Tone of "Frost at Midnight"

       The poem, “Frost at Midnight” is not very big, but it contains a lot of details that make Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s writing so great. One part of this poem that I find intriguing is Coleridge’s soothing tone throughout the entire poem. Every description of everything he talks about shows the significance of the person or thing. He does not belittle anything that he talks about which allows the reader to see meaning in the little things. The fact that Coleridge does this actually ends up giving him a lot of credibility. Readers are able to connect spiritually with the poem because they can trust that Coleridge will not discount objects that may have importance to some. He also creates a very soothing tone when he says things like, “Dear Babe, that sleepest cradled by my side, whose gentle breathings, heard in this deep calm, fill up the interspersed vacancies and momentary pauses of the thought” (Coleridge 1651). Not only does Coleridge approach this line with a sensitive voice by using the noun, babe, but the meaning of his words are also very impactful. He is saying that even between thoughts, there are always little pieces of life that have just as much meaning as one’s own thoughts. Coleridge’s poem is very conversational in style and he draws  readers in with his soothing words and sensitive intentions. 

The Norton Anthology of English Literature. 8th ed. Eds. Stephen Greenblatt et al. Vol A. New York, NY: W.W. Norton& Company, Inc., 2006. 1609-1611. Print.

Nature in "Frost at Midnight"

       One of Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s poems that I found very interesting was his poem, “Frost at Midnight.” He wrote the poem in 1798 and it focuses heavily on the concept of nature. This is a conversational poem and the tone is very soothing for readers. He starts off the poem by taking about a “Frost (that) performs its secret ministry” (Coleridge 1650). When Coleridge describes the frost in the very opening line, he gives it human-like qualities. He characterizes the frost by saying it is performing its secret ministry, which signifies that the frost is more significant that what people normally think of it as. He then starts to describe other aspects of nature such as the winds lack of support and the cry of an owlet. Each thing he describes is made out to be very significant, which I find very unique. He spends a lot of effort in this poem pointing out the presence of different creatures. When describing the sea, hill, and wood around him, Coleridge shouts “This Populous village! With all the numberless goings on of life, inaudible as dreams!” (Coleridge 1650). This description of the tiny aspects of the universe is very powerful because it clues the reader in on the fact that his writing is more than meets the eye. There are tons of specimen that are inaudible as dreams, and his poem is also infested with miniscule thoughts that are more significant than one might think if he or she does not look with a close eye.

The Norton Anthology of English Literature. 8th ed. Eds. Stephen Greenblatt et al. Vol A. New York, NY: W.W. Norton& Company, Inc., 2006. 1609-1611. Print.

Demonic and conversational poems

       Samuel Taylor Coleridge wrote his poems and stories mainly in two different forms. One form, which we see in poems such as “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” and “Kubla Khan,” is demonic. These poems are demonic because they incorporate events that are characters that are or are influenced by supernatural beings. For example, Kubla Khan talks about screaming women and a man with floating hair, and all of these references give the poem a very demonic tone that suggests evil in the story. However, the other form of writing that Coleridge utilizes is that of a conversational style. In his poems that fall into this category, the tone is much more happy and observant of life rather than death. One of these poems is “Frost at Midnight.” In this poem, Coleridge focuses heavily on nature and the living creatures that make up the beautiful Earth. The text in general is much more conversational in nature meaning that readers can connect with the writing easier. This is because Coleridge writes with a soothing tone that draws readers in, but at the same time allows Coleridge to get his meaning across his audience. Coleridge’s two styles of writing are very different, but they each accomplish the same purpose. One draws readers in through supernatural occurrences that are new and exciting to the reader, and the other hits a sensitive note in readers so that they are connected to the story being told.

The Norton Anthology of English Literature. 8th ed. Eds. Stephen Greenblatt et al. Vol A. New York, NY: W.W. Norton& Company, Inc., 2006. 1609-1611. Print.

Coleridge's influences

     One thing that intrigued me about Samuel Taylor Coleridge was that he had several mentors or people that he partnered with during his lifetime.  His background consists of several influential people who had an effect on the way Coleridge thought and wrote. His first major influence was in grade school, and his name was Charles Lamb. Lam was a schoolmate and lifelong friend, and he wrote an essay that gives us a vivid sketch of Coleridge’s loneliness, his learning and his eloquence.  Later on, he met Robert Southey who was a radical in religion and politics which had a huge effect on Coleridge because he ended up partnering with Southey in an attempt to recreate American government in the form of a pantisocracy, or equal rule by all. After moving on from Southey’s radical beliefs, he met William Wordsworth who he considered the best poet of the age. Coleridge and Wordsworth began working together and influenced each other’s poems greatly, even combing their works to create a collection called lyrical ballads in 1798. There were also people who were not mentors that influenced Coleridge such as his wife, Sarah Fricker, and his love, Sara Hutchinson. Both girls had an effect on Coleridge because they played a large role in his everyday life. Since Romanticism is greatly based off of personal experiences, the presence of Fricker and Hutchinson in his life must have influenced many of his poems.  One man who had a huge influence on Coleridge later on in his life was a man named Edmund Burke because he greatly shifted Coleridge’s views to conservative, and Coleridge began writing with a much greater emphasis on conservatism. All of these people influenced Coleridge significantly, and it has helped me to understand why Coleridge wrote the way he did.

