Today’s article focuses on Samuel Taylor Coleridge, a key figure and poet of the Romantic period. We will delve into his biography and explore some of his most renowned works. The discussion will include summaries of selected poems, followed by critical analyses.
Read More: William Wordsworth: Biography & Works
Biography of Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Samuel Taylor Coleridge, a prominent figure in the British Romantic movement, was born on October 21, 1772, in Devonshire, England. His father, a grammar school master, had fourteen children from two marriages, with Coleridge being the youngest. He attended his father’s school and was an enthusiastic reader. Later, he went to Christ’s Hospital School in London, where he met his lifelong friend Charles Lamb. Initially, Coleridge’s father wanted him to become a clergyman, which led to Coleridge entering Jesus College, Cambridge, in 1791, to join the Church of England.
However, during his first year at Cambridge, Coleridge’s views began to shift. He became an advocate for William Frend, a college fellow whose Unitarian beliefs stirred controversy. In June 1794, on his way to Wales, Coleridge met Robert Southey, a student with whom he envisioned a utopian community involving shared responsibilities, a vast library, philosophical debates, and freedom of religious and political expression. After visiting Wales, Coleridge returned to England to discover that Southey had become engaged to Edith Fricker.
Since marriage was crucial for their communal living plan, Coleridge decided to marry Sarah Fricker, Edith’s sister, in 1795, despite his ongoing love for Mary Evans, who was betrothed to another man. Coleridge’s marriage proved unhappy, and he often lived apart from his wife. In 1795, Coleridge befriended William Wordsworth, who profoundly influenced his poetry. Their collaboration led to the 1798 publication of Lyrical Ballads, a seminal work in the Romantic poetry movement, featuring Coleridge’s famous poem “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner.”
Coleridge spent much of his time in Germany, studying the philosophies of Immanuel Kant, Jakob Boehme, and G.E. Lessing. He became proficient in German and began translating works. Upon returning to England in 1800, he settled in Keswick with family and friends. Over the next two decades, he lectured on literature and philosophy, wrote about religious and political theory, and spent two years in Malta as the Secretary to the governor, attempting to improve his health and overcome his opium addiction.
In 1817, Coleridge published Biographia Literaria, his finest work of literary criticism. He continued to write poetry and prose, including notable works like Sibylline Leaves (1817), Aids to Reflection (1825), and Church and State (1830). Coleridge passed away in London on July 25, 1834.
The Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner: Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Today, we will delve into Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s longest poem, “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner.” We’ll begin with a summary of the poem, followed by a concise critical analysis.
About the Publication of the Poem by Samuel Taylor Coleridge
“The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” is one of the poems that Samuel Taylor Coleridge contributed to the anthology Lyrical Ballads (1798). This collection, published by William Wordsworth and Coleridge, is considered a cornerstone of the Romantic age. While Wordsworth penned the majority of the poems in the anthology, Coleridge contributed four significant pieces. Alongside “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner,” his other contributions included “The Foster-Mother’s Tale,” “The Dungeon,” and “The Nightingale.” The first edition of Lyrical Ballads, released in 1798, marked the beginning of the Romantic literary movement.
Short Summary
Let’s delve into the summary of “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner.” The poem begins with an old sailor, the Mariner, who stops a wedding guest on his way to a ceremony. The Mariner insists on telling his story to the guest. Initially, the wedding guest is annoyed because he wants to attend the wedding. However, upon gazing into the Mariner’s mesmerizing eyes, he becomes curious and decides to listen to his tale.
The Mariner recounts a sailing voyage from many years ago. Initially, the journey goes well, bringing great fortune. However, a storm drives the ship southward, and it gets trapped in the icy waters of the Antarctic. During this time, a large bird called the Albatross appears and helps the ship escape the ice.
The crew members are delighted with the Albatross and treat it with kindness and admiration. Despite this, the Mariner inexplicably shoots the bird. This act stems from his disregard for the sanctity of other living creatures’ lives. Despite the Albatross’s help, he kills it without any justification.
The crew is initially furious with the Mariner for his action, but they soon forget their anger, rejoicing in the favorable weather that follows. However, they eventually realize the gravity of their mistake in condoning the Mariner’s senseless act. The sea spirits are enraged by their crime, and the ship is sent into uncharted waters near the equator, becoming becalmed—unable to move. This situation sets the stage for the famous lines that follow in the poem:
“Water, water everywhere, and all
The boards did shrink, water, water
Everywhere, Nor any drop to drink. “
The crew members, parched and starving as the ship remained immobile, placed the blame squarely on the Mariner. They cursed him for their dire predicament and forced him to wear the dead Albatross around his neck as a grim reminder of the burden he carried for killing the innocent bird. After a long and exhausting period, they spotted a ship approaching. Aboard the ship were Death, a skeleton, and Nightmare Life-in-Death, a ghostly pale woman. Death and Nightmare played dice for the lives of the crew. Death won the lives of the crew members, while Nightmare Life-in-Death claimed the Mariner’s life, a prize she deemed more valuable.
The name Life-in-Death foretold the Mariner’s fate, signifying that he would endure a torment worse than death. One by one, the crew members succumbed, leaving the Mariner to live on. For seven days and nights, he was surrounded by the corpses of his shipmates, their eyes seeming to curse him. The Mariner’s curse began to lift when he started to appreciate the sea creatures. Previously, he had scorned other living beings, but now he found respect for them, admiring and praying for the sea creatures. As he offered a heartfelt prayer, the dead bird fell from his neck, and part of his guilt was alleviated.
Rain began to fall, and the spirits of the dead crew members were possessed by benevolent spirits who began to sail the ship. In a trance-like state, the Mariner realized that the ship was being supernaturally propelled. When he finally opened his eyes, he saw that he had reached his homeland.
A hermit on the mainland found the ship and helped the Mariner ashore. The Mariner recounted his story to the hermit, realizing the gravity of his sin in killing the Albatross. Determined to prevent others from making the same mistake, he vowed to tell his tale repeatedly as penance. He understood the importance of respecting all living creatures and sought to impart this lesson through his story:
“He prayeth who loveth best all
Things great and small, For the
Dear God who us he made
And loveth all”
Every living creature is a creation of God. The best way to honor God is by showing respect to all other living beings. After sharing his tale, the Mariner leaves, and the wedding guest returns home. The next day, the wedding guest awakens as a wiser man.
Short Analysis
The poem emphasizes the need for humans to respect all aspects of nature. When the Mariner kills the Albatross, it symbolizes an attempt to exert control over nature. This act demonstrates how humans sometimes try to dominate the natural world, but nature’s immense power is beyond human comprehension. The poem portrays nature as awe-inspiring and terrifying, far more powerful than humanity. This is evident when the ship drifts into uncharted territory and becomes becalmed, leaving the crew and the Mariner nearly dying of thirst.
Furthermore, the poem explores the connection between nature, God, and the spiritual realm. Disrespecting nature is equivalent to disrespecting God or the spiritual world. Since God created nature, any attempt by humans to control it, as the Mariner did by killing the Albatross, results in disaster. The Mariner’s act is not only an affront to nature but also to the Almighty and the spiritual realm.
Harming nature is depicted as a moral failing and a sin, leading to punishment that combines natural and supernatural elements. In the poem, this supernatural punishment is represented by Death and Life-in-Death. Death claims the lives of the crew members, while Life-in-Death condemns the Mariner to eternal suffering. It is only when the Mariner begins to appreciate and respect the sea creatures that his punishment starts to ease.
The poem underscores the importance of respecting and valuing nature, a concept that the Romantic poets held dear. According to the Romantics, valuing nature is a spiritual necessity. They prioritized emotion over reason and revered and appreciated the natural world.
Kubla Khan: Samuel Taylor Coleridge
“Kubla Khan” was written by Samuel Taylor Coleridge in 1797, but it was published in 1816 at the request of Lord Byron. The poem carries the subtitle “A Vision in a Dream,” indicating that it is a fragment, meaning it remains unfinished.
Background of the Poem by Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Coleridge composed “Kubla Khan” one night after experiencing an opium-induced dream. In this dream, he envisioned the magnificent city of Shangdu. Before falling asleep, Coleridge had been reading about Shangdu, the capital of the Yuan Dynasty in China founded by Kublai Khan.
