Analyse the poem 'The Eolian Harp' by Samuel Taylor Coleridge and comment on the poetic form and language used and the way they contribute to the meaning and effects of the poem.

?The Eolian iterate? by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, whoremaster be described as the m employs of a homo thinking about his delight for his wife Sara, the beauty of genius and about the wonder of matinee idol in providing him with both record and Sara. The voice of the meter is Coleridge himself as it refers to Sara, his wife at the time of writing. It is a Romantic numbers as it deals with a mixture of traditional Romantic themes: those of surd outwit holdings, the grandness of the imagination and the idea of the sublime, and the natural military man. ?The Eolian mouth harp? is written in pinhead compose and has an irregular go into two poesy paragraphs, superstar long, one short. The form is lyric as it deals with a man?s fancy processs and emotions nevertheless it is a lot written in a colloquial style, particular(prenominal)ly in the set-back versify paragraph giving it an informal, simple feel:?to sit beside our fingerst all told in all, our crib o vergrown? (l.3)and??I stretch my limbs at noon,Whilst thro? my half-clos?d centerfieldlids I beholdThe sunbeams dance??. (l.35-37)The plectron to write in a conversational pure sense of smell darn using blank poetry is an eventful one. As challenge Asbee states ?choosing to write in blank poetize line? get out elevate the exit? ( draw near Poetry, p14). Blank poetise is traditionally reserved for ?kings, nobles, heroes, and heroines?, but by mixing blank euphony with a conversational regulate, Coleridge appeals to all and in doing so elevates the subject field of study. However, thither is one back breaker that a singular poesy does appear:On vain philosophy?s aye-babbling spring. For neer guiltless may I declare of Him,Th? INCOMPREHENSIBLE! (l.57-59)It could be argued that this rhyme happened naturally without any prodigious meaning, but that is unlikely. Poets are very particular about their dissension and it is more than conjugation that, at the moment Coleridge p! raises his god, he interposes a rhyme on the word ?Him?. That this is followed by a capitalised ?INCOMPRENSIBLE? adds to the lineage that he is essential and the event is that it does stand out from all that comes beforehand it as, although considered in isolation it sounds pleasant and menstruation, compared to the blank verse of the rest of the poem it sounds out of place. This use of capitalisation and ecphonesis mark is a technique that Coleridge uses byout the poem to pull some language an emphasis:?My pensive SARA!?; (l.1)and?PEACE, and this COT, and THEE, heart-honour?d maidservant! (l.64)Considering the subject matter of the poem, it is clear that the capitalisation of certain words is apply to pack the things that he finds most important. Capitals are often use to stand for shouting in text and this is indeed what Coleridge is doing here; shouting out loud about the things he treasures most: Sara, divinity fudge, Peace, and his home plate (Cot) with S ara his ?heart-honour?d Maid?. Likewise, the exclamation marks used on many of these same words and others like ?Love!? and ?the world so lull?d!? shows further emphasis on these treasures. If we continue to look at the form we see that ?The Eolian Harp? is recognizably in iambic pentameter but Coleridge at generation employs broken measures to add mix and interest to his blank verse. This can be seen in the alteration of foot at particular points. While iambs are primarily used, the sharp introduction of spondees snap offs up the mo nononous curious that could over cause a strin gently iambic blank verse:x / / x /??thy light cheek reclin?d??(l.1)andx / / x /??the broad-leav?d Myrtle??(l.4). It is this break that Edward Zuk states make Coleridges rhythm unsettling and jittery, ??as it acts to keep the reader on edge and assemble for the nigh interruption or take shape in thought.?Adding to this unsettling rhythm is the straight used of enjambment to belt on the pace. E! xamples of this can be seen in the first few ducts. after the poet?s initial exclamation of ?My pensive SARA!? the reader is introduce to speed through the poet?s thoughts:??thy finespun check reclin?dThus on mine arm, most soothing sweet it isTo sit beside our pony, our cot over grownWith white flower?d Jasmin, and the broad-leav?d Myrtle,?(l.1-4)Interestingly in this passage there are a few straight-laced breaks with the use of commas but these are all used in the warmheartedness of lines and it is not until line 9 that we reach our near stop. The abolish of each line ask and makes more lynchpin in one case the next line has been read. In opposition to this acceleration of pace is the use of caesura to cause a sudden thought provoking stop in the middle of a line:?The stilly murmur of the distant SeaTells us of Silence.? (l.11-12)The matter of using this technique at this point brings the thought to look that we barely truly hear the noise of the sea when all el se is silent. This sudden stop and silence seems a accurate way to introduce the main theme as from this point on Coleridge negotiation about the Harp that is to dominate the tone of the poem until the extirpate of the first verse paragraph. Coleridge uses a terrific voice of persisting alliteration from lines 17-20 in articulate to turn back depth to the Harp:??And now its stringsBoldlier swept, the long sequacious notesOver delicious surges omit and rise,Such a soft float(a) witchery of sound? (emphasis added) (l.17-19)The effect of this continuous use of the ?s? sound take ins the effect of a gentle, flowing and woful sound much like the ?long?, ?delicious?, ?floating? sound that Coleridge tries to describe the harp as having. The actual effect of this alliteration is to create a sensual, relaxing tone at this point in the poem. Another technique of emphasis used throughout the poem is the use of imagery. Coleridge personifies the spirit around him by comparing it to abstract nouns - the ?white flower?d Jasmin? rec! reates ? innocence?, the ?broad-leav?d Myrtle? represents ?Love? and ?the star of eve/serenely brilliant? represents ?Wisdom?. I.A. Richards states that imagination is a creative situation by which the mind ?gains insight into reality, reads nature as a symbol of something behind or within nature not ordinarily perceived? (Richards, 1935, as cited in Wellek , 1963). These abstract nouns do exactly this; they give life and quality to nature. Coleridge uses this unperceived nature to appeal to the human senses. Each are introduce in turn starting with sight through the watching of the clouds and the metamorphose surface star that are ?serenely brilliant?. This is promptly followed by smell through the ?exquisite? scents ?snatch?d from yonder bean-field?. Sound follows next with ?the world so hush?d! / The stilly murmur of the distant sea? and eventually link as the lute is ?caress?d? by the airwave ?like some coy Maid half-yielding to her sports fan?.

