Coleridge, according to Shears, sees Milton as 'a Virgil to his Dante'. The early Coleridge wants to be like Wordsworth in focusing on the mind and its role in determining the nature of the individual. Where Coleridge distinguishes himself from Wordsworth it is in his role as a kind of 'philosopher-poet'. Shears sees the connection between Milton and Coleridge as the latter's opportunity to 'break free' from the shackles of his former friend and poetic ally. Thus, Coleridge reads Milton 'protectively' in order to assert his difference from Wordsworth.