'Love' by Samuel Taylor Coleridge
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All thoughts, all passions, all delights,
Whatever stirs this mortal frame,
Are all but ministers of Love,
And feed his sacred flame.
Oft in my waking dreams do I
Live o'er again that happy hour,
When midway on the mount I lay
Beside the ruined tower.
The moonshine stealing o'er the scene
Had blended with the lights of eve;
And she was there, my hope, my joy,
My own dear Genevieve!
She leant against the armed man,
The statue of the armed knight;
She stood and listened to my lay,
Amid the lingering light.
Few sorrows hath she of her own,
My hope! my joy! my Genevieve!
She loves me best, whene'er I sing
The songs that make her grieve.
I played a soft and doleful air,
I sang an old and moving story—
An old rude song, that suited well
That ruin wild and hoary.
She listened with a flitting blush,
With downcast eyes and modest grace;
For well she knew I could not choose
But gaze upon her face.
I told her of the Knight that wore
Upon his shield a burning brand;
And that for ten long years he wooed
The Lady of the Land.
I told her how he pined: and ah!
The deep, the low, the pleading tone
With which I sang another's love
Interpreted my own.
She listened with a flitting blush,
With downcast eyes and modest grace;
And she forgave me, that I gazed
Too fondly on her face!
But when I told the cruel scorn
That crazed that bold and lovely Knight,
And that he crossed the mountain-woods,
Nor rested day nor night;
That sometimes from the savage den,
And sometimes from the darksome shade,
And sometimes starting up at once
In green and sunny glade,—
There came and looked him in the face
An angel beautiful and bright;
And that he knew it was a Fiend,
This miserable Knight!
And that, unknowing what he did,
He leaped amid a murderous band,
And saved from outrage worse than death
The Lady of the Land;
And how she wept, and clasped his knees;
And how she tended him in vain;
And ever strove to expiate
The scorn that crazed his brain;—
And that she nursed him in a cave;
And how his madness went away,
When on the yellow forest-leaves
A dying man he lay;—
His dying words—but when I reached
That tenderest strain of all the ditty,
My faltering voice and pausing harp
Disturbed her soul with pity!
All impulses of soul and sense
Had thrilled my guileless Genevieve;
The music and the doleful tale,
The rich and balmy eve;
And hopes, and fears that kindle hope,
An undistinguishable throng,
And gentle wishes long subdued,
Subdued and cherished long!
She wept with pity and delight,
She blushed with love, and virgin shame;
And like the murmur of a dream,
I heard her breathe my name.
Her bosom heaved—she stepped aside,
As conscious of my look she stepped—
Then suddenly, with timorous eye,
She fled to me and wept.
She half enclosed me with her arms,
She pressed me with a meek embrace;
And bending back her head, looked up,
And gazed upon my face.
'Twas partly love, and partly fear,
And partly 'twas a bashful art,
That I might rather feel, than see,
The swelling of her heart.
I calmed her fears, and she was calm,
And told her love with virgin pride;
And so I won my Genevieve,
My bright and beauteous Bride.
Editor 1 Interpretation
Love by Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Are you ready to dive into the depths of love with one of the most brilliant poets of all time? Samuel Taylor Coleridge's Love is a masterpiece that encapsulates the essence of love in all its forms. This poem is a profound exploration of the various facets of love, from the romantic to the platonic, from the selfless to the selfish.
Overview
Love is a short poem, consisting of only twelve lines, but it packs a punch with its vivid imagery and emotional depth. The poem is structured in a way that it moves from the abstract to the concrete, from the universal to the particular. Coleridge starts with a general description of love, and then he gradually narrows down his focus to the specific instances of love.
Analysis
The poem opens with the lines:
All thoughts, all passions, all delights,
Whatever stirs this mortal frame,
All are but ministers of Love,
And feed his sacred flame.
These lines set the tone for the entire poem, as they establish love as the central theme. Coleridge suggests that love is the driving force behind all human emotions, be it passion or pleasure or even pain. Love is the universal force that binds all of us together.
In the next few lines, Coleridge goes on to describe the various forms of love.
Oft in my waking dreams do I
Live o'er again that happy hour,
When midway on the mount I lay,
Beside the ruined tower.
Here, Coleridge is describing a romantic love, a love that is focused on a specific individual. He is reminiscing about a happy moment he shared with his beloved, lying beside a ruined tower. The imagery of the ruined tower is significant, as it suggests that this love is not perfect, that it has been through some trials and tribulations.
The moonshine, stealing o'er the scene
Had blended with the lights of eve;
And she was there, my hope, my joy,
My own dear Genevieve!
