Further insights-Frost at Midnight
I focused my essay on the Coleridge's poem 'Frost at Midnight', in the process of constructing the essay I developed further insights into the poem then I had previously, while this is no doubt one of the desired outcomes of the essay task I was surprised at how seamlessly this particular thought developed from the insights before them. The area of the poem relevant is below-
Dear Babe, that sleepest cradled by my side,
Whose gentle breathings, heard in this deep calm, (45)
Fill up the interspersed 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, (50)
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 (55)
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 (60)
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,
I realised that Coleridge is not only describing to his son how he will be luckier then he himself was as a child- that he will grow up surrounded by and experiencing the wonders of nature, but that Coleridge is also offering up these experiences. His knowledge of the importance of nature and the evolution of a spiritual connection with it, becomes a gift to his son. To me he is saying through the poem 'these are my beliefs, this is what I have learnt to be of great value in life, this is what I see as a path to spiritual fulfilment, this is passion & wonder-this I give to you by teaching you to open your eyes, and your heart to it.'
"Therefore all seasons shall be sweet to thee," I find this line extremely moving. It is the culmination of Coleridge's teachings and his love for his child. Once Coleridge has shared his wisdom of the earth, his child will see that all seasons are sweet. Each season has something very distinct and extraordinary to offer, his child will have the ability to see beauty in all seasons. Of course the line can be taken literally, if you appreciate nature, nature will be good to you. It also has Buddhist connotations too, karma. I think its just the ultimate gift, it contains so much love, a life times full of wisdom and the promise of great wonder and fulfilment. Just think you could in effect be offering a loved one this very gift for around $30 in a decent anthology! We as Literature students have already purchased it as part of our degree, unknowingly. We all have been given the ultimate gift, may all seasons be sweet to thee…