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  • Essay / "This linden tree shelters my prison" and The Essence of Romanticism

    The zeitgeist of Romanticism, although notoriously broad in its philosophy, had definite universal views on the concepts of the individual, nature and imagination; which forms the basis of what is today known as the main aspects of the movement. These aspects, addressed in Samuel Coleridge's "The Lime-Tree Bower My Prison", include the emphasis on the natural world, which is associated with both its capacity to transform the individual as its connection with religion, the potential of the imagination and the position of the individual in his sphere of being. These questions are reflected in "The Lime. -Tree Bower My Prison” in the treatment of the subject as well as in its structure to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned” Get the original essay “This Lime-Tree Bower”. Coleridge's My Prison reflects the Romantic notion of the power of imagination and its role in transformation. of the individual. As Milton states in Paradise Lost, "the mind is its own place, and itself can make a heaven of hell and a hell of heaven", the Romantics believed that the imagination had the extraordinary power to initiate the transformation of the state of the individual. , particularly when used in response to the natural world. In "This Lime-Tree Prison My Bower", an examination of this concept can be seen in Coleridge's reversal of attitude. Initially, Coleridge displays an attitude of resentment as he sits in "this bower of lindens, my person." He laments, "I must stay here...meanwhile my friends...are wondering with joy," with a sense of melodramatic hyperbole expressing his irritable mood. Imagination, however, allows Coleridge to overcome his state of self-pity, as he becomes fascinated by a fictional nature. His imaginary journey through the "roaring glen" to the "west ridge" arouses a sense of wonder, manifested in the richness of colors with which he describes the "glorious sun... the purple heather flowers... the blue ocean” and “yellow light. Indeed, imagination allows Coleridge to achieve a heightened appreciation of his surroundings, noticing "many things that soothed him", alluding to the uplifting light imagery of "transparent foliage, broad leaf and sunny...spotting its sun.” His renewed attitude is manifested in his new perception of the cradle, because it is no longer a felt “prison”, but an affectionate “little linden cradle”. Indeed, he is "happy as if/as if I were myself [with my friends]", emphasizing the power of imagination to transform the attitudes of the individual. Thus, “The Linden Tree Beneath My Prison,” through the depiction of the poet's imaginative journey through nature, depicts the Romantic concept of the potential of imagination to transform the attitude of the individual. The poem “This Linden Tree Under My Prison” also explores the romantic role of the individual in the universe. The emphasis on the isolation of the individual as well as their place in their sphere of existence is a key aspect of romanticism. The structure of the poem itself, in a first-person conversational style from the author's point of view, allows for a more introspective and subjective approach to the subject and invites the reader to participate in Coleridge's stream of consciousness. The emphasis on the isolation of the individual is clearly established in the opening line "well, they're gone, and here I must stay" with the juxtaposition of personal pronouns emphasizing his isolation. Coleridge also echoes another aspect of Romanticism with the exploration of the individual's position within their sphere of being, examining the connection between the individual and the natural world. In " :.