on the complete of these senses are expressed between lines 8 -15 and provides the reader with a rich description of the landscape adding to the character of nature, expressed in the abstract nouns above. The touch of breeze takes on a more powerful role later as matinee idol is himself personified in the ?intellectual breeze? that sweeps over the ? thoroughgoing harps? of ? joyous nature?. The metaphorical use of the harp to represent all invigoration things is a powerful symbol in the poem suggesting that all nature is caressed and made beautiful by beau ideal (the breeze), still like the sweeping sounds of the Harp. The in troduction of God towards the end of the first verse ! paragraph also brings to an end the mindless musings of the poet. It is here that he is comforted by the tranquillize force of his darling Sara. It is she who, while allowing him these thoughts and feelings, brings him back down to worldly concern to realise what is in reality around him. This is shown by the one philosophical moment in the poem:And what if all of animated natureBe but organic Harps diversly fram?d,That sway into thought, as o?er them sweepsPlastic and vast, one intellectual BreezeAt once the Soul of each , and the God of all?(l.44-48)Nicholas Reid (2006) cleverly sees this section as venturing Coleridge?s ?heresies nether the indulgent eye of his beloved, gently testing the limits of her tolerance before coming back to angle under the ?mild rally? of her ?more serious eye?? (p68). When we move into the cooperate verse paragraph the rhetorical suspicion is brought crashing down by Sara and Coleridge acknowledges it as coming from an ?unregenerate mind? o f ?vain Philosophy?. The whole second paragraph highlights a definite change of tone as we get a direct appeal to God. The simulate of this is that it gives a record to the thoughts and feelings previously expressed. It shows that Coleridge had not always entangle this happy and that it was God that gave him this happiness. Coleridge negotiation of God ??with awe / when I praise him? as he ?healed me / A illegal and most miserable man? and ?gave me to possess? all the things that he treasures. It is a powerful goal that gives a keen assurance to his previous thoughts and heightens them further. It is clear from this psychoanalysis of the text that Coleridge uses the elements of poetry to create required effects. The occasional capitalisation of words, the use of exclamation marks and use of blank verse elevates the parts of the poem that Coleridge feels to be most important. Likewise, nature comes liveborn through human senses and through personification ? it comes out of conceal to marry Coleridge and Sara. As Col! eridge feels this embrace he realises who he needs to thank for this. The change of tone signifies his seriousness in the second verse paragraph as he is now public lecture directly to God ? the creator of all of his happiness. (Word Count: 1640)BibliographyAsbee, S. (2006) Approaching Poetry, Milton Keynes, The Open UniversityReid, N. (2006) Coleridge, anatomy and Symbol, Or the Ascertaining Vision, Aldershot, Ashgate PublishingWellek, R. (1963) ?The Concept of Romanticism in literary history?in Bygrave, S (2006) Romantic literature London, The Open UniversityZuk, E. ?Coleridge?s Blank Verse? [online], http://www.expansivepoetryonline.com/ ledger/cult072004.html (Accessed 28th April 2008) If you want to get a full essay, order it on our website: OrderCustomPaper.com

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