A Comparison Of Coleridge’S Rationalism To W Essay Example For Students

A Comparison Of Coleridge’S Rationalism To W Essay ordsworth’S LiberalismAll friendships grow and nurture each other through time. The friendship between Coleridge and Wordsworth allowed for a special relationship of both criticism and admiration to develop. As their friendship matured, they would play important roles in each other’s works, culminating in their joint publication of Lyrical Ballads, which is said to mark the beginning of the Romantic period and be a combination of their best works. Despite their basic differences in poetic styles and philosophical beliefs, they would help each other create numerous works renown for their depth and creativity. Coleridge was a reserved dreamer, a true poet from the beginning. He was an eccentric young boy who found solace in the intellectual requirements of school. However, he did not have the discipline to continue through school, and eventually dropped out of Jesus College, Cambridge. Coleridge lived in dependence of his friends, clinging to them for support this explains the almost reverent attitude Coleridge held towards Wordsworth. The relationship they shared grew strongly from 1797 through late 1802, until Coleridge, as a result of an addiction to an opium-based drug and his decaying health, alienated himself from Wordsworth and his friends. Under these conditions, Coleridge would move into the second phase of his life, characterized by prolific writings and philosophical reflection. During this time he reflected upon his life and reconciled with his friends. The Rime of the Ancient Mariner is recognized as Coleridge’s most influential poem; appropriately being one he published in Lyrical Ballads. The main theme of the poem concerns the actions a Mariner took and their consequences. However, an analysis of the poem reveals the imagination applied to create the poem and also the logic employed. The poem is broken into seven parts, but these parts can be characterized into the Mariner’s three main stages of realization concerning morality. Reflecting his Christian beliefs and strong philosophical ideals from the study of Kant, Coleridge incorporates the possibility of an afterlife, images of saints and angels and also the importance of moral behavior. Including these themes into his poetry leads us to believe he had a fascination with the more obscure aspects of life. The religious inclinations play an important role in determining the three stages of the Mariner’s rationale. The first stage consists of the first 2 parts of the poem. This is the period where the Mariner is oblivious to the spiritual aspect and importance of the Albatross’ life, which symbolizes hope and good fortune to the travelers. Coleridge, by advice from Wordsworth, would have the Mariner kill the Albatross, brining misfortune to him and the travelers. From this point on the Mariner and his crew suffer as a result of his carelessness. This is also a prime example of Coleridge’s demonic poetry, where he would break through his personal and moral fears through the use of immoral characters. Another example of his rationalism can be seen here. Requiring an outlet for his burdened conscious, he creates characters that are moral failures through which he copes with his moral dilemmas. The third stage takes place after part 5 when the Mariner is absolved by the Spirits, the boat is sent back on course and the Mariner continues to teach the love people should hold for all of God’s creations by his example. Coleridge is criticized for the way he ends the poem though. He changes the direction the poem seems to be taking, making it confusing for the reader to interpret his desired message. In the scene describing the Spirits attack on the ship, Coleridge wrote:Four times fifty living men,(And I heard nor sigh nor groan)With heavy lump, a lifeless lump,They dropped down one by one. (212-215)symbolizing the ruthlessness with which the Spirits kill his crew. Here Coleridge portrays God as a merciless god. Utilitarianism And Euthanasia Essay Coleridge in turn inspired Wordsworth. In the poem We Are Seven, along with a few other poems, Wordsworth is seen changing his conception of death to that of Coleridge’s; one more final and rigid. Both poets use their talents to give the reader and understanding of how deep his own sense of reality is. At times, Coleridge would help Wordsworth finish his poems, interjecting his more â€Å"down to earth† style of writing to make his seem less unbelievable. The pinnacle of their combined poetic effort can be seen in the dual publication of Lyrical Ballads. A combination of both poets’ works, this book brings into focus more of their similarities. As more poems are compared, it can be understood that both poets had a fascination with death and misfortune. It is clearly seen in both the poems mentioned earlier, but also in other poems. Wordsworth’s The Thorn deals with the withering of a thorn and its comparison to a beautiful hill showing the age-old comparison of youth and age. As for Coleridge, he deals with the theme of death in Misfortune. Both poets are also intrigued by the imagination of people. They explicitly use the theme of imagination and its relation to memory in Coleridge’s Kubla Khan and Wordsworth’s The Prelude. Wordsworth and Coleridge are two poets that deserve recognition for their literary talent. Taking into account the few, yet substantial differences between them, it can be said that they are more alike than not. The literary styles used are at opposite ends of a long spectrum yet they seem to compliment each other’s work so well it becomes difficult to establish where the lines are drawn. Both poets had the same goal when writing their poetry, and that is what brings them together more than anything else. BibliographyWorks Cited1) Abrams, Donaldson, David, Smith, Lewalski, Adams, Logan, Monk, Lipking, Stillinger, Ford, Christ, Diaches, Stalworthy. The Norton Anthology: English Literature 6th-ed. W.W. Norton Company ? 1996. Page 12692) Harold Bloom. Modern Critical Views: William Wordsworth. Chelsea House Publishers ? 1985. Pages 88-91, 154-1583) Harold Bloom. Modern Critical Views: Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Chelsea House Publishers ? 1985. Pages 3-8, 13-17, 201-208,4) The Oxford Authors. William Wordsworth. Oxford University Press ? 1990 Page 6895) Virginia L. Radley. Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Twayne Publishers ? 1966 Pages 17-26, 136-1436) Joseph Gibaldi. MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers 4th ed. The Modern Language Association of America ?1995 7) Electronic test Center, University of Virginia Library. Lyrical Ballads: William Wordsworth http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/lyricalballads.html English Essays