from Fears in Solitude
By Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Written in April 1798
British feared the French were going to invade…it was all propaganda, but the French did manage to get a raft on shore, only to be captured.
1) Samuel Taylor Coleridge was the founder of the Romantic Movement in England.
2) William Wordsworth was his friend. Together Wordworth and Coleridge published a collection of poems which did not sell well at first. The collection contained The Rime of the Ancient Mariner.
3) While in college, Coleridge planned to start a utopian commune in Pennsylvania.
4) Coleridge coined the phrase “suspension of disbelief” among others.
5) The poet wrote Kubla Khan in 1797, however the famous poem was published in 1816 when Lord Byron persuaded Coleridge to publish it.
6) The poem Kubla Khan, Coleridge claims, was the result of an opium induced dream.
7) Coleridge was a famous and gifted literary critic.
8) Known as a meticulous poet, Mr. Coleridge was known to rework his poems more than any other contemporary poet.
9) The word “bipolar” was first used by Coleridge in 1810
10) Coleridge was so critical of the bad literary taste of his contemporaries that he thought that would mean a continued desecration of literature.
Samuel Taylor Coleridge Fun Facts
Iambic pentameter
Conversational Poem
(An invention of Coleridge)
01.
Thankless too for peace,�(Peace long preserved by fleets and perilous seas)�Secure from actual warfare, we have loved�To swell the war-whoop, passionate for war!�
Plosive Alliteration “T”
The author opens with a powerful statement of authority and condemnation of those who want war…they are ungrateful for peace (which is the result of the end of war).
Epizeuxis
The repetition of “peace” at the end of the first line and the beginning of the next points to the fact that peace is maintained through a show of force (Navy ships at sea). The author is pointing out the hypocritical stance of the war-mongers who have enjoyed the peace at no expense to themselves. And now they are calling for war, which again will not affect them.
Plosive Alliteration “P”
The language is almost spitting in disgust as the speaker points out that peace is “preserved” through “perilous” actions. Those words are juxtaposed with the “passionate” call of the war-whoopers, as though they are in love with war.
Alliteration “W”, Onomatopoeia, and Polyptoton
The “W” alliteration creates a swelling call for war, as those it is wisping on the wind throughout country. The onomatopoeia “whoop” gives war a simplistic cheerleader voice, as those who are cheering on the war will do so from the sidelines, never in the real action or pain. The polyptoton emphasizes that contrast even further.
Diction
“loved” and “passionate” are words associated with romance. The choice of these words shows how people treat war in a romantic fashion, like a love story, or a romantic, happy-ending movie.
Parenthesis
Promote the conversational style of poetry which was created by Coleridge. The words inside almost sound like statements said under his breath, condescending in tone.
Exclamation Point
Is known informally as a “bang” or “shriek.” The reader can almost hear the shrieking masses beating the war drum.
Alas! for ages ignorant of all�Its ghastlier workings, (famine or blue plague,�Battle, or siege, or flight through wintry snows,)�We, this whole people, have been clamorous�For war and bloodshed; animating sports,�The which we pay for as a thing to talk of,�Spectators and not combatants!
Parenthesis
The speaker gives a history lesson of the past horrors of war, famine, plagues, and weather hardships). The list is especially horrific to call out how ignorant people really are to cost in human life as the cheer on war.
Alliteration “W”
The war chant continues to ride the wind and is now moving onto the younger crowd, who are “ignorant” of the past. The speaker’s use of the pronoun “we” indicates he includes himself in the mix of people who seem poised for war.
Metaphor
The people are compared to spectators at a sports’ game, paying for entry, then sitting in the stands, talking about the game (war), watching (spectators), and not in the participating (combatants).
Fricative Alliteration and Plosive Alliteration
The fricative alliteration adds to the sinister nature of the war-cry, while the plosive alliteration creates a combination of visual and auditory imagery as the reader can hear the “battle” and see the” bloodshed.”
Exclamation Points
Continue to convey the passionate tone of the speaker. He seems to be raising his voice as the poem progresses.
Diction
The choice of “ghastly” meaning gruesome, grisly, causing great horror is accented by the word “clamorous” meaning a large mob all loudly screaming for the same thing, which in this case is ghastly, and likely to cause great suffering and death. Why would one clamour for it?
