Romantic Symbolic Poem: Coleridge, Shelley, Keats - part I: Coleridge - AAALA031A
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OBJECTIVES
The course will focus on close reading of selected major poems by the above poets in the context of recent critical theory. It is divided into three semester-long sections dedicated to the work of individual Romantic poets. The first part will deal with the structure and function of symbols in the major poems of S.T. Coleridge: ‘The Rime of the Ancient Mariner,’ ‘Kubla Khan’ and ‘Christabel.’ These will be discussed in the context of selected ‘conversation poems,’ such as ‘This Lime Tree Bower, My Prison,’ ‘The ‘Æolian Harp,’ ‘Frost at Midnight,’ ‘Fears in Solitude,’ ‘Love’ and ‘Dejection: An Ode,’ and passages from Coleridge’s major theoretical work, Biographia Literaria. Readings will address the following issues: the forms and functions of subjectivity and otherness (in terms of culture, gender/sex), political implications of and the limits of representation in Coleridge’s poetry. Further contextualization, discussing the shifting functions of Romantic symbolism (existential moments, irony), will include comparisons with the works of E.A. Poe (The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym), and Herman Melville (selected chapters from Moby Dick). The closing part will focus on alternative genres, i.e., the prose fragment (‘The Wanderings of Cain’) and drama (Osorio), where we will discuss the symbolism of otherness in terms of revenge, guilt and remorse. PROCEDURE Sessions will open with presentations (15 minutes max.) given by all students on the texts assigned in the week-by-week schedule. Discussion will follow, concluded by the instructors’ comments. In the remaining part of the session students will divide into small groups and present interpretations of a key problematic passage from the assigned text. The passage will be chosen by the instructors and assigned during the previous session. ASSESSMENT Credits will be given on the basis of students’ presentations (max. 15 min), their participation in class discussion and a final essay (2500 words) whose proposal will be discussed with the instructors during the last session. Erasmus and other exchange students sign up under the Erasmus code, i.e. AAALA031AE. NB: students who have signed up for the graded paper (AAALA031B) write 1 long essay (4000 words) for their combined credit and graded paper assignment. Graded paper proposals need to be discussed with the instructors. Primary and secondary material is available on the course Moodle site (see above: https://dl1.cuni.cz/course/view.php?id=5199). Last update: Horová Miroslava, Mgr., Ph.D. (03.02.2026)
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