Citation

Stokes CR. Eur. Romantic Rev. 2009; 20(1): 57-75.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2009, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/10509580802565354

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

In this article, I argue that naturalistic additions to the text known as “The Destiny of Nations” adopt a realistic yet artfully drawn sublime of human pathos influenced by the work of Friedrich Schiller. Represented within this sublime of pathos, the terrors and suffering of war act as a crucible in which feelings of sympathy and benevolence can be developed. As such, Coleridge diverges from Edmund Burke's insistence that the sublime is a solitary passion by marking sublime terror with a very clear social and political function. The context for this invocation of sympathy is Unitarian radicalism, where humans pass towards perfectibility by making affective links with others: Joan of Arc is a Unitarian heroine insofar as she feels for the victims of history with exemplary intensity. However, although “The Destiny of Nations” takes the ethical perfectibility of the Unitarian subject as its guiding principle, the poem also contains reflections on evil and vengeful punishment that are at odds with Unitarian optimism and rationalism. These darker elements illustrate that, in exploring the terrors of war, Coleridge was coming to an increasingly more pessimistic perspective that was eroding the very foundations of his ethical, religious and political beliefs at the time.