Opium and Self-Reflection: Two Very Gothic Writers: De Quincey and Coleridge (eBook)

Essay from the year 2019 in the subject Didactics for the subject English - Literature, Works, grade: N/A. professional essay, , course: English, language: English, abstract: This essay was based upon ideas from various classes I was teaching within English Courses in Rome including those at Luiss Guido Carli University in 2019. As such, it analyses and explores motifs related to two major English writers of the Romantic period in relation to the idea of gothic and gothic literature and discusses the possible effects of Opium upon these writers' expression of themselves in some of their most principal works.

This article delves into opium's ancient uses, its spread through different cultures, and its dangerous effects. It also highlights the opium-induced creativity of Lord Byron and Percy Shelley during their time at Villa Diodati in 1816, where iconic works such as "Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage" and "Frankenstein" were written. The influence of opium on literary figures like Thomas De Quincey and Samuel Taylor Coleridge is examined, showcasing how their opium-influenced writings shaped the course of literature and influenced subsequent generations, including artists like Lou Reed and writers like Edgar Allan Poe and William S. Burroughs.