An encounter with Coleridge

In this episode we start with Coleridge’s epitaph, riff a little on the Ancient Mariner and finish with a poem of mine.The poem is printed below. If you enjoy these episodes you might like to drop into my coffee house page and buy me a coffee! you can do so here: www.buymeacoffee.com/malcolmg...
Here's my Coleridge poem:
Coleridge
'Stop, Christian passer-by!-Stop, child of God!'
You made your epitaph imperative,
And stopped this wedding guest! But I am glad
To stop with you and start again, to live
From that pure source, the all-renewing stream,
Whose living power is imagination,
And know myself a child of the I AM,
Open and loving to his whole creation.
Your glittering eye taught mine to pierce the veil,
To let His light transfigure all my seeing,
To serve the shaping Spirit whom I feel,
And make with Him the poem of my being
I follow where you sail towards our haven,
Your wide wake lit with glimmerings of heaven.

[@richardfairley9882]

Many thanks for this video, Mr Guite This poem is the first I remember reading entire as a boy - but then only dimly aware of its depths. Now a Christian, I have purchased your book, 'Mariner' - and looking forward to embarking on this voyage of faith ( perhaps with a bowl or two of my own pipe mixture for company! ) in the hope of finding my own way home. God Bless you, sir.

[@dalenelson8254]

The lettering on the STC slab shown a minute into this film was cut by Reynolds Stone on green Cumberland slate. Kathleen Coburn, editor of Coleridge's Notebooks (a great scholarly achievement that helped to inspire the Bollingen Collected Coleridge), tells about the 6 June 1961 reburial at St. Michael's and All Angels, the parish church in Highgate, London, in her book In Pursuit of Coleridge (London: The Bodley Head, 1977), pp. 188-191. More than a thousand people attended. This was the fruition of a campaign that began with a letter to The Times written by Ernest Raymond (novelist), with support from John Masefield (there was some correspondence between Masefield and C. S. Lewis, by the way, about Lewis's excellent narrative poem "The Queen of Drum"), John Betjeman, Kathleen Raine, and others. One of the others was novelist and critic Richard Church, whose three autobiographies are good reading; but he doesn't seem to be much remembered now. As far as I know, CSL, Owen Barfield, and poet Ruth Pitter were not present -- which seems a shame.

[@MalcolmGuitespell]

wonderful to have that information!

[@69telecasterplayer]

So well done. I too have your book on my shelf. God bless you, brother.

[@MalcolmGuitespell]

Hope you enjoy it!

[@MarkEGreen-rf4on]

Good evening Malcolm, Watching your video has compelled me to reach for the poem which l first encountered at junior school. It's funny how one tends to remember the gist of certain lines and misquote them.... how many times have l said myself, and heard others say, 'water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink' instead of 'Water, water, everywhere, Nor any drop to drink.'! I always enjoy your readings of poetry, delivered in your soft, tobacco and whiskey caressed, voice! Sunday tomorrow, oh that we could physically attend church! God bless. Have a good weekend.

[@MalcolmGuitespell]

Thanks Mark, I'm delighted to know that Ive sent you back to the original poem, and like you I long for the day we can get back to church. I lift a glass of whisky in your direction!

[@-NewtonPiper-]

Thank you Malcom that was wonderful. So thought provoking and leaves me ever pondering. 😊👍

[@MalcolmGuitespell]

Wonderful!

[@stonehengeminstrel]

Hi Malcom, you are a fascinating character whom I could imagine would be great company amongst friends. As I smoke my pipe and indulge in a dram I find your brief videos very interesting to behold. Thanks for sharing your poem. Have a wonderful weekend ✌️

[@MalcolmGuitespell]

Thank you kindly I lift a glass in your direction!

[@adiw888]

I adorabe this channel for so many reasons. But I love how I can discover new books on the shelf. So far Ive discovered a few books on Coleridge, Wordsworth, Keats, Donne and other scholarly books. I do wish I would earn an invitation to stand in this library.

[@MalcolmGuitespell]

Welcome aboard!

[@adiw888]

@@MalcolmGuitespell You have stopped this guest and made your words imperative.

[@theelegantcouplesbookrevie8734]

This is astounding. I ordered this book months ago and intend to read it soon. I came across your KZbin channel absolutely independently. It's only now I see the author's name!

[@MalcolmGuitespell]

thanks, glad you made that connection and hope you enjoy the book!

[@bodhicrocker4588]

After watching I did a search for Rime of the Ancient Mariner. Found an audio read by Orson Welles 👍 Thanks for sharing

[@bodhicrocker4588]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/pYOqn6J8m5eWkLM

[@MalcolmGuitespell]

Wonderful!

[@4one6Piper]

Books are like tobacco blends, so many good ones I haven't experienced yet. 👍🏻

[@MalcolmGuitespell]

Yes they are!

[@ArkansasMike]

Have a great weekend my friend.

[@MalcolmGuitespell]

Thanks for the visit

[@dalepiper6693]

You inspired me to buy a copy of your book Malcom...thank you.

[@MalcolmGuitespell]

Hope you enjoy it!

[@dalenelson8254]

I've read it twice so far. It's like we have The Figure of Beatrice, The Figure of Arthur [just a torso of that one] -- and The Figure of the Mariner. Surely C. S. Lewis and Charles Williams would have enjoyed it. I've put it in company with two works by Charles Williams, but bless him, he didn't write as accessibly as Malcolm Guite does. I have sometimes tormented myself with the thought of how Lewis and Williams should, could, have discussed "Christabel" and resolved its enigmas of plot and theme, and then Lewis could have written a completion. And I do believe he could have done it. But it would have been good for the two Inklings to discuss the poem as we have it, unpacking the implications of substitution and exchange from Williams's theology that would seem to be a good way into the meaning of the poem.

[@danielsharman8996]

Hi Malcolm, Mariner was an excellent read! Can I ask what you make of Coleridge's more technical writings, such as On Method and the unpublished Logic? I think much of it would shock most people's image of the Romantic West Country bard.

[@MalcolmGuitespell]

YesSTCEwas a hardcore professional philosopher as well as Romantic Bard, nd thats what makes him so interesting!

[@danielsharman8996]

@@MalcolmGuitespell Totally agree - a bit like Rowan Williams has proved to be in our own times! However, my question to you would be: do you see Coleridge's poetic vision as outlined in your Mariner as genuinely continuous with the theoretical writings? I used to think it was not, but am coming round to the contrary position.

[@r.pittman3]

thank you -- is there evidence that Coleridge was aware that he was establishing a kind of precedent? in fact - almost- a school or Tradition which would be handed down through is writings?

[@MalcolmGuitespell]

yes, indeed towards the end of his life a group of brilliant young men, many of them future theologians and bishops, gathered round him and called him 'the sage of Highgate'!

[@r.pittman3]

@@MalcolmGuitespell fantastic...I expected he was somehow conscious of his mission...as the Inklings were...are you finding any circle amongst your acquaintances forming anything now? the Inkling Circle seems to have left some fairly solid foundation for future work...Barfield held to his Coleridge...and you seemingly are linked here and even keeping the importance of poetry alive...and with modern media it is an odd dance maintaining a sense of the sacred and prophetic midst all the urgent shouting voices and noise...any general comment welcome...