Why is Biographia Literaria important in the history of literary criticism?

Biographia Literaria (1817) is considered the most significant work of literary criticism from the English Romantic period. Its importance lies in several key contributions:1

• Integration of Philosophy and Criticism: It uniquely combined philosophical inquiry with literary analysis, serving as the primary vehicle through which German Romantic doctrines were introduced to English thought.12
• Theory of Imagination: The work famously distinguishes between "fancy" and "imagination." Coleridge defined imagination as a creative, unifying faculty, while relegating fancy to a secondary, merely "associative" role. This distinction remains one of his most influential theoretical contributions.13
• Focus on the Creative Process: In its second volume, the work proposes original theories regarding the nature of the creative process and the historical origins of poetic elements.1
• Shift in Aesthetic Values: It reflects the broader Romantic movement's move toward valuing artistic works for their internal coherence and intensity rather than their ability to promote moral virtue.2

By synthesizing these complex ideas, the work established a new framework for understanding poetry as a transcendent activity.12