The Norton Anthology of English Literature. 8th ed. Eds. Stephen Greenblatt et al. Vol A. New York, NY: W.W. Norton& Company, Inc., 2006. 1609-1611. Print.

Romanticism through nature

     One of Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s greatest achievements has been his influence on Romantic literature, both in and out of the United States. After researching the concepts and ideas that scholars use to describe the makeup of Romanticism, I have a much better clue as to why Coleridge’s works are Romantic. This also helped me to see how Coleridge’s writing differs from a typical definition of Romanticism, and how he has had an impact on the way Romantic literature was written and is now viewed. In his poem, “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner,” Coleridge relies heavily on nature as a symbol to convey his meaning in the poem. Within his poem, nature is actually the driving force of the poem because the plot completely revolves around his incorporation of nature. In the beginning of the story, the mariner and his shipmates became stranded in the icy area where no living thing could be seen. Then, all of a sudden, an albatross comes out of nowhere and flies over the boat, which breaks the sailors away from the bonds of the ice near the South Pole. The albatross is symbolic of a good omen for the sailors because it is the reason that they break free from sure death. However, Coleridge later turns the writing into a gothic literature. He has the mariner shoot and kill the albatross for no apparent reason, which ends up causing the men to become stranded once again. The albatross is a part of nature that is extremely symbolic because it represents both a good and bad omen and also allows Coleridge to develop the meaning of his poem.

The Norton Anthology of English Literature. 8th ed. Eds. Stephen Greenblatt et al. Vol A. New York, NY: W.W. Norton& Company, Inc., 2006. 1615-1632. Print.

Romanticism Background

     For this blog, I would like to focus on the makeup of Romantic literature. I think that if I read an article that is completely independent of Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s work, I will be able to have a better grasp of how he influences Romanticism. The article starts off by explaining the background and contents of Romanticism. The authors, Imbarrato and Berkin, say that Romanticism “refers to a literary, philosophical, and artistic style or theory that emphasizes nature as a guiding, elevated force and recognizes the central significance of individual experience.” The idea that nature acts as a guiding force is very significant because it shows how Romantics of this time revolutionized the mindset of the general public. In earlier times, most people believed that God and the Church would lead you to the ultimate truth. These thoughts were changed, however, as Romantics started to seriously consider the idea that nature is a source for reaching a deeper meaning in the world. I find this very fascinating because the ideas of Romanticism are revolutionary in the fact that they changed people’s outlook on life completely, not to mention the change it induced in people’s take on literature. The other argument the authors make is that Romanticism recognizes the central significance of individual experience. This means that a lot of Romantic writing focuses on the internal conflicts and the experiences that the character is going through. It also incorporates a lot of experiences that the writer has gone through in his or her lifetime.

Imbarrato, Susan Clair, and Carol Berkin. "Romanticism." Encyclopedia of American Literature, Revised Edition: Settlement to the New Republic, 1608–1815, vol. 1, Revised Edition. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2008. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc.

symbolism in "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner"

       Samuel Taylor Coleridge writes in a manner that incorporates deep and intriguing symbolism. In his poem, “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner,” there are several instances in which there is a deeper meaning behind the words he puts on paper. One instance that I found very symbolic occurred after the mariner was stranded in the ocean as a punishment for killing the albatross. The narrator says, “Ah! Well-a-day! What evil looks/had I from old and young!/instead of the cross, the Albatross/about my neck was hung” (Coleridge 1619). This is incredibly symbolic of the biblical interpretation of sin, punishment, and repentance. Coleridge focuses a large part of the plot on the basis of sin, and this set of lines summarizes his ideas of religion in this story entirely. When a cross is carried on one’s neck, it is like that person is carrying the burden of their sins. However, Coleridge replaces the cross with the actual albatross that the mariner killed, and immediately after the sailors place it around his neck, they all begin to die. The albatross acts as a symbol of an omen for both good and bad luck, but the fact that it replaces a cross as a physical burden of sin is extremely symbolic of Coleridge’s desire to incorporate religion into his writing. He also uses colors in many descriptions to provide for a symbolic representation of the person or thing that he is describing. When describing a woman, he says “her lips were red, her looks were free,/her locks were yellow as gold:/her skin as white as leprosy” (Coleridge 1621). After seeing this description, I can actually visualize this woman in my head. He uses simple colors, but the effects of the colors as a description are so powerfully symbolic. Right after stating that death is the woman’s mate, Coleridge describes her lips as red which symbolizes blood. The yellow symbolizes hazard, and the white symbolizes cheerlessness. All of these colors lead to the conclusion that bad fortune is to fall on the sailors, and death is inevitable. Coleridge’s language is very symbolic and it allows the reader to get more out of the poem because of the intense depth of the language.

