NATURE IN SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE

Brief biography

Samuel Taylor Coleridge was an English poet, critic and philosopher and also one of the founders of the Romantic Movement. He was born in Ottery St Mary, Devonshire . When his father died he was sent to a school in London , were he started having thoughts of guilt and depression. From 1791 until 1794 Coleridge attended Jesus College at the University of Cambridge . In 1795 he got married, but his marriage proved unhappy and he finally divorced her. In 1795 Coleridge met William Wordsworth and they became immediate friends. Coleridge suffered toothache and facial neuralgia, and around 1796 he started taking opium as a pain reliever.

In 1798 Coleridge and Wordsworth published a joint volume of poetry called Lyrical Ballads, which supposed the starting point for the English Romantic Movement. In 1798 both friends moned to Germany and didn't return to England until 1800. At this time Coleridge had marital problems, illnesses, increased opium dependency, had tensions with Wordsworth, etc. From 1804 to 1806 Coleridge lived in Malta , were he became a full opium addict. He died of heart failure in Highgate on July 25, 1834.

The suicide's argument

Ere the birth of my life, if I wished it or no
No question was asked me--it could not be so !
If the life was the question, a thing sent to try
And to live on be Y ES ; what can N O be ? to die.

NATURE'S A NSWER

I s' t returned, as 'twas sent ? Is't no worse for the wear ?
Think first, what you A RE ! Call to mind what you W ERE !
I gave you innocence, I gave you hope,
Gave health, and genius, and an ample scope,
Return you me guilt, lethargy, despair ?
Make out the invent'ry ; inspect, compare !
Then die--if die you dare !

ANALIZING THE POEM

In this poem Coleridge is asking nature why anyone asked him before being born if he wanted to live or not. No question was asked me—it could not be so!

The first stanza is a question to nature. Coleridge wants to know why anyone asked him. He thinks that maybe the life was the question, so if you don't want to live, maybe then you'll have to die.

The second stanza is natures answer. Nature says that life was given to him as the same way it was then taken. But the difference was himself. He was born innocent, healthy, genius, etc, but then he changed, he died guilty . I gave you innocence, Igave you hope, gave health, and genius, and ample scope, return to me guilt, lethargy, despair?

BIBLIOGRAPHY

-en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Taylor_Coleridge

- etext.virginia.edu/stc/Coleridge/poems/poems_links.html

- www.kirjasto.sci.fi/coleridg.htm

Tania Martínez Alonso