'Frost At Midnight' by Samuel Taylor Coleridge
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The Frost performs its secret ministry,
Unhelped by any wind. The owlet's cry
Came loud--and hark, again ! loud as before.
The inmates of my cottage, all at rest,
Have left me to that solitude, which suits
Abstruser musings : save that at my side
My cradled infant slumbers peacefully.
'Tis calm indeed ! so calm, that it disturbs
And vexes meditation with its strange
And extreme silentness. Sea, hill, and wood,
This populous village ! Sea, and hill, and wood,
With all the numberless goings-on of life,
Inaudible as dreams ! the thin blue flame
Lies on my low-burnt fire, and quivers not ;
Only that film, which fluttered on the grate,
Still flutters there, the sole unquiet thing.
Methinks, its motion in this hush of nature
Gives it dim sympathies with me who live,
Making it a companionable form,
Whose puny flaps and freaks the idling Spirit
By its own moods interprets, every where
Echo or mirror seeking of itself,
And makes a toy of Thought.
[Image] [Image] [Image] [Image]But O ! how oft,
How oft, at school, with most believing mind,
Presageful, have I gazed upon the bars,
To watch that fluttering stranger ! and as oft
With unclosed lids, already had I dreamt
Of my sweet birth-place, and the old church-tower,
Whose bells, the poor man's only music, rang
From morn to evening, all the hot Fair-day,
So sweetly, that they stirred and haunted me
With a wild pleasure, falling on mine ear
Most like articulate sounds of things to come !
So gazed I, till the soothing things, I dreamt,
Lulled me to sleep, and sleep prolonged my dreams !
And so I brooded all the following morn,
Awed by the stern preceptor's face, mine eye
Fixed with mock study on my swimming book :
Save if the door half opened, and I snatched
A hasty glance, and still my heart leaped up,
For still I hoped to see the stranger's face,
Townsman, or aunt, or sister more beloved,
My play-mate when we both were clothed alike !
Dear Babe, that sleepest cradled by my side,
Whose gentle breathings, heard in this deep calm,
Fill up the intersperséd vacancies
And momentary pauses of the thought !
My babe so beautiful ! it thrills my heart
With tender gladness, thus to look at thee,
And think that thou shalt learn far other lore,
And in far other scenes ! For I was reared
In the great city, pent 'mid cloisters dim,
And saw nought lovely but the sky and stars.
But thou, my babe ! shalt wander like a breeze
By lakes and sandy shores, beneath the crags
Of ancient mountain, and beneath the clouds,
Which image in their bulk both lakes and shores
And mountain crags : so shalt thou see and hear
The lovely shapes and sounds intelligible
Of that eternal language, which thy God
Utters, who from eternity doth teach
Himself in all, and all things in himself.
Great universal Teacher ! he shall mould
Thy spirit, and by giving make it ask.
Therefore all seasons shall be sweet to thee,
Whether the summer clothe the general earth
With greenness, or the redbreast sit and sing
Betwixt the tufts of snow on the bare branch
Of mossy apple-tree, while the nigh thatch
Smokes in the sun-thaw ; whether the eave-drops fall
Heard only in the trances of the blast,
Or if the secret ministry of frost
Shall hang them up in silent icicles,
Quietly shining to the quiet Moon.
Editor 1 Interpretation
Frost at Midnight: A Masterpiece of Romantic Poetry
Samuel Taylor Coleridge's "Frost at Midnight" is a masterpiece of romantic poetry that explores the connections between nature, memory, and imagination. The poem takes place on a winter night as the speaker reflects on his childhood and his own isolation in a quiet, snowy landscape. The setting is both bleak and beautiful, a perfect metaphor for the speaker's own conflicted emotions. Through his masterful use of language and imagery, Coleridge creates a world that is both vivid and haunting, a world that resonates with readers across the ages.
Analysis of Frost at Midnight
The poem begins with the speaker sitting by the fire, watching the frost collect on the windowpane. He reflects on his own childhood, which was spent in a similar setting. He reminisces about the joys of listening to his nurse tell him stories by the fire, of the comfort he felt in the quiet of the night. But he also remembers the fear he felt, the sense of isolation that came with being alone in the dark.
As the poem progresses, the speaker begins to reflect on the power of the natural world to inspire the imagination. He speaks of the shapes and colors that he sees in the frost, imagining them to be "phantoms of delight." He notes that the landscape is both beautiful and terrifying, a place where "the owl for all his feathers was a-cold." In this sense, the natural world becomes a metaphor for the complexity of the human psyche. It is a place of both wonder and fear, a place where memory and imagination collide.
