Frost at Midnight

“Great universal Teacher! He shall mould Thy spirit, and by giving make it ask”. Coldridge emphasizes his understanding of nature in “Frost at Midnight”. His understanding of nature is that it is the greatest teacher of all. Coleridge sits late on a cold winter night and reflects on his life thus far and his child’s future. The contrast between growing up “In the great city, pent 'mid cloisters dim, And saw nought lovely but the sky and stars” versus in a rural area amongst nature.  In the second stanza he recollects about his childhood and sitting in school looking out classroom window through bars that separated him from nature. The alienation from nature Colderidge felt is displayed in his childhood recollections.  He was not happy growing up where he did. At this point, he turns to say how happy he about presenting his child with the ability to identify with nature and all of its powers. He eloquently paints a picture of the beautiful setting in which his child will be raised. Growing up in the company of nature will give his child the ability to as he states “ See and hear the lovely shapes and sounds intelligible of that eternal language, which thy god utters, who from eternity doth teach himself in all, and all things in himself”.  Although, Coleridge could not become unified with nature as a child, he is content with the idea that he is able to provide a secure relationship with nature to his baby.

Lines Left upon a Seat in a Yew-Tree

In “Lines Left upon a Seat in a Yew-Tree” Wordsworth emphasizes that it is important to balance your relationship with nature and society. The poem is divided into two parts. Part one is the story of a lonely man and part two is the moral of the poem. This man chose to isolate himself from society. He “sustained his soul in solitude” and lived alone amongst nature.  In doing so he did not gain any peace in his life.  He was able to see all of nature’s beauty, but he still sought after the outcome of human relationships.  “The world, and man himself, appeared a scene of kindred loveliness: then he would sigh with mournful joy, to think that others felt what he must never feel”.  At this point the moral of the poem begins.  Wordsworth leaves us with the idea that sitting alone isolated in your own pride is not how you connect with nature and gain knowledge. True knowledge should be gained through engaging in inward thought and relationships in humanity.  I think the point Wordsworth is trying to make is that in order to be in tune with nature one must be familiar with humanity as well. I think he is suggesting that humans and nature are not separate entities. Rather, that they are united and  should work together.