Poem "To William Wordsworth" by Coleridge

Romantic era poets like Coleridge and Wordsworth both relied heavily on nature imagery to convey core themes, and often nature became a theme unto itself. In "To William Wordsworth," Coleridge writes accolades for his friend using many of the tropes of Romanticism, including the liberal use of nature metaphors to commend Wordsworth's creativity. The metaphors are mainly encapsulated by the spirit of springtime and the ebbing of energy that seasonal rebirth entails. Elements of nature in "To William Wordsworth" include the tumultuous transition from winter into spring, with its attendant storms, as well as the swelling and ebbing of energy that comes from the act of gestation, procreation, and birth.

In "To William Wordsworth," Coleridge shows that poetry and the act of creating poetic verse is akin to the mystery of creation itself. Coleridge uses analogies of pregnancy and birth to underscore the parallel between creative writing in poetic format and the act of procreation by human beings. For example, he writes of "momentary stars of my own birth / fair constellated foam…now a tranquil sea, / Outspread and bright, yet swelling to the moon." The word "swelling" refers not only to the swells of tides in the ocean but also to a mother's belly as she swells with child. Swelling also refers to the swelling of the creative spirit in the moments prior to the act of generation and creativity in artistic pursuits like poetry.

Moreover, Coleridge compares his relationship to Wordsworth to the natural relationship between a child and its mother in any animal species. Coleridge assumes the role of child, as he looks up to and idolizes his friend's creativity much as a child admires the mother and depends on the mother for wisdom, teaching, and sustenance. "In silence listening, like a devout child, my soul lay passive, by thy various strain." Most creatures are born weak and dependent, requiring both silence and passivity to absorb the wisdom passed down from the mother. Coleridge is thus using natural imagery related to procreation for two distinct purposes. The first purpose of birth imagery is to liken creative writing to the creation of all life on Earth. The second purpose of the birth imagery is to connect Wordsworth with the concept of motherhood and portray the poet as a mother figure in the poetic universe. As an influential poet, Wordsworth is hailed as being a generative force whose boundless creativity is an inspiration to Coleridge.

Corresponding with the imagery related to birth and creation, Coleridge also relies heavily on springtime metaphors in "To William Wordsworth." Springtime is a motif that appears regularly throughout the poem, and because springtime is the season of rebirth, baby animals, and flower buds, it makes sense that Coleridge would connect motherhood and springtime when talking about Wordsworth's poetry. Coleridge refers to the nature of "vernal growth," which is akin to the wellspring of creativity flowing from Wordsworth's pen. During the season of spring, many plants and animals experience a revitalization after the many months of winter meant their energy had been stagnant. The ice and snow of winter begin to thaw and melt, revealing currents of impassioned thought. As the ice and snow of winter thaws, rivers swell as do waterfalls. These new streams of water are metaphors for new streams of ideas in a poet's mind. Streams of new water in springtime are the "tides obedient to external force," which is of a spiritual nature.

The aquatic imagery is also linked to ebbing and flowing of creative inspiration. The "currents self-determined" reveals the collaboration between nature and humanity. A poet like Wordsworth receives "currents" of inspiration from nature and the spiritual world, but uses self-determination and free will to transform raw energy into creative output. It is this harnessing of the forces of nature that Coleridge admires in his friend, as Coleridge claims his friend is almost godlike in his "Genius" ability to generate such remarkable and "ever-enduring" verse. Once the poet participates in the act of creativity, he becomes immortal and thus transcendent: "both in power and act, / Are permanent, and Time is not with them." Poetry transcends death and time.

Natural imagery also allows for the comparison of poetry to the sheer beauty found in nature. For Coleridge, Wordsworth's poems are no less spectacular than gorgeous vistas and scenic landscapes: "Industrious in its joy, in vales and glens / Native or outland, lakes and famous hills!" It is impossible to capture fully the wonders of nature except through creative genius. Whereas Coleridge or any other poet would be at a loss for words to capture the mysteries of life, Wordsworth is gifted in his ability to capture "Heaven's immediate thunder." Coleridge shows that just as not all landscapes are aesthetically equal, neither are two people, or two poets. Some are simply more talented than others, just as some vistas are more splendid than others. Regardless of the specific scenery, all encounters with nature are potentially inspirational for the Romantic era poet, who shuns the confines of interior spaces for the "wood-walks wild." To understand creativity, one must connect with nature, and become "driven as in surges now beneath the stars." The firmament above and the fertile ground below are equally as potent.

Likewise, both sun and rain are required to generate a rainbow or the verdant hills. Coleridge is sure to insert references to storms, and the growing pains of creativity in "To William Wordsworth." The momentary and fleeting energy of a storm, which brings surges of watery creativity, can be rendered in poetry as storms have power and they symbolize transformation. Coleridge captures the essence of storm imagery as he writes, "Amid the howl of more than wintry storms, / The Halcyon hears the voice of vernal hours / Already on the wing." Here, Coleridge links vernal, springtime imagery with that of the energy embedded in winter storms that precede the season of rebirth.

With rebirth comes pain, and Coleridge commends his friend for capturing both the pain and the glory of creativity. "Life's joy rekindling roused a throng of pains-- / Keen pangs of Love, awakening as a babe / Turbulent, with an outcry in the heart." For poetry to be effective, it must capture the gamut of emotions; not only joy but also pain, sorrow, and suffering. In fact, poetry can capture the paradoxes and dichotomies of life, such as polar opposites like Fear and Hope, Old Age and Youth. For Coleridge, Wordsworth is the "sage bard" who can do what few other human beings can, and communicate the commingling of pain and joy that accompanies all acts of creation.

Without using overtly sexual imagery, Coleridge nevertheless talks about procreation by continually referring to the creative process. Thus, "To William Wordsworth" lacks homoeroticism even though it is essentially a love poem from one friend to another. By comparing Wordsworth to a mother, Coleridge empowers his friend to explore his potent feminine energy and commends him for being able to churn forth magical words from the often chaotic and dark forces of nature. "Amid the howl of more than wintry storms, / The Halcyon hears the voice of vernal hours." Whereas some poets might buckle down under the howl of the wintry storms, Wordsworth is instead able to fly "on the wing" of creation. Coleridge writes an ode to his friend not because he seeks sexual or romantic union, but because he wants to express his sheer admiration for him, much as he would have expressed his sheer admiration and love for a beautiful creature in nature or a lovely landscape. The love that Coleridge communicates in "To William Wordsworth" is a transcendent, spiritual love. This is why Coleridge concludes his poem with the line, "I found myself in prayer."