40:, the poem disputes the traditional idea that nightingales are connected to the idea of melancholy. Instead, the nightingale represents to Coleridge the experience of nature. Midway through the poem, the narrator stops discussing the nightingale in order to describe a mysterious female and a gothic scene. After the narrator is returned to his original train of thought by the nightingale's song, he recalls a moment when he took his crying son out to see the Moon, which immediately filled the child with joy. Critics have found the poem either decent with little complaint or as one of his better poems containing beautiful lines.
823:
55:. During this time, France threatened to invade Britain; the belief held by many Britons was that France would invade the Irish kingdom, which was experiencing rebellion at the time. These fears of an invasion manifested in April 1798 and Britons began to arm themselves. During April, Coleridge traveled to his childhood home at Ottery and then went to visit William and Dorothy Wordsworth. It was during this time that Coleridge wrote "Fears in Solitude: Written in April 1798, During the Alarm of an Invasion".
257:
446:, states: "Yet this final, unsatisfactory mixture did allow a significant third element to enter the collection at a later stage: the intimate, blank verse nature meditations which produced two of the finest individual poems — Coleridge's 'The Nightingale' and Wordsworth's 'Tintern Abbey'."
450:
argues that, "Bantering though this is, and, however, beautiful the final lines about
Hartley are, 'The Nightingale' is as a whole a less successful poem than the other conversation poems. It has rather a blank at the centre, just where the others pivot on a significant controlling idea."
276:, a rape victim. Although Coleridge corrects the idea of nightingale as melancholic, the poem relies on the tradition and gothic descriptions to guide the poem. Eventually, the nightingale is what brings the narrator back to his topic after diverging from it in a manner similar to
289:
Unlike tradition, the nightingales represented an experience that
Coleridge had with his friends, the Wordsworths. During the moment within the poem, a female is described that seems to be a combination of Dorothy and the title character of
387:. Unlike his sources, Coleridge disagrees that the nightingale represents melancholy. This idea created a new tradition that was continued by Wordsworth, and there are connections to many later works which include images found within
434:
In the 20th-century, George Watson writes, "'The
Nightingale' has a scattered air, as if it had been written with an altogether exceptional indifference to design and scale." Following this, Geoffrey Yarlott claims, "In
367:, taking issue with Milton's portrayal of the bird as "most musical, most melancholy" while explaining in a footnote that he would never want to take issue with Milton. Although the image was used throughout literature,
439:, where the metaphysic is played down it is greatly to the improvement of the poem, and there the mature conversational tone duplicates almost perfectly the shifting flow of natural speech and feeling."
309:
After discussing
Philomela, the poem lists a series of places that are a possible combination of real places with gothic descriptions. These places include Alfoxden,
411:. There is also a connection to Coleridge's earlier poem "To the Nightingale", a poem that followed the traditional cliche about nightingales and melancholy.
321:
along with the grove possibly being connected to
Holford Glen or Enmore. The gothic elements of the poem connect it to many of his other works, including
735:
1179:
753:
767:
728:
306:, and an incident in which he saw the moon one night. The scene allows the narrator to return to the domestic and to nature.
72:
217:, Coleridge's child. After the child started crying, the narrator takes him out into the night for the poem's conclusion:
186: A most gentle Maid,
1388:
861:
272:, Coleridge's friends. The nightingale was used as a sign of melancholy because of its relationship to the legend of
721:
1242:
792:
376:
323:
889:
328:
1184:
840:
133:
1041:
965:
797:
958:
1378:
875:
1332:
1292:
986:
979:
136:, a character from Greek legend that suffered and whose name was later connected to the nightingale:
1338:
1298:
1256:
658:
1249:
972:
920:
812:
744:
654:
27:
1356:
951:
662:
1189:
807:
1285:
1263:
777:
282:
8:
1383:
1228:
882:
772:
1143:
1021:
868:
388:
384:
299:
269:
265:
59:
37:
1344:
1326:
1320:
1214:
1169:
1164:
1154:
1000:
368:
345:
333:
303:
214:
1131:
993:
896:
822:
318:
357:
Coleridge had many sources for the use of a nightingale. Directly, he quotes from
1350:
1203:
1159:
854:
447:
32:
1314:
1221:
1103:
1007:
930:
424:
339:
264:
The nightingale is used as an image to begin a topic that was directed towards
67:
1372:
925:
314:
310:
1082:
1068:
802:
787:
363:
94:
713:
1124:
358:
89:
1235:
1117:
1075:
1054:
1014:
847:
782:
404:
396:
277:
1110:
1096:
273:
181:
The poem introduces a female character that is Gothic and
Romantic:
1061:
1089:
294:. There is no mention of Coleridge's wife, Sara, which separates
51:
was written in April 1798 during the same time
Coleridge wrote
687:
The
Collected Works of Samuel Taylor Coleridge: Poetical Works
256:
80:
was published in seven other editions but was altered little.
