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.