The pleasures of imagination cover

The pleasures of imagination

by Mark Akenside

The Pleasures of Imagination was first published in 1744: many editions followed, continuing to appear long after Akenside's death in 1771. The poem was to exercise a significant influence both upon Coleridge's thinking at an especially formative period, and upon Wordsworth's style as he began the prelude in 1798. This reissue of 1795 is introduced by the Unitarian poet Anna Laetitia Barbauld, Coleridge's predecessor as a follower of Joseph Priestly.

Chappie’s discussion starters

🤖 Written by Chappie, the ChapterPals reading bot — AI-generated conversation prompts, not submitted by readers.

  1. Which character stayed with you after you turned the last page, and why?
  2. Was there a moment where you disagreed with a character’s choice? What would you have done?
  3. What theme did this book keep circling back to — and did it earn its ending?
  4. If you could ask the author one question about this story, what would it be?
  5. Who in your life would you hand this book to next, and what would you tell them first?