1028:
30:
in April 1798. Originally included in the first edition of
689:
I Vol I.I. Princeton: Princeton
University Press, 2001.
196:
Glides through the pathways; she knows all their notes,
115:(And so, poor wretch! filled all things with himself,
109:
But some night-wandering man, whose heart was pierced
240:
228:
While his fair eyes, that swam with undropped tears,
58:The poem was included in a joint publication with
1370:
1180:Reflections on Having Left a Place of Retirement
234:Should give me life, his childhood shall grow up
548:
546:
152:My Friend, and thou, our Sister! we have learnt
680:Samuel Taylor Coleridge: The Critical Heritage
236:Familiar with these songs, that with the night
143:Who lose the deepening twilights of the spring
729:
527:
525:
121:First named these notes a melancholy strain.
117:And made all gentle sounds tell back the tale
543:
349:, "Three Graves", and "Wanderings of Cain".
226:Suspends his sobs, and laughs most silently,
224:And he beheld the moon, and, hushed at once,
168:His love-chant, and disburthen his full soul
147:Full of meek sympathy must heave their sighs
743:
230:Did glitter in the yellow moon-beam! Well!—
200:What time the moon was lost behind a cloud,
198:That gentle Maid! and oft a moment's space,
194:To something more than Nature in the grove)
162:With fast thick warble his delicious notes,
70:). Originally, Coleridge intended to place
902:Introduction to the Tale of the Dark Ladie
736:
722:
522:
238:He may associate joy.—Once more, farewell,
160:That crowds, and hurries, and precipitates
156:Nature's sweet voices, always full of love
145:In ball-rooms and hot theatres, they still
653:
515:
513:
511:
509:
232:It is a father's tale: But if that Heaven
166:Would be too short for him to utter forth
154:A different lore: we may not thus profane
111:With the remembrance of a grievous wrong,
98:about nightingales and then corrects it:
255:
222:I hurried with him to our orchard-plot,
158:And joyance! 'Tis the merry Nightingale
149:O'er Philomela's pity-pleading strains.
18:Poem written by Samuel Taylor Coleridge
1371:
506:
164:As he were fearful that an April night
119:Of his own sorrow) he, and such as he,
107:In nature there is nothing melancholy.
717:
703:. New York: Barnes & Noble, 1966.
302:. The poem does mention their child,
190:Hard by the castle, and at latest eve
141:And youths and maidens most poetical,
113:Or slow distemper, or neglected love,
103:'Most musical, most melancholy' bird!
1175:The Nightingale: A Conversation Poem
664:The Poems of Samuel Taylor Coleridge
414:
192:(Even like a Lady vowed and dedicate
105:A melancholy bird? Oh! idle thought!
73:Lewti, or the Circassian Love-chaunt
66:, which first appeared in 1798 (see
23:The Nightingale: A Conversation Poem
673:Coleridge: Early Visions, 1772-1804
648:The Life of Samuel Taylor Coleridge
188:Who dwelleth in her hospitable home
13:
442:Richard Holmes, when referring to
383:provide two other examples within
14:
1400:
862:Monody on the Death of Chatterton
708:Coleridge and the Abyssinian Maid
821:
202:Hath heard a pause of silence;
1243:The Rime of the Ancient Mariner
793:Person on business from Porlock
627:
618:
609:
600:
591:
582:
573:
564:
555:
213:Eventually, the poem discusses
1185:This Lime-Tree Bower My Prison
841:The Destruction of the Bastile
534:
497:
488:
479:
470:
461:
1:
966:Lines Written at Shurton Bars
640:
43:
959:Lines on an Autumnal Evening
890:The Ballad of the Dark Ladié
7:
675:. New York: Pantheon, 1989.
