Dejection: An Ode ( Basics)
(only for students)
Composition:
Written in 1802. Originally drafted as a letter to Sara Hutchinson. First published in ‘The Morning Post’.
Why to Sara Hutchinson?
Because to him, Sara Hutchinson was a pure and virtuous soul capable of experiencing joy.
Theme
1. The poem expresses the poet’s profound sense of loss and inability to experience joy, particularly in nature due to a decline in his creative imagination.
2. Contrast with the past as a result of his personal crisis – opium addiction, emotional struggles
3. Theme of loss and hope – loss of creative imagination and hope that the lost joy may one day return
Note on the Epigraph
The story of Sir Patrick Spence to which the poet alludes in the first stanza is an ancient Scottish ballad about a sailor who drowns with a boat load of Scottish noblemen, sailing on orders from the king but against his own better judgement. It contains lines that refer to the moon as a predator of storms.
Word Meaning
Stanza 1
Bard – poet
Weather-wise – ‘in regard to the weather’ – it can also refer to someone who is skilled at predicting weather or trends in public opinion
Ply a busier trade – to be engaged in more active or bustling commerce or activity. It is used to describe a force of nature, like wind, that is more active or impactful than other. It highlights the contrast between a powerful, active force (the wind engaged in a ‘busier trade’) and gentler, less impactful forces
Rakes – a garden tool with a long handle and a row of metal teeth used for collecting leaves or making the earth smooth
Aeolian – connected with or caused by the action of the wind
Phantom- light – a perceived light that isn’t actually there in the way it appears.
Old moon – the phase of the moon in its last quarter before the new moon.
New moon – illuminated side facing away from the earth
Squally – characterized by brief periods of violent wind or rain
Wonted – habitual, usual
Stanza 2
Drear - drab, gloomy, cheerless, depressing
Unimpassioned – having or showing no emotion or intensity
O Lady! – refers to Sara Hutchinson
Wan- looking pale and ill or tired
Yonder – there – at a far distance
woo’d – to win someone’s affection or support of ten in a romantic or persuasive way
balmy – characterized by pleasantly warm weather
bars – (here) in a way that nothing can pass
starless lake of blue – the colour blue refers to the blue sky, specifically the expanse of the sky as seen at night without stars or clouds. The image created is that of a vast, clear blue expanse, resembling a lake but one without stars because they are hidden by the blue atmosphere
Stanza 3
Genial – pleasant and friendly
Smothering – to kill somebody by covering their face so that they cannot breathe
Green light that lingers in the west -symbol of false hope. The speaker gazes at it, hoping it will bring back his lost passion and joy but ultimately realizes that these feelings must come from within and not from any externa source and a reliance on the natural world to evoke emotion, the speaker acknowledges is therefore a futile attempt
Stanza 4
Wedding garment – symbolizes the vibrant, creative aspect of nature
Shroud – symbolizes its decay and end
The poet suggests that human beings are active participants who contribute to the beauty of the natural world and also witness its decline.
Luminous- glowing light
Potent – strong or powerful
Stanza 5
Mist – fog
Effluence – the action of flowing out
Wedding Nature – the joy we experience from Nature is a gift bestowed upon us by Nature itself, as if nature is marrying its beauty and power to our capacity of joy. It suggests that nature’s beauty is not merely an external spectacle but an active force that enhances our inner experience and elevates our perception of the world
Dower – part of or interest given to a surviving
A new Earth and a new Heaven – (Bible- Isaiah, 2 Peter and Revelation often associated with the idea of God’s eternal kingdom) – not simply a restoration of the old, but a complete recreation, a “new creation” – represents a transformed and renewed creation – a metaphorical description of a transformed reality, a new relationship between God and creation, and a new way of being
Stanza 6
Haply – by chance
Abstruse – difficult to understand
From my own nature all the natural man – describes the speaker’s attempt to cope with his emotional distress by turning to intellectual pursuits and philosophical enquiry as a way to understand and perhaps even reclaim his “natural man” or inherent self. The speaker feels a profound sense of loss of joy and imagination, and seeks solace in introspection
Habit of my soul – refers to the poet’s emotional state – the once present feeling of hope and inspiration is now replaced by a more subdued and melancholic disposition
Stanza 7
Viper – snake
Crag – a steep, rough rock on a hill or mountain(tarn)
Tairn – (Scottish) – a small, deep, usually mountain lake or pool
Clomb – (archaic) – climb
Lutanist – a lute player
Yule – (archaic)Christmas
Timorous – lacking confidence
Smarting wounds – a) physical wounds that cause a sharp, stinging pain
b) emotional pain as from criticism or failure
Otway – refers to Thomas Otway, a Restoration dramatist known for his tragic plays. The line serves as a point of comparison, highlighting the contrast between the speaker’s current state of dejection and the ability to create such a gentle and comforting piece
Stanza 8
Mountain -birth – refers to a storm that is intense but short lived, like a mountain storm that quickly passes
The speaker wishes for his friend to experience a storm of this nature hoping it will be the catalyst for renewed joy and positive emotions
Eddying -move in a circular way
Web-links for study
1. https://www.sparknotes.com/poetry/coleridge/section6/
2. https://www.arcjournals.org/pdfs/ijhsse/v2-i5/15.pdf
3. https://www.gradesaver.com/coleridges-poems/study-guide/summary-dejection-an-ode-1802
4. https://literariness.org/2021/02/16/analysis-of-coleridges-dejection-an-ode/
Comments
Post a Comment