"That willing suspension of disbelief for the moment, which constitutes poetic faith"
- Samuel Taylor Coleridge
About this Quote
This quote by Samuel Taylor Coleridge is referring to the idea of poetic faith, which is the willingness to suspend disbelief in order to appreciate and delight in a poem. This suspension of disbelief permits the reader to accept the poem as a masterpiece, rather than a literal representation of reality. Coleridge is recommending that this determination to suspend shock is necessary for the reader to be able to appreciate the poem. He is also suggesting that this suspension of shock is a form of faith, as it requires the reader to rely on the poem and its author. By doing so, the reader is able to experience the poem in a more significant way. This quote is a pointer that poetry is an art form that needs the reader to be open to the possibilities of the poem, and to be willing to accept it as an artwork.
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