10:
1405:
876:Pain: Composed in Sickness
798:Coleridge's theory of life
682:. London: Routledge, 1995.
667:. Oxford University Press.
650:. Oxford: Blackwell, 1997.
519:Coleridge 1921 pp. 264-267
352:
36:, which he published with
1333:Christabel Rose Coleridge
1307:
1273:
1198:
1141:
1038:
987:Poems on Various Subjects
980:Ode on the Departing Year
939:
911:
830:
819:
760:
751:
696:. New York: Viking, 2006.
685:Mays, J. C. C. (editor).
659:Coleridge, Ernest Hartley
251:
1389:Poems about nightingales
1339:Ernest Hartley Coleridge
1257:Time, Real And Imaginary
710:. London: Methuen, 1967.
655:Coleridge, Samuel Taylor
454:
419:In statements regarding
329:Ballad of the Dark Ladie
260:Drawing of a nightingale
1359:(nephew and son-in-law)
973:On Receiving an Account
921:The Fall of Robespierre
813:Suspension of disbelief
745:Samuel Taylor Coleridge
570:Holmes 1989 pp. 191–193
561:Ashton 1997 pp. 136–137
467:Ashton 1997 pp. 133–136
83:
28:Samuel Taylor Coleridge
1357:Henry Nelson Coleridge
952:The Destiny of Nations
261:
249:
211:
179:
130:
1190:To William Wordsworth
808:Romantic epistemology
476:Mays 2001 pp. 468–469
423:, Coleridge's friend
259:
219:
183:
138:
100:
88:The poem begins with
26:is a poem written by
1286:Biographia Literaria
1250:The Devil's Thoughts
409:Imagination or Fancy
401:Ode to a Nightingale
315:Nether Stowey Castle
283:Ode to a Nightingale
132:The poem introduces
1229:Hymn Before Sunrise
883:Songs of the Pixies
706:Yarlott, Geoffrey.
624:Yarlott 1967 p. 116
503:Ashtoyn 1997 p. 136
76:in the collection.
1379:Conversation poems
1022:To the River Otter
869:On Quitting School
778:Albatross metaphor
701:Coleridge the Poet
646:Ashton, Rosemary.
633:Holmes 1989 p. 189
606:Ashton 1997 p. 160
597:Sisman 2006 p. 230
579:Ashton 1997 p. 124
552:Ashton 1997 p. 137
540:Holmes 1989 p. 192
485:Ashton 1997 p. 139
385:English literature
300:Conversation Poems
270:Dorothy Wordsworth
262:
170:Of all its music!
60:William Wordsworth
38:William Wordsworth
1366:
1365:
1345:Herbert Coleridge
1327:Hartley Coleridge
1321:Derwent Coleridge
1264:The Knight's Tomb
1170:Frost at Midnight
1165:Fears in Solitude
1155:Dejection: An Ode
1001:Religious Musings
671:Holmes, Richard.
615:Watson 1966 p. 71
415:Critical response
369:Richard Barnfield
346:Frost at Midnight
334:Fears in Solitude
53:Fears in Solitude
1396:
1275:Biographical and
1132:To Lord Stanhope
994:Sibylline Leaves
926:Remorse (Osorio)
825:
738:
731:
724:
715:
714:
699:Watson, George.
678:Jackson, James.
668:
634:
631:
625:
622:
616:
613:
607:
604:
598:
595:
589:
588:Mays 2001 p. 517
586:
580:
577:
571:
568:
562:
559:
553:
550:
541:
538:
532:
531:Mays 2001 p. 518
529:
520:
517:
504:
501:
495:
494:Mays 2001 p. 516
492:
486:
483:
477:
474:
468:
465:
431:as "tolerable".