The Norton Anthology of English Literature. 8th ed. Eds. Stephen Greenblatt et al. Vol A. New York, NY: W.W. Norton& Company, Inc., 2006. 1615-1632. Print.

Imagery in "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner"

       In “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner,” by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, the language is beautiful. He uses incredible imagery, as well as very complex symbolism. Although there are several examples of the beautiful language used by Coleridge, I will only use a few examples of the imagery in this poem to get my point across. At the point in the story where the mariner and his fellow sailors find themselves stranded in the middle of the ocean, Coleridge describes the situation with vivid imagery. He wrote, “water, water, every where,/and all the boards did shrink;/water, water, every where,/nor any drop to drink” (Coleridge 1619). As simple as these words are, it creates a visual picture of how desperate the sailors are. They are surrounded by water on all sides without any hope of survival, and it has all occurred as a punishment for the severe sin committed by the mariner. Not only does Coleridge use an image to describe the desperation of a situation, but he also uses the visual effects of this image to describe the punishment that the Mariner must endure, so this picture has much more meaning than the words initially call for. Another time when Coleridge uses imagery is when he describes snakes in the water by saying, “I watched their rich attire:/blue, glossy green, and velvet black,/they coiled and swam; and every track/was a flash of golden fire” (Coleridge 1623). Coleridge uses very lengthy and deep descriptions when describing surroundings he deems important, and this allows him to control what images stick out in the readers mind. A writer that does this has a lot of power over the reader and this is the beauty of Coleridge’s writing.

The Norton Anthology of English Literature. 8th ed. Eds. Stephen Greenblatt et al. Vol A. New York, NY: W.W. Norton& Company, Inc., 2006. 1615-1632. Print.

  

Background to "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner"

      One of Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s most famous poems is “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner.” This poem is very fascinating to me because initially, it “was not well received, and it was some time before this story… was recognized as among the greatest ballads in English” (Krueger). A very large part of Coleridge’s fame can be contributed to this poem, which is why I find it very odd that people did not see how remarkable the poem was from the very start. The reason that it was not well received could possibly be due to the harsh storyline. The poem tells a story of an ancient mariner who shoots an albatross, which completely goes against all the laws of hospitality, and there is no reasonable excuse given as to why the mariner committed this act other than pure evil and contempt. The tale actually relates to the story of Cain and Abel in the fact that it is a story of sin and penance in man. However, the story soon became very popular once readers saw how masterfully crafted the poem was. Coleridge’s brilliance was revealed after the public saw the incredible language, striking imagery, and deep and complex symbolism incorporated into the work. It is fascinating to me that a piece of writing that has been deemed so brilliantly written could have been completely looked over at the beginning. Coleridge’s writing focuses on very strange and complex ideas, but he executes the details of the writing with absolute perfection.

Krueger, Christine, ed. "Coleridge, Samuel Taylor." Encyclopedia of British Writers, 19th Century,   
       vol. 1. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2002. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc.

Unique Background Information

     One thing about Samuel Taylor Coleridge that interests me greatly is his peculiar background information. While enrolled at Cambridge University, Coleridge suffered from a disease known as rheumatic fever. This condition involves complications of the heart and can be very detrimental without proper medication. Coleridge was a victim to this disease, and it gave him problems for many years. Some believe that this “may have led to his addiction of opium, which probably began the same year he started college” (Holmes). The fact that this man had to suffer through a disease during his college outing might have been the reason that Coleridge was not very interested in the academia of his university. Instead, he occupied his time by reading the radical political thinking of Thomas Paine, William Godwin, and Voltaire. Most of the principles he read about included individual freedoms and individual rights, and this caused Coleridge to embrace the French Revolution. However, I found it more interesting that he soon began to scheme for the implementation of a utopia in America. In order to establish this new social order, Coleridge partnered with a poet named Robert Southey. He then married a girl named Sara Fricker, who was the sister of Southey’s fiancé. After many failed efforts, Coleridge soon realized that the policy of “equal rule for all” was not applicable in America and would be impossible to start. With the failing of this plan, Coleridge began to realize that he had married a woman that he did not love in the hopes of accomplishing his plan. Coleridge had very unique plans and mindsets, but I believe he began to think differently after giving up on his plan of establishing the new social order of a utopia.

Krueger, Christine, ed. "Coleridge, Samuel Taylor." Encyclopedia of British Writers, 19th Century,
       vol. 1. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2002. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc.