From Letter to Robert Southey

I would like to focus on the sonnet “From Letter To Robert Southey”; particularly “Tears of doubt-mingled Joy...(Coleridge 214).” Coleridge appears to be foreshadowing the emotions he intends to feel upon his arrival at the Cottage Dell. As discussed in class Coleridge planned to set up a Pantisocracy. Doubt could be understood as Coleridge would be embarking upon a journey of the unknown. Although he may have felt the need to flee from his living situation in Europe he seems to know that there is not a guarantee that the future will be brighter elsewhere. It seems to me, Coleridge would be crying tears of joy as he would have been able to leave the heartaches of home behind him. Prior to writing about tears of joy and doubt Coleridge spoke of eyes that ached from sadness. Joy could come from the feeling of having overcome the past and excitement and hope tied to beginning a new life. It seems to me, the idea of doubt-mingled joy parallels nicely with the closing sentiments of the sonnet, Coleridge closed with a feeling of “Pleasance trembling to the Heart (Coleridge 214).” While Coleridge plans to feel joy and positivity in the future he seems to know that there will be feeling mixed emotions which tells me he understands that an intended utopia may turn out to be dystopia.

“Effusion XXIII To The Nightingale"

As discussed in class, effusion was said to mean an outpouring of emotion. I became very curious as to why Coleridge regarded his poem as an outpouring of emotion to the nightingale. At the time Coleridge was writing the nightingale was thought of as a melancholy bird. Coleridge disputed this idea as he felt the nightingale was his connection to nature per Wikipedia. After further consideration of this idea I do believe Coleridge is defending the nightingale. In addition to the title of this poem being “To The Nightingale” within the poem Coleridge addresses the nightingale as the “Minstrel of the Moon!(Coleridge343)”. The exclamation point makes me feel that Coleridge is almost yelling as if to rename the nightingale in opposition to its being referred to as the melancholy bird. He also appears to explain that he can see and truly hear the nightingale and when he does he becomes connected to nature. Coleridge included the nightingale in another poem we looked at. In “The Nightingale, a Conversational Poem” Coleridge wrote, “In nature there is nothing melancholy(Wordswoth48).” in defense of the nightingale. It seems to me, he explained in this poem that someone labeled the nightingale as melancholy because its melody reminded them of their own sorrow. In this same poem Coleridge referred to the nightingale as merry as opposed to melancholy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHPbrmYZxdI&feature=related

Work cited:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Nightingale_(Coleridge)

Lines Left upon a Seat in a Yew-Tree

Lines Left upon a Seat in a Yew-Tree
Which Stands near the Lake of Esthwaite,
on a Desolate Part of the Shore,
yet Commanding a Beautiful Prospect

During our last class discussion the title of Wordsworth piece was brought into question in terms of the meaning of “Lines left upon a Seat in a Yew-Tree”. More specifically what exactly Wordsworth meant by the word upon. In the following I will attempt to answer this question. It seems to me he is using the word metaphorically in parallel to the man’s life, the speaker is unraveling, being imprinted upon the tree. Wordsworth wrote of the tree being planted and raised and seemed to parallel this to the man in his youth being “pure in his heart”. Later in life his spirit was broken which seems to be parallel to the tree growing wild with bent branches. In the title Wordsworth explains the area around the tree as desolate, the yew-tree as lonely in the first line, and then explains the man in the poem soul as being “sustained in solitude”. The man’s life is referred to as an unfruitful life and the branches of the trees are referred to as barren which seem to be in parallel to one another. The speaker stated that the man died and this seat in the yew-tree was his only monument. Being that the lines of the poem tell the story of the man’s life and parallels are made between the man and the tree, metaphorically these lines are left upon the tree as was the imprint of the man’s life.