Sara Coleridge
Sara Coleridge (1802-1852) was an English writer and translator, notable for her contributions to literary criticism and poetry, despite being overshadowed by her famous father, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, a prominent Romantic poet. Born in Keswick, England, she was the youngest of four children in a household frequented by literary figures such as William Wordsworth and Sir Walter Scott. Largely self-educated, Sara became proficient in multiple languages and began her literary career early, translating works to support her family.
In her personal life, she faced challenges, including a struggle with opium addiction and the loss of her children and husband, Henry Nelson Coleridge. Following her father's death in 1834, she took on the role of his literary executor, dedicating herself to preserving his legacy while also producing her own works, including the fairy tale "Phantasmion," published in 1837. Her efforts in literary criticism, particularly her introduction to her father's "Biographia Literaria," showcased her intellect and scholarship. Though her literary career was greatly influenced by her familial duties, contemporary scholars recognize Sara Coleridge as a significant female writer of the nineteenth century, with renewed interest in her contributions to literature.
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Subject Terms
Sara Coleridge
Author
- Born: December 22, 1802
- Birthplace: Keswick, England
- Died: May 3, 1852
Biography
Sara Coleridge, the daughter of famous Romantic poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge and his wife Sara Fricker Coleridge, was born on December 22, 1802, at Greta Hall, Keswick, England. She was the youngest of four children born to the couple, having three older brothers. Her father’s fame, his absence from home, his ill health, and his poverty profoundly influenced the shape of Sara’s life.
Coleridge was largely self-educated. Her father’s friends and family—including William Wordsworth, Charles Lamb, Sir Walter Scott, and Thomas de Quincey—were frequent visitors at Greta Hall and all helped the young woman reach her educational goals. Her uncle, Robert Southey, a famous poet in his own right, provided Coleridge with access to his large library. By the time she was twenty, Coleridge could read four languages; she later learned both Greek and German.
At nineteen, Coleridge undertook the translation of Historia de Abiponibus by Martin Dobrizhöffer in order to finance her brother’s education. The book was published anonymously in 1822. While visiting her father in London in 1822, Coleridge met her cousin, Henry Nelson Coleridge. The two became secretly engaged. Coleridge next turned to a translation of a medieval knight’s memoirs, published in 1825. Meanwhile, Coleridge developed an opium addiction in response to depression and anxiety.
In 1829, Coleridge and her cousin married. The couple had two children by 1832; in 1834, they lost infant twins. In spite of her grief, Coleridge produced a volume of poetry that year, Pretty Lessons in Verse for Good Children. The book, intended for her children, sold well.
Coleridge also lost her father that year. His death was by far the most influential event of Coleridge’s life. She virtually ended her own literary career in order to take on her role as her father’s literary executor. Nonetheless, while working on her father’s material, she was able to produce a long fairy tale called Phantasmion, the work for which she became known. Published anonymously in 1837 in a very limited edition, the book achieved marginal success, although highly praised by Coleridge’s family and friends.
Coleridge and her husband worked assiduously in reclaiming Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s reputation as a writer. When Henry Nelson Coleridge died in 1843, Sara was deeply grieved. She renewed her determination, however, to have her father’s complete works republished. Most notably, she wrote a long essay as an introduction to the Biographia Literaria, republished in 1847, that demonstrated her careful scholarship and fine intellect. Coleridge died of breast cancer in 1852.
Most critics would point to Coleridge’s work on her father’s behalf as her greatest contribution to English literature. Her own writing, however, in the form of introductions and notes, provide a reinterpretation of her father’s work and are fine examples of literary criticism. In addition, scholars have renewed their critical interest in Phantasmion as well as in Coleridge’s editorial and poetic achievements. While overshadowed by her more famous father, she is arguably one of the most important female writers of the nineteenth century.