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Coleridge: Darker Reflections
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Plot Summary of Coleridge: Darker Reflections
"This is the second and final volume of Richard Holmes' very detailed biography of Samuel Taylor Coleridge.
The book covers the latter half of Coleridge's life, dealing with his escalating opium addiction, and its physical and mental consequences, his unhappy marriage to Sarah Fricker, and his deteriorating relationship with Wordsworth.
Richard Holmes paints a sympathetic picture of a lovable, very bright man who is unable to function at a consistent level in any area of his life, and who seeks refuge in opium, alcohol and philosophy. There are many moments of humour in this somewhat bleak story, which concludes with Coleridge's death in 1834. His great interest in all things continued on to his deathbed, and he spent his final hours describing the process to those around him. His last words were: "Why, I feel I could almost be witty.""

Miranda Smith, Resident Scholar



Review Analysis of Coleridge: Darker Reflections
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
job/profession: - writer
Job/profession/poverty story Yes
Period of greatest activity? - 1800's

Subject of Biography
Gender - Male
Profession/status: - writer
Age: - long lived adults
Eccentric/Mental Yes
Eccentric: - eccentric - obsessed - deluded - emotionally unstable - wild
Biography of famous person? Yes
Ethnicity - White
Nationality - British
How sensitive is this person? - middling sensitive to others' feelings
Intelligence - Genius (really!)
Physique - quite fatty

Setting
How much descriptions of surroundings? - 4 ()
Europe Yes
European country: - England/UK
Century: - 18th century

Style
Person - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - moderately detailed references to deaths
Book makes you feel? - thoughtful
Writer's slant towards subject: - favorable
Pictures/Illustrations? - More 6-10 B&W
How much dialogue in bio? - little dialog
A LOT of info about personal vices? Yes
How much of bio focuses on most famous period of life? - 51%-75% of book
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Charles Dickens: His Tragedy and Triumph by Edgar Johnson


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Richard Holmes Resident Scholar Profiles

TOP SCHOLAR:
  
Miranda Smith  

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