Coleridge’s Lost Greek Ode on Slavery Up for Sale
Samuel Taylor Coleridge, towering Romantic poet, penned a powerful Greek poem condemning the West Indian slave trade while still a Cambridge student. This rare draft, written 15 years before Parliament abolished slavery, is the only known version and just hit the market valued at £20,400.
Evocative Ode Wins Cambridge Prize
Coleridge’s 24-quatrain Greek Sapphic ode, Sors misera servorum in insulis Indiae occidentalis (‘Ode on The West-Indian Slave Trade’), starkly exposes the cruel realities of slavery and the horrors of the Middle Passage. The poem earned him the prestigious Browne Medal for Classical composition at Cambridge, foreshadowing his future as a literary giant behind classics like The Rime of the Ancient Mariner and Kubla Khan.
Call to Keep the Manuscript in Britain
Arts & Heritage Minister Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay urged a UK buyer to snap up the manuscript to preserve this vital piece of history. He said:
“This fascinating manuscript offers an insight into the early thinking of one of Britain’s greatest poets, particularly on the heated debates on the abolition of slavery. I sincerely hope that a UK buyer can be found to ensure it can remain here in the UK where it can be studied and enjoyed by future generations.”
Experts Emphasise Historic and Emotional Value
The Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art confirmed the manuscript’s vital importance to UK heritage. Committee member Peter Barber added:
“This unassuming annotated Greek draft is an emotive relic from one of this country’s greatest poets and thinkers. As a Cambridge undergrad in 1792, Coleridge hoped to prove his scholarly mettle with this prize-winning verse. It reflects his lifelong passion for abolition—a key national issue of the time. The draft also sheds light on his close relationship with his eldest brother George, to whom he sent it for feedback. I fervently hope it stays in Britain.”
Export Licence Decision Pending
The export licence decision is deferred until 16 May 2023 to allow UK institutions a chance to match the £20,400 asking price (plus reclaimable VAT). If a UK purchaser steps forward, the poem will remain an accessible treasure of British literary and abolitionist history.
