Introduction
Samuel Taylor Coleridge was an English poet, theologian, philosopher, literary critic, and a member of the Lake Poets. The conversation poem “Frost at Midnight” was written in 1798, and this literary work, Coleridge is the speaker, and his infant son, Hartley Coleridge, is the silent listener. The purpose of this paper is to analyze and explain the poem’s themes and what helps the writer deliver the message to the reader. Moreover, several literary devices and means of artistic expression used in “Frost at Midnight,” the speaker’s attitude, and physical and emotional shifts will be discussed.
Themes of “Frost at Midnight”
In this poem, Coleridge explores and discusses the relationship between happiness and the environment and reflects on childhood’s idyllic innocence. In this literary work, several essential themes are connected. Since in this poem Coleridge is concerned with his infant son, one of the main themes is family. The poet thinks about his high hopes for Hartley, his bright future, and the ability to grow up being close to Nature:
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 (Coleridge, lines 55-58).
This is rather unselfish from the poet, and it shows his genuine love for his infant son.
Another theme is God and religion as the poet hopes that Hartley will have some kind of spiritually-fulfilling life, appreciate and enjoy it, and live up to the poet’s lost promise. According to Coleridge, God is entirely benevolent and loving and desires to enter into a relationship with people (Coleridge, lines 61-65). In this poem, the writer hopes that precisely Nature can provide his son with the key to developing that relationship. What helps Coleridge to deliver his messages to the audience is his melancholic tone and the sincere wish of happiness to his son. The poet becomes the father of all his readers who understand his ideas and start seeing Nature differently.
Literary Devices
Imagery helps the readers to understand the emotions and feelings of the writer by letting them see, or imagine, what is described. In the line “quietly shining to the quiet Moon,” imagery is quite evident (Coleridge, line 75).
- Personification is providing inanimate objects with human qualities so that they are better understood by the audience. In this poem, for instance, the frost and the wind are personified (Coleridge, lines 1-2).
- Symbolism means giving qualities and ideas symbolic meanings that are different from the literal ones. For example, here, dreams symbolize the importance of imagination, and frost represents the powerful and subtle force of nature, while.
- Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds within the same line. For instance, in the line “Gives it dim sympathies with me who live,” the sound of /i/ is repeated (Coleridge, line 18).
- Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds within the same line. In the sentence “the Frost performs its secret ministry,” the sound of /r/ is repeated (Coleridge, line 1).
- Alliteration is also the repetition of consonant sounds within the same line but only in quick succession. For instance, in “and think that thou shalt learn far other lore,” the sound of /th/ is repeated (Coleridge, line 51).
Physical and Emotional Shifts
The tone of the poem shifts several times as the poet changes his thoughts from his past, Hartley’s future, God, and happiness. Moreover, by shifting the scene to the summertime and his boyhood, Coleridge creates a specific sense of inner discomfort that he experiences in his midnight vigil in the cottage. The speaker’s attitude is calm: he is grateful for what he has but sad since he did not manage to achieve his dreams and happiness. However, he believes in his son and his bright future.
Work Cited
Coleridge, Samuel Taylor. “Frost at Midnight.” Poetry Foundation, Web.