Surveys the mirror metaphor from antiquity to the present, and discusses Coleridge's personal encounter with it and his subsequent life-long involvement. Attempts to decipher his vast and
notoriously complex writing by tracing his mirror metaphor, and seeks to detect when and how he adopts a theological language for an essentially poetical and philosophical argument. Begins with
the hypothesis that Coleridge's encounter with the mirror metaphor is his mystical experience, then discusses the failure of Coleridge's plan to write hymns, and examines the theme of "inward
desolation" in his two best-known poems. The author is deputy director of the Center for the Study of Literature and Theology at Glasgow University. He lectures on Eastern and comparative
religion and philosophy. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
