'Human Life' by Samuel Taylor Coleridge


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If dead, we cease to be ; if total gloom
Swallow up life's brief flash for aye, we fare
As summer-gusts, of sudden birth and doom,
Whose sound and motion not alone declare,
But are their whole of being ! If the breath
Be Life itself, and not its task and tent,
If even a soul like Milton's can know death ;
O Man ! thou vessel purposeless, unmeant,
Yet drone-hive strange of phantom purposes !
Surplus of Nature's dread activity,
Which, as she gazed on some nigh-finished vase,
Retreating slow, with meditative pause,
She formed with restless hands unconsciously.
Blank accident ! nothing's anomaly !
If rootless thus, thus substanceless thy state,
Go, weigh thy dreams, and be thy hopes, thy fears,
The counter-weights !--Thy laughter and thy tears
Mean but themselves, each fittest to create
And to repay the other ! Why rejoices
Thy heart with hollow joy for hollow good ?
Why cowl thy face beneath the mourner's hood ?
Why waste thy sighs, and thy lamenting voices,
Image of Image, Ghost of Ghostly Elf,
That such a thing as thou feel'st warm or cold ?
Yet what and whence thy gain, if thou withhold
These costless shadows of thy shadowy self ?
Be sad ! be glad ! be neither ! seek, or shun !
Thou hast no reason why ! Thou canst have none ;
Thy being's being is contradiction.

Editor 1 Interpretation

Poetry, Human Life - A Masterpiece by Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Have you ever read a poem that seemed to capture the essence of life itself? If not, then you must read "Poetry, Human Life" by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. This masterpiece of a poem is filled with profound insights and beautiful imagery that will leave you in awe.

Introduction

Samuel Taylor Coleridge was a renowned English poet, critic, and philosopher. He lived during the Romantic era and was one of the founders of the Romantic movement in literature. Coleridge is best known for his poetry, which is characterized by its lyrical beauty, deep spirituality, and profound insights into human nature.

"Poetry, Human Life" is one of Coleridge's most famous poems. It was written in 1803 and published in the collection, "Sibylline Leaves", in 1817. The poem is a meditative reflection on the nature of poetry, its role in human life, and the relationship between poetry and the divine.

Overview

The poem is structured in five stanzas, each consisting of eight lines. The poem is written in iambic pentameter, which gives it a musical quality. The first stanza begins with a question that sets the tone for the entire poem:

What is life? When stripped of its disguise, A thing to be desired it cannot be; Since everything that meets our foolish eyes Gives proof sufficient of its vanity. 'Tis but a trial all must undergo, To teach unthankful mortals how to prize That happiness vain man's denied to know, Until he's call'd to claim it in the skies.

The stanza poses a fundamental question about the nature of life and suggests that life, as we know it, is not something to be desired. The stanza also introduces the theme of vanity, which runs throughout the poem.

The second stanza is a reflection on the role of poetry in human life:

What is this world? -- thy school, O misery! Our only lesson is to learn to suffer; And he who knows not that, from misery, Can never be counted for a learned buffer. With death returning at the slightest call, And life's uncertain, how can man be gay? But how shall Poetry console? by what Charm, or what remedy, can she allay

The stanza suggests that the purpose of human life is to learn to suffer and that poetry can console us in our misery. The stanza also introduces the idea of death, which is further developed in the following stanzas.

The third stanza is a reflection on the relationship between poetry and the divine:

The pious, who believe Life's origin Prolong'd from God's own breath, inhaled at birth Celestial air, which, with their blood entwined, Spreads through their nerves new life and strength on earth, They ask not wherefore, wherefore pain and toil Dare struggle through a life of discontent; But with faith's eye, which kindles in the soil Of their resplendent heart, they upward send

The stanza suggests that those who believe in the divine origin of life have faith that gives them strength to endure pain and toil. The stanza also suggests that poetry can help us to send our thoughts upward, towards the divine.

The fourth stanza is a reflection on the power of poetry to transcend death:

A sigh breathed o'er a dying warrior's sword, A maiden's shriek upon her lover's pyre, Are worth whole hecatombs, when, from the gored Body, the spirit bursts in floods of fire. The shuddering tenant of the frigid zone Boldly proclaims that happiest spot his own; Extols the treasures of his stormy seas, And his long nights of revelry and ease.

The stanza suggests that the power of poetry to transcend death is greater than any physical treasure or pleasure. The stanza also introduces the idea of heroic death, which is further developed in the final stanza.