Throughout the poem, the speaker also reflects on the power of memory to shape our perceptions of the world. He notes that the "silent icicles" remind him of "gentler thoughts" and of the innocence of childhood. He speaks of the "happy moment" when he first learned to read and of the feeling of connection that came with sharing stories with others. But he also notes that memory can be a source of pain and isolation, that it can "make the past more present than the future."
At the heart of the poem is the speaker's reflection on the power of imagination to transcend the limitations of our physical reality. He speaks of the ability of the mind to create its own worlds, to "build up forms that lived and moved." He notes that the imagination can be a source of comfort and escape, a way to find meaning and purpose in a world that can sometimes seem chaotic and meaningless.
Interpretation of Frost at Midnight
At its core, "Frost at Midnight" is a poem about the power of the human mind to shape our perceptions of the world around us. The speaker's reflections on memory, imagination, and the natural world are all interconnected, each one influencing the other in a complex web of associations.
One important theme in the poem is the idea of isolation. The speaker notes that he feels isolated by the quiet of the night, by the coldness of the landscape. He also notes that memory can be a source of isolation, as it can make us feel cut off from the present moment. But he also suggests that the imagination can be a way to transcend this isolation, to find meaning and purpose in a world that can sometimes seem indifferent to our existence.
Another important theme in the poem is the relationship between memory and imagination. The speaker notes that memory is a source of both joy and pain, that it can shape our perceptions of the world in profound ways. But he also notes that imagination can be a way to transcend the limitations of memory, to create new worlds and new possibilities. In this sense, the poem can be seen as a celebration of the human capacity for creativity and imagination.
Yet another important theme in the poem is the relationship between the natural world and the human psyche. The speaker notes that the landscape is both beautiful and terrifying, a source of wonder and fear. He suggests that the natural world can serve as a mirror for our own emotions and experiences, that it can help us to understand ourselves in new and profound ways.
Overall, "Frost at Midnight" is a complex and multifaceted poem that explores a wide range of themes and ideas. Through his masterful use of language and imagery, Coleridge creates a world that is both vivid and haunting, a world that resonates with readers across the ages. Whether read as a celebration of the power of the human mind or as a meditation on the complexities of memory and imagination, this poem stands as a testament to the enduring power of the romantic imagination.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
Frost At Midnight: A Poem of Reflection and Contemplation
Samuel Taylor Coleridge, one of the most prominent poets of the Romantic era, wrote Frost At Midnight in 1798. This poem is a reflection of the poet's personal experiences and his contemplation of the natural world. The poem is written in a conversational tone, and the poet speaks directly to his infant son, Hartley, who is sleeping beside him. Frost At Midnight is a poem that explores the themes of nature, childhood, memory, and the power of imagination.
The poem begins with the poet describing the setting of the poem. He is sitting in a cottage in the middle of winter, and the frost is covering the ground outside. The poet is alone with his sleeping son, and he begins to reflect on his own childhood. He remembers the times when he was sent to school far away from home, and how he longed to be back with his family. The poet then reflects on the beauty of nature and how it has the power to heal and comfort us.
The second stanza of the poem is where the poet begins to explore the theme of childhood. He speaks directly to his son, telling him how lucky he is to be born in such a beautiful world. The poet tells his son that he will grow up surrounded by nature, and that this will be his greatest teacher. He tells his son that he will learn more from the natural world than he ever could from books or teachers.
In the third stanza, the poet reflects on the power of imagination. He tells his son that he will be able to create his own world in his mind, and that this world will be more beautiful than anything he could ever see in the real world. The poet tells his son that he will be able to create his own stories and that these stories will be more powerful than any book he could ever read.
The fourth stanza of the poem is where the poet reflects on his own life. He tells his son that he has spent too much time in the city, and that he has lost touch with the natural world. He tells his son that he longs to be back in the countryside, surrounded by nature. The poet then reflects on the power of memory, and how it can transport us back to a time and place that we have long forgotten.
In the final stanza of the poem, the poet reflects on the power of the natural world to heal and comfort us. He tells his son that the natural world is like a mother, and that it will always be there to comfort him when he is sad or lonely. The poet then tells his son that he will always be there for him, and that he will always be his friend and guide.
Frost At Midnight is a poem that explores the themes of nature, childhood, memory, and the power of imagination. The poem is written in a conversational tone, and the poet speaks directly to his infant son, Hartley. The poem is a reflection of the poet's personal experiences and his contemplation of the natural world. The poem is a celebration of the beauty of nature and the power of imagination. It is a reminder that we should never lose touch with the natural world, and that we should always remember the power of our own imagination.
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