‘Could a rule be given from without, poetry would cease to be poetry, and sink into a mechanical art. It would be μóρφωσις, not ποίησις. The rules of the IMAGINATION are themselves the very powers of growth and production. The words to which they are reducible, present only the outlines and external appearance of the fruit. A deceptive counterfeit of the superficial form and colours may be elaborated; but the marble peach feels cold and heavy, and children only put it to their mouths.’ [Coleridge, Biographia ch. 18]

‘ποίησις’ (poiēsis) means ‘a making, a creation, a production’ and is used of poetry in Aristotle and Plato. ‘μóρφωσις’ (morphōsis) in essence means the same thing: ‘a shaping, a bringing into shape.’ But Coleridge has in mind the New Testament use of the word as ‘semblance’ or ‘outward appearance’, which the KJV translates as ‘form’: ‘An instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which hast the form [μóρφωσις] of knowledge and of the truth in the law’ [Romans 2:20]; ‘Having a form [μóρφωσις] of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away’ [2 Timothy 3:5]. I trust that's clear.

There is much more on Coleridge at my other, Coleridgean blog.

Friday, 3 October 2014

Levinus Lemnius on Sleepwalking

Levinus Lemnius was a sixteenth-century Dutch doctor and writer, whose Occulta naturae miracula (1559) was translated into English in 1658. Here is what he says about sleepwalking.







Posted by at

4 comments:

  1. Anonymous8 June 2022 at 04:04

    Nice post! Thank you for sharing such an amazing and informative post. Really enjoyed reading it.
    ACE School of Sleep Medicine, Courses
    Sleep Medicine School in India

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous8 June 2022 at 04:49

    Nice post
    Get consultation, and best treatment for various neurological disorders & diseases from one of the best neurologist in delhi, Dr. Manvir Bhatia.
    best neurologist in delhi.

    ReplyDelete
  3. neurology18 November 2022 at 01:48

    Thanks for sharing this information for us
    Sleep Study in Delhi
    Sleep Study Near Me

    ReplyDelete
  4. Bloggerrrrrr21 December 2022 at 03:17

    Thanks for sharing this! If anyone here out is searching for the Best Neurologist in Ludhiana to treat there neuro problems , then you should consult Dr. Sukhdeep Singh Jhawar. He is best in this field.

    ReplyDelete

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)