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  • Essay / Coleridge's observations of the natural world to convey thematic ideas in his poems

    Coleridge, like other Romantic artists such as Wordsworth and Keats, rebelled against the artificial 18th century philosophy of dislocation between man and nature. Coleridge developed an extremely analytical, passionate and spiritual interest in nature and the idea of ​​"the one life". His belief that nature is "the eternal language that...God speaks" fuels a vast and undeniable eclectic collection of precisely observed images and themes that almost always focus on the natural world and are used to explore broader issues in his poetry. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay The hypnotic rhythm of the Circassian Love-Chaunt created by a mixture of two regular rhyme schemes used intermittently throughout the poem helps capture the feeling of balance, tranquility and beauty, Coleridge believed, could be found in nature. Likewise, the repetition of the word "Lewti" five times in the opening two stanzas as well as the repetition of natural images such as the "rock" and the "stream" add a sense of natural monotonous charm to the poem suggesting an air tranquility and rest. The muted colors of the poem suggested by the clouds of the "palest hue" as well as the "gray" and "red" landscape surrounding the clouds reinforce the feeling of tranquility. Conversely, these muted images directly contrast with bolder images such as the "rich, amber light" of the moon shining through the cloud. There are an almost equal number of references to muted and vibrant imagery in Lewti, which creates a sense of balance in the poem, further emphasizing the natural balance and beauty of nature. In Sonnet to a River Otter, the character remembers in a rather paradoxical way "the happy hours and the sad hours" that he spent by a stream. Once again there is a sense of balance and poise created by contrasting images. However, the suggestion of beauty in something much more mundane, like the "native brook" as opposed to Lewti who is an Arabian princess, makes it seem like we are not just looking at the subjects but at a more universal idea of a unifying beauty across all people. the entire natural world. It is precisely this underlying interest in beauty and natural balance (which many 18th-century industrialists threatened to ruin) that is at the heart of poems like Lewti. The "ancient mariner's" paradoxical statement that there is "water, water everywhere, / nor a drop to drink" adds to the sense of a paradoxical natural world and the "beauty and happiness” of “slimy things” that The Sailor notices while at sea and creates a similar paradoxical image. The inclusion of the word agony to describe the sailor's soul is once again paradoxical because the word can mean both mental anguish and pleasure. This double meaning in the description of the sailor's "soul" symbolizes that the balance of nature is at the heart of the natural world because the soul is an important part of the sailor. Coleridge chooses to focus precisely and in detail on one subject, which becomes a symbol of a larger natural world. Through his use of equally balanced contrasts, both in terms of imagery and style, he is able to suggest a natural world that, although often conflicting, is always in perfect balance. Likewise, through his keen observations of the natural world, Coleridge was able to explore the eternity of nature. The language of Kubla Khan alludes to thistimelessness with almost superlative language that describes the caves as “measureless” and the forests as “ancient”. The importance of these images is reinforced by the fact that they are mentioned in the first stanza. Additionally, by mentioning antiquated specific names such as Xanadu and Kubla Khan, which are quite obscure, Coleridge is able to suggest that man's creation is not like the infinity of nature. By keeping the natural subjects of the poem indeterminate and stereotypical, "green hill", "ice caves", we feel a sense of timelessness in nature. Furthermore, there is a hypnotic regularity throughout the poem and particularly in the first stanza. Coleridge alliterates the last two words of each of the first five lines, "Kubla Khan", "decree of the dome", "sunless sea", giving the poem an explosive but steady rhythm. Short exclamations such as “but oh!” and “a wild place!” coupled with excessively long exclamations created by the enjambment "as holy and enchanted as ever under a waning moon was haunted by a woman crying for her demon lover!" Consolidate this feeling of “ebb and flow” which is reminiscent of time which passes irregularly and creates a feeling of infinity. Likewise, The Ancient Mariner reflects this timelessness through the regularity of the way he tells his story. He speaks in a rhyme scheme that in places becomes an almost comical "rhyme" due to the regularity and inexorable rhythm of the couplets. The use of the word “ancient” consolidates this idea of ​​eternity because it is a word usually used for inanimate and often only natural subjects, just like the immensity of the ocean on which it is abandoned. Additionally, his attention to detail in his story suggests that he recounted it several times and detailed observations such as his description of the albatross, "at first it seemed to be a small dot, then it seemed s 'fogging' helps us realize that this is not the case. just a story about the archenemy of the natural world told at a specific time, but a timeless story of nature and the natural world. Additionally, the Mariner's unkempt but charismatic appearance, suggested to the reader by repeated focus on his "sparkling", "bright" eyes and "gray-bearded loon" appearance and particularly his "long gray beard", subtly suggest that he became a “spokesperson for nature”. The timelessness of the Mariner, in direct contrast to the death of all the other members of the crew, helps to suggest the eternity of nature of which he has become the symbol. The eternity of nature is actually viewed in a rather paradoxical way, focusing briefly on single events or images that are symbolic of a larger natural world. Coleridge creates a sense of infinity illustrated through specific examples. This is perhaps also another example of Coleridge suggesting the paradoxes of the natural world by suggesting something infinite with a specific event or image. Again, in a slightly paradoxical sense, the poetry focuses on an idea of ​​"religion in nature", a view held by many Romantic poets, notably Wordsworth. The Rime of the Ancient Mariner takes numerous religious images and “naturalizes” them. In the third part, the sailor says "I saw/A something in the sky", which has subtle connotations of the star followed by the three wise men. However, the "something" is actually an albatross, and like the star of the biblical story, the albatross is a key symbol in the Rime of the Ancient Mariner. "LIFE-IN-DEATH" and "DEATH" were "rolling dice" for the souls of the crew and once again it reflects with a natural (or arguably supernatural) twist the soldiers who.