Good Essay About Samuel Taylor Coleridge

He has been considered among the most influential poets during the romanticism period; he wrote a variety of romantic poems most of which are still being studied in the current literary works (Meyers, 198). One of his romantic poems that elicit romantic emotions is ‘The Desire’, among other poems that he wrote.

The Desire

The desire is a one stanza poem; it is a love or romantic poem. In the first stanza of this poem, Coleridge states that, “where true love burns, desire is love’s pure flame” (Coleridge, 13). This line is quite short, a typical characteristic of most of his poems. However, the most evident question that lingers in one’s mind upon reading this stanza is what it actually means. The concept of desire in this line could be used as a trigger or driving force to something; as such, Coleridge could be insinuating that love is caused or fuelled by desire. The concept of ‘burns’ in this line could indicate the rage that is experienced by persons in love. On the other hand, the aspect of ‘flame’ and ‘burn’ could also be an indication that love can heart.
In the second line of this stanza, Samuel asserts that “it is the reflex of our earthly frame”; this line complements the first line, placing emphasis on the fact that human desire is a natural reaction towards certain aspects of the environment. In the third line, Samuel posits that human desire is caused by certain noble feelings as he says “that takes its meaning from the nobler part”. Coleridge in his poem also indicates that humans tend to say what they feel the persons they desire would love t hear. This is indicated in the last line where he posits, “and but translates the language of the heart”.

Recollections of Love

This is another major love poem that was produced by Samuel Coleridge; this poem was produced in 1807 and published a decade later. It expressed Samuel Coleridge as an emotionally frank person (Meyers, 198). He applies soul searching meditations; the poem is also characterized by incidences of intense persuasiveness for instance: At the end of this poem, he says that, “to be loved is all I need”. This poem is also given a dreamy quality, although it sounds idyllic, he recalls his meeting with the love of his life, Sara years back. Samuel gives a feeling that he wished that he had met Sarah before the current time; this could be an indication that Samuel is married and his feelings for Sara have to be kept a secret as he says: “I met, “I loved you”. Considering the fact that he says that he loved Sara, the poem could be basically talking about Samuel’s imaginations of the past. That is, his thoughts concerning his experience when he met Sara and how this feeling has been hurting him. The last stanza, second line of this poem indicates that Samuel is filled with thoughts, wondering whether Sara had the same feelings and if she did, has not affected her on an equal basis. The poem is a characterized by a sad tone, indicating an experience of a person suffering emotionally owing to the fact that he cannot meet the person he loved several years back.

Key Traits in the Poems that Indicate the Romantic Period

The two poems discussed herein exhibit various characteristics of the romantic poetry or poetic writings of the Romantic period. In the poem, the Desire, Samuel elicits romantic emotions through her focus on the relationship between love and desire. This is a key characteristic that was associated with romantic poetry. There is also use of symbolism in this poem; this is a key trait of the romantic poetry for instance; the word burn, in the poem titled the Desire is used symbolically to indicate the rage that one experiences when he/she is in love (Cottle & Woodmans, 7). In the poem, the Desire, it appears that imagination also plays a key role in disseminating Coleridge’s information. The words used in this poem are based on imaginations; Coleridge writes this poem up on his own imagination in regard to how one feels when he is in love. This is also a key trait that has been associated with the romantic period.
Considering the poem, Recollections of Love, there are various features/ characteristics that demonstrate key traits of the romantic period. There is the use of an emotionally appealing language in this poem for instance: “Love surely hath been breathing here”, this statement elicits romantic emotions among its readers. It is a key trait of the romantic period. There is also the use nature in writing; this was also a key characteristic of the Romantic period, in the Recollections of Love poem, Coleridge applies certain aspects of nature to describe his feeling for instance: “Eight springs have flown since” here the word springs is used to indicate period or time. This is a key trait of the Romantic period.

Relevance of the Poet’s Worldview to the Modern Society

Coleridge’s worldview from the above poems appears to have been based on the freedom to express love (Watson, 17). His writings are characterized by frankness and openness through the manner by, which he expresses his feelings. This worldview of expressing one’s emotional and romantic feelings is still applicable in the current society; however, the society is gradually changing and many people do not believe in love without finance. Actually, it is financial resources that have acted as a major factor in determining the success of many love relationships in the current generation.

Work Cited

Cottle, Joseph, and R. Woodmans. Early recollections: chiefly relating to the late Samuel Taylor Coleridge, during his long residence in Bristol. Vol. 2. Longman, Rees & Company, 1837.
Watson, John Richard. English Poetry of the Romantic Period 1789-1830. Routledge, 2014.
Myers, Victoria. "" Be Sure Thou Prove My Love a Whore": Forged Evidence and Engines of Proof in Coleridge's Shakespearean Politics." Studies in Romanticism 52.2 (2013): 197.
Coleridge, Samuel Taylor. Letters of Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Vol. I (of 2). Mau Publishing, 2014.