The work critiques the use of the term "talented" and its implications for language and culture. It expresses disdain for the evolution of language, particularly the formation of participles from nouns, which the author views as a corruption of the English language. The author argues that such linguistic changes, often imported from American English, threaten the integrity of the idiom. The text emphasizes the importance of maintaining linguistic purity and tradition, suggesting that convenience should not justify the degradation of language. The author also humorously advises against using certain metrical forms as names, favoring more traditional choices. Overall, the piece reflects a broader concern about the impact of modernity on language and cultural values.
By Samuel Taylor Coleridge · First published 1796 · Genre: Essay, Literary Criticism, Philosophical