Upon waking, Coleridge began writing down everything he had seen in his dream. However, he was interrupted by a visitor from Porlock, causing him to forget the lines he intended to write. Consequently, “Kubla Khan” remained an unfinished poem. Due to its incomplete nature, Coleridge was hesitant to publish it and instead shared it privately with his friends.
When Lord Byron heard the poem, he was captivated and encouraged Coleridge to publish it. Thus, “Kubla Khan” was finally published in 1816. This is the story behind the creation and publication of “Kubla Khan.”
Short Summary
The poem “Kubla Khan” consists of three irregular stanzas. In the first stanza, the poet provides a detailed description of Xanadu, the palace of the Mongol Emperor Kubla Khan, who was the grandson of Genghis Khan.
The poet portrays Xanadu as a magnificent palace, which he refers to as a pleasure dome. It is situated near the River Alph, which flows across the land and eventually descends into underground caves that lead to a dark sea. The palace is protected by tall towers and walls, and the surrounding land is depicted as a beautiful expanse filled with lush forests, fragrant trees, and flowing streams.
In the second stanza, the focus shifts to the River Alph. The river flows through a haunted canyon, where a woman can be heard crying for her demon lover. The river crashes through the canyon and bursts into a noisy fountain before sinking into the underground caves and merging with the ocean. As Kubla Khan listens to the turbulent river, he hears the voices of his ancestors, who deliver a prophecy warning him about an impending event.
In the third stanza, the speaker describes the shadow of the pleasure dome, suggesting that Kubla Khan’s palace is floating on the waves. The dome is referred to as a sunny pleasure dome with enchanted caves. Suddenly, the speaker diverges from the landscape of Xanadu and shares another beautiful vision he experienced. In this vision, he saw an Abyssinian woman playing a dulcimer and singing of Mount Abora. The memory of her song fills the speaker with longing. He believes that if he could sing like the woman, he could recreate the vision of Xanadu. With the power of music, he imagines constructing the pleasure dome and the magical caves, allowing everyone who hears the music to see Xanadu and cry out in awe. The speaker then identifies a powerful figure with flashing eyes as Kubla Khan, depicting him as a nearly divine figure who has consumed the food of paradise.
Thus, the poem “Kubla Khan” vividly portrays the grandeur of Xanadu, the mystical River Alph, and the powerful, almost godlike, figure of Kubla Khan.
Short Analysis of the Poem
Now let’s delve into the themes of the poem and critically analyze them.
The first prominent theme in “Kubla Khan” is imagination and creativity. Romantic Age poets placed great importance on the power of imagination. In this poem, the speaker envisions what the palace of Xanadu might look like, often oscillating between different points in time, imagination, and reality. The narrative is non-linear, and time in “Kubla Khan” isn’t fixed. The pleasure dome described by the speaker is a product of imagination rather than reality—it is both sunny and filled with caves of ice. Kubla Khan creates a fantastical palace, while the Abyssinian woman crafts a magical song. The speaker is in awe of the creativity exhibited by both Kubla Khan and the Abyssinian woman.
The next theme is the mighty nature. For Romantic Age poets, nature was of immense importance. Coleridge beautifully describes nature in this poem. While the pleasure dome of Kubla Khan is vividly depicted, the poem also delves into historical context as it revolves around Kubla Khan, the grandson of Genghis Khan.
Coleridge provides elaborate descriptions of the natural surroundings of Xanadu, spending more time on this than on the artificial pleasure dome. He details the River Alph, the haunted canyon, and the explosive, noisy fountain that the river forms before merging with the ocean. Coleridge viewed nature not just as benevolent but also as mighty and awe-inspiring. The detailed portrayal of the River Alph and the canyon underscores nature’s immense power. The speaker spends significantly more time describing the grandeur of nature than the marvel of the pleasure dome.
The final important theme in “Kubla Khan” is the interplay between dreams and reality. Coleridge believed that this poem came to him in a dream induced by opium. Before falling asleep, he had been reading about Xanadu. In his dream, he saw the beautiful palace in Xanadu and began writing about it upon waking. However, an interruption by a person from Porlock caused him to forget parts of the dream, leaving the poem unfinished. Romantic Age poets valued dreams highly, believing that dreams revealed profound truths, although these truths were fleeting and easily forgotten.