No guess�Anticipative of a wrong unfelt,�No speculation on contingency,�However dim and vague, too vague and dim�To yield a justifying cause; and forth,�(Stuffed out with big preamble, holy names,�And adjurations of the God in Heaven,)�We send our mandates for the certain death�Of thousands and ten thousands!! Boys and girls,�And women, that would groan to see a child�Pull off an insect's wing, all read of war,�The best amusement for our morning meal!
Parallel structure
No guess/No speculation
The parallel structure adds emphasis to the idea that there really is NO reason for the war, and more importantly, that NO one has thought about the consequences.
Antimetabole
The reverse repetition of this phrase draws attention to the flimsy reasons people give for war. The reason are not clear (vague), and if there ever was a reason, it is dim (fading).
Use of the prefix “un” gives even more meaning to the idea that whatever “wrong” this war is hung upon, is not felt by the majority of the people. In other words, it is someone else’s wrong.
Parenthesis
The word “preamble” means introduction, so this call for war is supported by religious people (holy names) and even by God.
Diacope
The diacope emphasizes the numbers of people who will be needlessly killed by war.
“M” Alliteration/Consonance
The repetition of the soft “m” makes the phrase read like a child’s lullaby, pointing back to the hypocrisy of being angry with a child who mutilates an insect, but being okay with sending someone else’s child to kill and plunder in war.
Anaphora
Creates a piling on of hypocrisy. The religious leaders are for it, the children, the mothers…and…and…
The poor wretch, who has learnt his only prayers�From curses, and who knows scarcely words enough�To ask a blessing from his Heavenly Father,�Becomes a fluent phraseman, absolute�And technical in victories and defeats,�And all our dainty terms for fratricide;�Terms which we trundle smoothly o'er our tongues�Like mere abstractions, empty sounds to which�We join no feeling and attach no form!�
Enjambment of prayers from curses points to how young the soldiers are going to war. A child learns his prayers, so these children have learned theirs from the cursing soldiers at war. He doesn’t even know enough words to pray to God.
Anaphora
The anaphoras continue with “The” setting up another point that Coleridge wants to bring to light. The “Ands” continue the wait, there’s more and more and more…
Word Choice
“Phraseman” meaning the young soldier became fluent in the language of war, including “fratricide” which is the accidental killing of soldiers on your own side. The words “dainty terms” points to the way we give nice names (euphemisms) to horrible events.
Alliteration
The plosive “P” alliteration “poor” “prayers” “phraseman” again point to the youth, poverty and the unfortunate result of a soldier at war. The “W” alliteration continues to whip through the poem driving the passionate plea from the poet to think about the “who” is sent to war. The “T” brings more plosive language “Terms,” “trundle,” over “tongues” point to the absolute lack of feeling those who support war, actually have for those who have to fight the war.
Parallel structure
No feeling….no form! Draws attention to the hypocrisy of those pushing war.
As if the soldier died without a wound ;�As if the fibres of this godlike frame�Were gored without a pang ; as if the wretch,�Who fell in battle, doing bloody deeds,�Passed off to Heaven, translated and not killed ;�As though he had no wife to pine for him,�No God to judge him! Therefore, evil days�Are coming on us, O my countrymen!�
Anaphora
“As” and “if the” are repeated drawing attention to the “romantic” ideas of war…a soldier dying on the battlefield is portrayed as beautiful, as though there was no wound, he never cried in pain, and was simply handed off (translated) to heaven, like a football, and not killed.
Parallel structure points to more hypocrisy in the idea that no one really thinks about what a dead soldier leave behind…a wife and family. The next statement indicates that judgement will come to people who called for war.
Alliteration
The whispy “W” alliteration continue to blow through the poem this time drawing attention to the word “without”…are we to believe that a soldier died “without” all of the gory and heart wrenching effects? The fricative “F” alliteration points to his youthful appearance and the plosive “B” and “D” do battle themselves as the words trade blows every other time “battle, doing bloody deeds”
And what if all-avenging Providence,�Strong and retributive, should make us know�The meaning of our words, force us to feel�The desolation and the agony�Of our fierce doings?
Anaphora “And” adds one last thought
Assonance
“All-avenging”
Reveals that Providence (God) is all powerful and will avenge this wrong, causing “agony”
Fricative Alliteration
Drills the idea home that we will be “forced” to “feel” our “fierce” wrongdoings.
Write.
How does Coleridge present fear?