319:Stogursey Castle
247:
209:
177:
128:
1404:
1403:
1399:
1398:
1397:
1395:
1394:
1393:
1369:
1368:
1367:
1362:
1351:James Coleridge
1335:(granddaughter)
1303:
1278:
1276:
1269:
1207:
1204:Lyrical Ballads
1201:
1200:Late poetry and
1194:
1160:The Eolian Harp
1148:
1145:
1137:
1047:
1043:
1034:
944:
942:
935:
914:
907:
855:Easter Holidays
833:
826:
817:
756:
747:
742:
643:
638:
637:
632:
628:
623:
619:
614:
610:
605:
601:
596:
592:
587:
583:
578:
574:
569:
565:
560:
556:
551:
544:
539:
535:
530:
523:
518:
507:
502:
498:
493:
489:
484:
480:
475:
471:
466:
462:
457:
448:Rosemary Ashton
444:Lyrical Ballads
437:The Nightingale
429:The Nightingale
421:Lyrical Ballads
417:
355:
324:Ancient Mariner
298:from the other
296:The Nightingale
254:
248:
245:
242:
239:
237:
235:
233:
231:
229:
227:
225:
223:
210:
207:
204:
201:
199:
197:
195:
193:
191:
189:
187:
178:
175:
172:
169:
167:
165:
163:
161:
159:
157:
155:
153:
151:
150:
148:
146:
144:
142:
129:
126:
123:
120:
118:
116:
114:
112:
110:
108:
106:
104:
86:
78:The Nightingale
64:Lyrical Ballads
49:The Nightingale
46:
33:Lyrical Ballads
19:
12:
11:
5:
1402:
1392:
1391:
1386:
1381:
1364:
1363:
1361:
1360:
1354:
1348:
1342:
1336:
1330:
1324:
1318:
1315:Sara Coleridge
1311:
1309:
1305:
1304:
1302:
1301:
1296:
1289:
1281:
1279:
1274:
1271:
1270:
1268:
1267:
1260:
1253:
1246:
1239:
1232:
1225:
1222:France: An Ode
1218:
1210:
1208:
1199:
1196:
1195:
1193:
1192:
1187:
1182:
1177:
1172:
1167:
1162:
1157:
1151:
1149:
1142:
1139:
1138:
1136:
1135:
1128:
1121:
1114:
1107:
1104:To Mrs Siddons
1100:
1093:
1086:
1079:
1072:
1065:
1058:
1050:
1048:
1039:
1036:
1035:
1033:
1032:
1025:
1018:
1011:
1008:To a Young Ass
1004:
997:
990:
983:
976:
969:
962:
955:
947:
945:
943:Bristol poetry
940:
937:
936:
934:
933:
928:
923:
917:
915:
912:
909:
908:
906:
905:
893:
886:
879:
872:
865:
858:
851:
844:
836:
834:
831:
828:
827:
820:
818:
816:
815:
810:
805:
800:
795:
790:
785:
780:
775:
770:
764:
762:
758:
757:
752:
749:
748:
741:
740:
733:
726:
718:
712:
711:
704:
697:
694:The Friendship
692:Sisman, Adam.
690:
683:
676:
669:
651:
642:
639:
636:
635:
626:
617:
608:
599:
590:
581:
572:
563:
554:
542:
533:
521:
505:
496:
487:
478:
469:
459:
458:
456:
453:
425:Robert Southey
416:
413:
377:James Thomason
354:
351:
340:France: An Ode
253:
250:
243:
220:
205:
184:
173:
139:
124:
101:
85:
82:
68:1798 in poetry
45:
42:
17:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1401:
1390:
1387:
1385:
1382:
1380:
1377:
1376:
1374:
1358:
1355:
1352:
1349:
1346:
1343:
1340:
1337:
1334:
1331:
1328:
1325:
1322:
1319:
1316:
1313:
1312:
1310:
1306:
1300:
1297:
1295:
1294:
1290:
1288:
1287:
1283:
1282:
1280:
1272:
1265:
1261:
1258:
1254:
1251:
1247:
1245:
1244:
1240:
1238:
1237:
1233:
1230:
1226:
1223:
1219:
1217:
1216:
1212:
1211:
1209:
1206:
1205:
1197:
1191:
1188:
1186:
1183:
1181:
1178:
1176:
1173:
1171:
1168:
1166:
1163:
1161:
1158:
1156:
1153:
1152:
1150:
1147:
1140:
1133:
1129:
1126:
1122:
1119:
1115:
1112:
1108:
1105:
1101:
1098:
1094:
1091:
1087:
