History of Sanskrit Poetics c6.46

c6.46

² It is usual to translate प्रतिभा by 'imagination'. It is better to translate प्रतिभा as (inborn) 'creative faculty'. I. A. Richards defines 'Imagination' (on p. 242) basing his remarks on Coleridge as follows : That synthetic and magic power reveals itself in the balance or reconciliation of opposite or discordant qualities, the sense of novelty and freshness with old and familiar objects, a more than usual state of emotion with more than usual order. But that word has six meanings, according to R. A. Richards' 'Principles of Literary criticism (ed. of 1925 pp. 239-243, chap. XXXII). Coleridge made a distinction between 'Imagination' and 'Fancy'. Others do not make that distinction.