Coleridge Quote by John Keats
““Brown and Dilke walked with me and back from the Christmas pantomime. I had not a dispute but a disquisition, with Dilke on various subjects; several things dove-tailed in my mind, and at once it struck me what quality went to form a Man of Achievement, especially in Literature, and which Shakespeare possessed so enormously - I mean Negative Capability, that is, when a man is capable of being in uncertainties, mysteries, doubts, without any irritable reaching after fact and reason - Coleridge, for instance, would let go by a fine isolated verisimilitude caught from the Penetralium of mystery, from being incapable of remaining content with half-knowledge. This pursued through volumes would perhaps take us no further than this, that with a great poet the sense of Beauty overcomes every other consideration, or rather obliterates all consideration.””
About This Quote
Source Essay: Literary criticism, 1818
Great artists possess the ability to sit comfortably with uncertainty, allowing imagination to flourish beyond strict logic.
In simple terms: Embrace mystery, avoid forced explanations.
Key Takeaway
Cultivate openness to the unknown.
Themes
creativity
uncertainty
literature
imagination
philosophy
Mood
contemplative
inquisitive
inspirational
Type
literary
philosophical
When to use this quote
- writing workshops
- artistic development
- philosophical inquiry
- personal growth
Key Concepts
Negative Capability
Shakespearean insight
Coleridge influence
Questions to Reflect On
- How can you practice Negative Capability?
- What uncertainties fuel your creativity?
A Different Perspective
Overemphasis on certainty can stifle innovation.
