William Edinger 's, “Genial” Perception: Wordsworth, Coleridge, and the Myth of Genius in the Long Eighteenth Century

examines and critiques the idea of genius and genial perception in the work of Wordsworth and Coleridge.Taking its cue from the eighteenth-century definition of genius as 'the symbiosis of nature and art to insist on the supremacy and autonomy of nature' (1), "Genial" Perception explores the exciting, intricate and often overlooked uses of genius in Wordsworth and Coleridge's poetry and prose.Explored through the lens of 'critical naturalism' (1), a theory which sees nature and genius as sister terms, Edinger's study rediscovers Wordsworth and Coleridge by exploring their work through various myths of genius.Unearthing the poets' 'indebtedness to history and culture' (3), Edinger recovers the poets' natural genius as exhibited in key works including Biographia Literaria, The Statesman's Manual, The Excursion and The Prelude.Written from a philological perspective, "Genial" Perception refreshes our understanding of two key Romantic figures while asking us to reconsider the terms of genius and imagination explored by Addison, Akenside, Kant, Hume, Longinus, Quintilian and Shaftsbury.In Chapter 1 Edinger lays the foundation for Wordsworth and Coleridge's genial tastes.He notes that Coleridge, inspired by Kant, distinguishes between the 'AGREEABLE' and the 'BEAUTIFUL' (20), a duality which individualises two types of harmony between eye and object: pre-established and perceived.For Coleridge, genial perception equates to congenial writing, a somewhat controversial statement.Edinger notes how in Biographia, Coleridge differentiates between normal and creative perception and prioritises the use of 'the "secondary" imagination' (25) as a vehicle for the deeper understanding of ideas.Edinger identifies David Hume, Lord Kames and Immanuel Kant as key influences on the Coleridgean imagination, perceptively arguing for the importance of beauty, taste and culture in the evolution of the poet's genius.In Chapter 2, 'The Imagination/Fancy Distinction and the Tradition of Critical Binaries', Edinger investigates Romanticism's defining binary.He sees Coleridge as absolute in his distinction between the creative imagination and the mechanical fancy and Wordsworth as much vaguer in his approach.Edinger explores how this creates a duality in Wordsworth's genius where 'imagination [either] transforms what he is seeing' or '[heightens] its beauty or impressiveness' (48).What ensues is a type of fanciful description that involves 'wit, play, and mental agility' (49), a trio of skills that contribute to Wordsworth and Coleridge's intellectually charged poetry.Although experimental, this chapter would benefit from further close reading of Wordsworth's poetry, particularly with regard to the poet's more experience-based use of the imagination.Chapter 3, 'Critical Binaries of the Mid-and Later Eighteenth Century', explores further critical binaries that work alongside imagination/ fancy.Focusing on John Dryden's concept of 'delightful imaging' (57) Edinger introduces us to '[o]rnaments warm and cool' (66).He argues that in Wordsworth and Coleridge's writing, cool ornaments are those defined by wit, simile and comparison whereas warm ornaments present a more agonistic