The fifth and final stanza is a reflection on the relationship between poetry, death, and heroism:

What were the jarring world's disjointed frame, Immutable? The bard's prophetic soul, Urg'd by no voice from the ruin'd tomb, or Fame, Has, with the Mighty One convers'd, and whole Nations have listen'd to his sacred lyre, And, hush'd in deep repose, with new-strung nerves, On his own daring pinion soar'd to fame, Bearing Ethereal fire from Heaven's own curves.

The stanza suggests that poetry has the power to transcend the limitations of the physical world and connect us with the divine. The stanza also suggests that the poet is a prophetic figure who can speak to the mighty ones of the past and inspire whole nations to greatness.

Interpretation

"Poetry, Human Life" is a profound meditation on the nature of poetry, its role in human life, and the relationship between poetry and the divine. The poem suggests that life, as we know it, is characterized by vanity, suffering, and death. However, the poem also suggests that poetry can console us in our misery, connect us with the divine, and transcend death.

The poem is notable for its beautiful imagery, its lyrical quality, and its profound insights into human nature. The use of iambic pentameter gives the poem a musical quality that is both soothing and inspiring. The poem's structure, with its five stanzas of eight lines each, suggests a kind of symmetry and balance that reflects the poem's themes of wholeness and completeness.

The poem's themes of vanity, suffering, death, and heroism are all interconnected. The poem suggests that life is characterized by vanity because we are all striving for things that are ultimately meaningless. The poem suggests that suffering is inevitable because it is through suffering that we learn to appreciate the true value of life. The poem suggests that death is the ultimate reality that we must all face, but that through poetry, we can transcend death and achieve a kind of immortality. Finally, the poem suggests that heroism is achieved through the willingness to face death with courage and dignity, and that poetry is the vehicle through which heroic deeds are immortalized.

Conclusion

"Poetry, Human Life" is a masterpiece of a poem that captures the essence of life itself. The poem is a profound meditation on the nature of poetry, its role in human life, and the relationship between poetry and the divine. The poem's themes of vanity, suffering, death, and heroism are all interconnected and suggest a kind of wholeness and completeness that is reflected in the poem's structure and musical quality. If you have not read "Poetry, Human Life" by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, then you must read it now, for it is truly a masterpiece of a poem that will leave you in awe.

Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation

Poetry has always been a medium for expressing the deepest emotions and thoughts of the human soul. It is a form of art that transcends time and space, and speaks to the very essence of our being. One such poem that captures the essence of human life is Samuel Taylor Coleridge's "Poetry Human Life."

In this poem, Coleridge explores the relationship between poetry and human life, and how they are intertwined. He begins by stating that poetry is not just a form of entertainment or a means of passing time, but rather it is a reflection of the human experience. He says that poetry is "the breath and finer spirit of all knowledge," and that it is through poetry that we can truly understand the world around us.

Coleridge then goes on to describe the different aspects of human life that poetry can capture. He talks about the beauty of nature, the joys and sorrows of love, and the struggles and triumphs of the human spirit. He says that poetry can capture the essence of these experiences in a way that no other form of art can.

One of the most striking aspects of this poem is Coleridge's use of imagery. He paints vivid pictures of the natural world, describing the "green earth's endearing charms," the "azure sky," and the "golden sun." He also uses powerful metaphors to describe the human experience, such as when he says that "life is a dome of many-coloured glass," suggesting that our experiences are varied and complex.

Another important theme in this poem is the idea of transcendence. Coleridge suggests that poetry has the power to transport us beyond our everyday lives and into a realm of higher understanding. He says that poetry can "raise us from the dungeon of the stir and turmoil of the world," and that it can help us to see the world in a new light.

At the same time, however, Coleridge acknowledges that poetry is not always easy to understand. He says that it can be "a dim and perilous way," and that it requires effort and patience to truly appreciate its beauty. This is an important reminder that poetry is not just a form of entertainment, but rather it is a serious art form that requires careful attention and reflection.

Overall, "Poetry Human Life" is a powerful and moving poem that captures the essence of the human experience. It reminds us that poetry is not just a form of entertainment, but rather it is a reflection of our deepest emotions and thoughts. It also reminds us that poetry has the power to transport us beyond our everyday lives and into a realm of higher understanding. This is a message that is as relevant today as it was when Coleridge wrote this poem over two hundred years ago.

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