Coleridge

Daniel Sanders Mrs. Welker AP English Lit 6/7/10 Coleridge Activity In Samuel Coleridge’s poem “The Eolian Harp,” he discusses various ideas such as nature, beauty, love and life by addressing the sound of an Eolian Harp. As you read this piece of poetry, his personal philosophical beliefs are clearly presented. His beliefs are infused into the poem and are the basis of everything he discusses in the poem. The poem is his tool to convey his personal ideology and in turn, we receive a glimpse of what his relationship with his wife must be like. In this poem, nature and love are the two central ideas that are addressed. In the first stanza he describes the flowers around them saying “With white-flower'd Jasmin, /and the broad-leav'd Myrtle, (Meet emblems they of Innocence and Love!).” Then he describes how they “watch the clouds, that late were rich with light…Serenely brilliant (such should Wisdom be)/ Shine opposite!” His description of nature and the harp show how he thinks of nature and it is clear that he appreciates the beauty and serenity of nature. This opinion about nature was one of the central ideas that Coleridge and Wordsworth strived to convey thru their poetry. In every piece of literature they wrote they focused on writing in normal everyday language, writing with emotion and focusing on the power of nature. In this particular poem, the first two stanzas are focused on these concepts. By painting a beautiful scene where he and his wife are observing nature around them, Coleridge reveals his appreciation of nature and prepares the reader for the second stanza where he begins to talk about the Eolian Harp. In the second stanza, Coleridge introduces the reader to the Eolian Harp. He describes the sound of the harp and how “its strings/Boldlier swept, the long sequacious notes/Over delicious surges sink and rise” and calls it a “A light in sound, a sound-like power in light/Rhythm in all thought, and joyance every where—“ To him the sound of the harp is a reflection on the beauty of nature. As the sound drifts over the hills he says “Methinks, it should have been impossible/Not to love all things in a world so fill'd; Where the breeze warbles, and the mute still air/Is Music slumbering on her instrument.” The harp represents his opinion of nature and as the poem moves on to the third stanza, we begin to see his true beliefs about nature. In the third stanza, nature becomes more than just beautiful surroundings for us to enjoy. It becomes just a metaphor for God and his eternal beauty. He writes “what if all of animated nature/Be but organic Harps diversely fram'd,/That tremble into thought, as o'er them sweeps/Plastic and vast, one intellectual breeze,/At once the Soul of each, and God of all'” In other words, to him nature is just a harp created by God that is played by the spirit and soul of God in nature. In addition, he thanks God for his mercy and praises him for everything he has done and given him in his life, including his wife. The final ten lines or so give us a great glimpse into his relationship with his wife, Sara, and it is evident that he loves her with all his heart. He thanks God for giving “me to possess/Peace, and this Cot, and thee, heart-honour'd Maid!” He can do nothing but give thanks to God and by hearing the Eolian Harp and seeing the beauty of nature, he feels closer to God. In its entirety “The Eolian Harp” is a perfect representation of Coleridge’s beliefs about the meaning of life and our nature of existence and by reading it we get to experience Coleridge’s and Wordsworth’s beliefs thru their poetry.