The Relationship between Nature and Love in

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The Relationship between Nature and Love in “The Aeolian Harp”

“The Aeolian Harp,” by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, has puzzled modern critics.  The poem has many different readings, all of which are justifiable.  “The Aeolian Harp” was composed on August 20, 1795.  “This was a short period when Coleridge was happy in his approaching marriage (Harper).” “SARA” is the young lady he is supposed to soon marry.  Throughout this poem Coleridge “speaks to his wife” (Wayne 73) showing his undying love for Sara in relation with nature.  “The Aeolian Harp” is definitely a honeymoon poem in that it celebrates Coleridge’s love for Sara (Scheuerle).” Sara is not only seen in his eyes as beautiful and the love of his life, but as a mystery as well.  Through relationships with nature Coleridge explains the story of his love for Sara to his readers.  He also “celebrates the mysterious, magical life force in ‘animated nature’ (Holmes 103).”

        The very first line of the poem already creates a sense of mystery about Sara in Coleridge’s mind.  “My pensive SARA!” shows that Coleridge knows that many things run through this woman’s head but they are overall a mystery to him.  This can be justified by looking at the fact that Sara’s name is in all capitals.  He is stressing and exaggerating that Sara is the one that is pensive.  The punctuation (exclamation point) used after this line also creates a sense of excitement and stress.  It is clear that Coleridge wants so badly to understand what his Sara is thinking.

        Coleridge was a poet who concentrated on nature intensely.  Coleridge’s “Sense-experience” is significant and structural in this poem.  The first paragraph is organized round a set of sense-experiences, each one delicately evolving into the next, first touch, next sight, then scent and sound (Walsh 100).” The modulation of one form of sense-experience into another was apparently a psychological phenomenon Coleridge was sensitive to.  This sensitivity to nature is seen clearly in the first stanza of “The Aeolian Harp.”  In these lines he examines awareness of the different senses as they run together to create a completely natural feeling.  

                        “My pensive SARA ! thy soft cheek reclined

                        Thus on mine arm, most soothing sweet it is

                        To sit beside our Cot, our Cot o’ergrown

                        With White-flower’d Jasmin, and the broad-leav’d Myrtle,”

These first few lines represent and show the sensation of touch that Coleridge is trying to capture.  He remembers being able to feel Sara’s cheek on his arm while sitting outside his cottage.  “Most soothing sweet it is” could be Coleridge referring to the way Sara’s cheek feels on his arm or he could be referring to how “soothing” it is “To sit beside our Cot.”  The next few lines in this stanza depict the scenery that Coleridge is witnessing at the time.

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                        “And watch the clouds, that late were rich with light,

                        Slow saddening round, and mark the star of eve

                        Serenely brilliant (such should Wisdom be)

                        Shine opposite !”

The lines explaining him watching the clouds roll by is representing the natural awareness of sight.  Coleridge appeared very in touch with nature and was able to describe and analyze what he was feeling and seeing at all times.  Next the stanza rolls smoothly from explaining sight to smell.  “How exquisite the scents Snatch’d from yon bean-field ! and the world so hush’d !”  The sense of smell has become evident ...

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