'A Radical causation': Coleridge's Lyrics and Collective Guilt. Issue 1 (April 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Pladek, Brittany
• Is Part Of: Romanticism. Volume 23:Issue 1(2017)
• Page Start: 62
• Page End: 74
• Publication Date: 2017-04
• Subjects: collective guilt -- lyric -- Coleridge -- feeling -- causality -- social psychology; Romanticism -- England -- History -- Periodicals; Romanticism -- Periodicals; English literature -- 19th century -- History and criticism -- Periodicals; English literature -- 18th century -- History and criticism -- Periodicals; 820.9145
• DOI: 10.3366/rom.2017.0307
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1354-991X

Abstract

Abstract : This paper argues that the early lyrics of Samuel Taylor Coleridge explore the ethical work of collective guilt, a feeling with enormous Romantic and contemporary significance. Coleridge's lyrics formally model collective guilt while making a cautious case for its social value. By reading 'Fears in Solitude' and The Rime of the Ancient Mariner through recent work in social psychology and the philosophy of ethics, I show how Coleridge creates causalities of feeling, affirming meaningful relationships of responsibility that go beyond personal guilt. I conclude that Romantic lyric offers an ideal form not only for illustrating how collective guilt works as a 'structure of feeling', but also for examining the emotion's potential to create positive social change.