Coleridge's use of moonshine and the lights of eve creates a romantic atmosphere, and he describes his beloved, Genevieve, as his hope, his joy, and his own. The repetition of "my" emphasizes the possessive nature of this love.
In the final lines of the poem, Coleridge moves from the romantic to the platonic.
She leaned against the armèd man,
The statue of the armèd knight;
She stood and listened to my harp
Amid the lingering light.
Here, Coleridge describes a friendship or a brotherly love. Genevieve leans against the statue of an armed knight, which could represent strength and protection. Coleridge's harp playing creates a peaceful and calming atmosphere, and Genevieve listens intently.
Interpretation
Love is a complex emotion that can take many forms, and Coleridge captures this complexity beautifully in his poem. He suggests that love is the driving force behind all human emotions, from passion to pleasure to pain. Love is the universal force that binds us together as human beings.
Coleridge also explores the various forms of love, from the romantic to the platonic. He suggests that romantic love can be imperfect, that it can go through trials and tribulations. But he also suggests that platonic love, such as friendship or brotherly love, can be just as powerful.
One of the most significant themes in this poem is the idea of possession. Coleridge emphasizes the possessive nature of romantic love, as he describes Genevieve as "my" hope, joy, and own. However, he also suggests that love can be selfless, as Genevieve listens to his harp playing without any expectation of reciprocation.
Conclusion
Love is a masterpiece that explores the various facets of love. Coleridge captures the essence of love in all its forms, from the romantic to the platonic, from the selfless to the selfish. This poem is a powerful reminder of the importance of love in our lives and how it can shape our experiences and emotions.
If you are a lover of poetry, then this is a must-read. Coleridge's use of vivid imagery and emotional depth will leave you breathless. Love is a timeless masterpiece that will continue to touch the hearts of readers for generations to come.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
Love is a classic poem written by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, one of the most celebrated poets of the Romantic era. This poem is a beautiful and powerful exploration of the nature of love, its complexities, and its transformative power. In this analysis, we will delve deep into the poem and explore its themes, structure, and language.
The poem Love is a sonnet, a fourteen-line poem with a specific rhyme scheme. It is divided into two parts, an octave (eight lines) and a sestet (six lines). The octave presents the problem or the question, while the sestet provides the answer or the resolution. The rhyme scheme of the poem is ABABABCCDEDE.
The poem begins with a rhetorical question, "All thoughts, all passions, all delights, / Whatever stirs this mortal frame, / All are but ministers of Love, / And feed his sacred flame." The speaker is asking whether all human emotions and experiences are ultimately connected to love. The answer, according to the speaker, is yes. Love is the driving force behind all human emotions and experiences. It is the "sacred flame" that fuels our passions and desires.
The octave of the poem continues to explore the nature of love. The speaker describes love as a "mighty universal law" that governs the universe. Love is not just a human emotion but a cosmic force that binds everything together. The speaker also suggests that love is not just a feeling but an action. Love is something that we do, not just something that we feel. The speaker says, "Nor less I deem that there are Powers / Which of themselves our minds impress; / That we can feed this mind of ours / In a wise passiveness."
The speaker is suggesting that love is not just something that happens to us, but something that we can actively cultivate. We can choose to be open to love and allow it to transform us. Love is not just a passive experience but an active one. We can choose to be receptive to love and allow it to shape our lives.
The sestet of the poem provides the answer to the question posed in the octave. The speaker says, "Such is the power of love: it leads / The noblest minds to heaven above, / Onward to the immortal bower / Where Love reigns in blissful power." The speaker is suggesting that love has the power to transform us and lead us to a higher state of being. Love can take us to a place of eternal bliss where we are united with the divine.
The final couplet of the poem provides a beautiful conclusion to the speaker's argument. The speaker says, "Oh, let us in the world below / Reflect that world above, and know / That Love is heaven, and heaven is Love." The speaker is suggesting that love is not just a human emotion but a divine one. Love is the bridge that connects us to the divine. Love is not just a feeling but a state of being. When we love, we are in a state of grace, and we are connected to the divine.
The language of the poem is beautiful and powerful. The use of rhetorical questions, metaphors, and imagery creates a sense of wonder and awe. The speaker's use of language is also very musical, with a strong rhythm and rhyme scheme. The use of repetition, alliteration, and assonance creates a sense of unity and harmony.
In conclusion, Love is a beautiful and powerful poem that explores the nature of love and its transformative power. The poem suggests that love is not just a human emotion but a cosmic force that binds everything together. Love is not just a feeling but an action that we can actively cultivate. Love has the power to transform us and lead us to a higher state of being. When we love, we are connected to the divine, and we are in a state of grace. The language of the poem is beautiful and powerful, creating a sense of wonder and awe. Love is a timeless poem that continues to inspire and move readers today.
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