close reading Colerigde

But oh! that deep romantic chasm which slanted
Down the green hill athwart a cedarn cover!
A savage place! as holy and enchanted
As e’er beneath a waning moon was haunted
By woman wailing for her demon-lover!

 

   - Coleridge, ‘Kubla Khan’

Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772-1834)

Join us for another for a Close Reading course exploring the poetry of Samuel Taylor Coleridge, led by Mariah Whelan.

One of the key figures in the ‘Romantic’ movement, Coleridge is probably one of the most famous poets to have ever written in the English language. He was a student at Jesus College, Cambridge in the 1790s, but did not finish his degree. For a period, he worked closely with Wordsworth. They published a joint volume, Lyrical Ballads in 1798. Coleridge was also an important essayist and literary critic.

His poetry is enormously powerful. What makes it so? In this short course, we will read a selection of Coleridge’s poems and explore just what made the poet and his poems so revolutionary.

Using gentle close reading prompts in a warm and collegiate atmosphere, we will observe, analyse and discuss Coleridge’s poetic techniques. A selection of poems will provided by Mariah, and there are also som poems on our Blog page.

An ideal set of sessions for anyone who wants to develop their close reading skills and enhance their enjoyment of the poems. No prior experience of close reading is necessary to take part.

Sundays, 6 April and 13 April 2025, 2.00 to 4.00 pm British Summer Time.

Banner image: Sam Barber, Lake District on Unsplash

Click on the image below for the booking page.