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Government erred on the side of caution and tightened the reins of sale and distribution. That
action would prove the hailing salvo in an eventual war on substance abuse. Coleridge’s drug
abuse was, as they say, “history.” A matter of common public knowledge, the populace clamored
for his work because of it. There are even tales that, desperate for cash, Coleridge released three
works together as “visions” due to an overwhelming public call for “opium poems” (Lefebure
179). More than just the people’s eyes were on Coleridge. Contemporaries emulated both his
lifestyle and the characteristics of his writings. Byron, Shelly, and Keats all continued his style
and opiate administration (Isza’j and Zsolt 1615).

While Coleridge’s drug use was common knowledge, how much did it affect his writing?
To understand any effects this may have had on Coleridge’s works, one must first have a clear
definition of, and thorough characteristic description for, an afflicted addict. For the purposes of
this paper the author has chosen to employ the two fundamental texts of Alcoholics Anonymous,
the self-titled Alcoholics Anonymous and Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions. Why these? No
other program, doctrine, or treatment course has had more documented success with those
suffering from addiction. From its inception in 1939 to today well over 30 million copies of
Alcoholics Anonymous have been sold. It is translated in 63 different languages and has a
presence in over 170 countries worldwide. In fact, nearly every treatment program and
rehabilitation center in America is either based on its content, works in conjunction with its
members, and/or delivers patients into its care.

Looking at two of Coleridge’s works in particular, “The Pains of Sleep” and “Epitaph,”
with an eye towards the characteristics of an addict might help one formulate an answer. In
“Epitaph,” written shortly before his death, Coleridge writes his own post-mortem. The first few
lines practically beg for approval and praise. They ask the reader for kind thoughts “read with

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