts from any of these poems (only "parts," sorry -- these are, after all, classics), what would you delete and why? (Now Willie, now Sam, this is promising stuff, but don't you think...)

7. What's Wordsworth's attitude toward nature? Coleridge's? In each, where does man fit in the natural scheme of things?

8. Do you believe, as Coleridge claims, that "Kubla Khan" was written in a kind of drug induced "dream" or "visionary" state? Why? Why not? (I mean, who are we to argue, but if we did, what explanation might we offer for his making such a claim?)

9. Do you think (as at least some have claimed) that "neurosis" need be a source for art? Is it in Wordsworth's case? Coleridge's? If so, does it enhance or distort their art? Pure speculation, of course, but considering the assigned poems, what's your feeling about it?

10. How personal do these poems seem?

11. What’s Blake’s view of the relationship of innocence to experience? What defines each of these conditions? Compare Blake’s “vision” to Wordsworth’s and to Coleridge’s.