In the poem, the speaker experiences a vision of an Abyssinian woman playing magical music. He longs to recreate that music but finds himself unable to do so because it existed only in the vision. He believes that if he could reproduce the music, he could achieve great things, perhaps even allowing others to see the palace of Xanadu. However, dreams are ephemeral and quickly fade from memory.
Thus, the poem is subtitled “A Vision in a Dream.” It evokes a sense of alternate reality, where people and scenes appear and vanish as if in a trance, capturing the fleeting and elusive nature of dreams.
Dejection: An Ode (1802)
A Brief Introduction to the Poem by Samuel Taylor Coleridge
“Dejection: An Ode,” a poem by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, was written and published in 1802 in *The Morning Post*. Initially dedicated to Sara Hutchinson, a woman to whom Coleridge was not married, the poem conveys his feelings of love for her. Originally titled “Letter to Sara Hutchinson,” it was renamed “Dejection” when Coleridge decided to publish it. The poem delves into themes of despair, joy, and imagination, capturing the emotional state of dejection with a sense of bleak hopelessness. It suggests that the power of imagination can restore meaning and beauty to the world.
Short Summary
Section One
The poet suggests that if the author of the old song about Sir Patrick Spence knew as much about the weather as it seems, the currently calm conditions would soon be disrupted by rough winds. The poet describes the clouds and mentions the new moon, indicating an approaching storm. He expresses a longing for the storm to bring heavy rain and loud sounds, hoping that its intensity might break through his numb suffering and inject some life into it.
Section Two
The poet is engulfed in a deep, empty, and dark despair that feels stifling and exhausting. This emotion is devoid of any sensation, and even talking about it or crying provides no relief. Despite this, the song of a little bird and the unusual color of the western sky, signaling an impending storm, momentarily distract him. Although he observes the beautiful sky and its features, he is unable to feel its beauty due to the persistent numbness and emptiness within him.
Section Three
The speaker cannot find joy in beautiful sights alone; he realizes he was wrong to think they could alleviate the heavy pain in his heart. Trying to change how he feels by looking at the unusual green sunset light proves futile. The vibrant feelings and animation he longs for must come from within, not just from the external things he sees.
Section Four
The speaker tells his lady that what they receive from the world is influenced by what they give to it. Their feelings shape the natural world, making it beautiful or frightening. To experience something better, their souls need to emit a special glorious light, creating sweetness and power in all sounds. Every beautiful sound is brought to life by the soul.
Section Five
The speaker explains to his lady that soulful music and beautiful light come from joy, which is the purest experience in life’s most pristine moments. Joy is compared to life itself, flowing like a cloud and rain. Connecting with nature grants us joy, creating a heavenly world beyond the imagination of the greedy or ego-driven. Joy is the source of delightful sounds and shining colors, echoing in melodies and gently illuminating the world.
Section Six
The speaker reflects on a past time when joy transformed his challenges into a playful game, with hope surrounding him like vines of future happiness. However, current struggles weigh heavily, not only making him unhappy but also robbing him of his imagination’s power. The speaker tried to cope by burying his feelings in his studies, but the numbness spread, becoming the usual state of his soul.
Section Seven
The speaker dismisses disturbing thoughts and focuses on the howling wind, describing it as a tormented scream like a crazed lute player. The wind is likened to hosting a demonic Christmas party in a rainy month, creating a tragic performance. The narrative shifts to a quieter tale of a lost child in a desolate wilderness, moaning with sadness and terror, hoping her mother will hear her amidst the storm.
Section Eight
At midnight, the speaker wishes his lady a peaceful sleep. He hopes the mountain storm either brings something new or is just a fuss. He wishes the stars to quietly shine over her house, and that she wakes with a light heart, happy dreams, and cheer. The poet then prays that joy might lift her spirits, making the whole world feel vividly alive to her. The speaker desires his dear lady, guided by God, to always feel joy, blending her life with the world like a flowing stream.
Read More: William Shakespeare: Biography, Tragedies, Comedies, Sonnets
That’s all for today’s article. We hope you found our discussion on Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s beautiful poems insightful. If you enjoyed the article, please stay with BD JOBZ PREPARATION and share it with your friends. We’ll be back soon with another literary work. Stay tuned to BD JOBZ PREPARATION, and don’t forget to connect with us on Facebook and Instagram. Thank you for reading!
FAQ