1084:
1080:
1077:
1073:
1070:
1066:
1063:
1059:
1056:
1052:
1051:
1049:
1046:
1045:
1037:
1030:
1026:
1024:
1023:
1019:
1017:
1016:
1012:
1010:
1009:
1005:
1003:
1002:
998:
996:
995:
991:
989:
988:
984:
982:
981:
977:
975:
974:
970:
968:
967:
963:
961:
960:
956:
954:
953:
949:
948:
946:
941:Cambridge and
938:
932:
929:
927:
924:
922:
919:
918:
916:
910:
903:
899:
898:
894:
891:
887:
884:
880:
877:
873:
870:
866:
863:
859:
856:
852:
849:
845:
842:
838:
837:
835:
829:
824:
814:
811:
809:
806:
804:
801:
799:
796:
794:
791:
789:
786:
784:
781:
779:
776:
774:
771:
769:
766:
765:
763:
759:
755:
754:List of poems
750:
746:
739:
734:
732:
727:
725:
720:
719:
716:
709:
705:
702:
698:
695:
691:
688:
684:
681:
677:
674:
670:
666:
665:
660:
656:
652:
649:
645:
644:
630:
621:
612:
603:
594:
585:
576:
567:
558:
549:
547:
537:
528:
526:
516:
514:
512:
510:
500:
491:
482:
473:
464:
460:
452:
449:
445:
440:
438:
432:
430:
426:
422:
412:
410:
406:
402:
398:
394:
390:
386:
382:
378:
374:
370:
366:
365:
360:
350:
348:
347:
342:
341:
336:
335:
330:
326:
325:
320:
316:
312:
311:Enmore Castle
307:
305:
301:
297:
293:
287:
285:
284:
279:
275:
271:
267:
258:
246:lines 101–110
241:
218:
216:
203:
182:
171:
137:
135:
122:
99:
97:
96:
91:
81:
79:
75:
74:
69:
65:
61:
56:
54:
50:
41:
39:
35:
34:
29:
25:
24:
16:
1293:The Watchman
1291:
1284:
1241:
1234:
1213:
1202:
1174:
1144:Conversation
1083:To Kosciusko
1069:To Priestley
1040:
1020:
1013:
1006:
999:
992:
985:
978:
971:
964:
957:
950:
901:
895:
832:Early poetry
803:Organic form
788:Pantisocracy
707:
700:
693:
686:
679:
672:
663:
647:
629:
620:
611:
602:
593:
584:
575:
566:
557:
536:
499:
490:
481:
472:
463:
443:
441:
436:
433:
428:
420:
418:
408:
400:
392:
380:
372:
364:Il Penseroso
362:
356:
344:
338:
332:
322:
308:
295:
291:
288:
281:
263:
221:
212:
185:
180:
140:
131:
102:
95:Il Penseroso
93:
87:
77:
71:
63:
57:
52:
48:
47:
31:
22:
21:
20:
15:
1277:other works
1125:To Sheridan
389:George Dyer
359:John Milton
208:lines 69-77
176:lines 35-49
127:lines 13–22
92:'s line in
1384:1798 poems
1373:Categories
1347:(grandson)
1341:(grandson)
1317:(daughter)
1236:Kubla Khan
1215:Christabel
1118:To Southey
1076:To Fayette
1055:To Erskine
1044:Characters
1015:To Fortune
848:Dura Navis
783:Lake Poets
768:Early life
641:References
427:described
405:Leigh Hunt
397:John Keats
292:Christabel
280:'s use in
278:John Keats
44:Background
1353:(brother)
1299:Notebooks
1111:To Godwin
1097:To Bowles
773:Opium use
274:Philomela
134:Philomela
1062:To Burke
657:(1921).
244:—
206:—
174:—
125:—
1090:To Pitt
1042:Eminent
931:Zapolya
661:(ed.).
353:Sources
304:Hartley
266:William
215:Hartley
62:called
1308:Family
761:Topics
403:, and
393:Poetic
381:Winter
317:, and
252:Themes
90:Milton
1329:(son)
1323:(son)
1146:poems
1029:Lewti
913:Plays
455:Notes
897:Love
375:and
268:and
84:Poem
407:'s
399:'s
391:'s
379:'s
373:Ode
371:'s
361:'s
331:",
327:, "
286:.
1375::
545:^
524:^
508:^
395:,
343:,
337:,
313:,
1266:"
1262:"
1259:"
1255:"
1252:"
1248:"
1231:"
1227:"
1224:"
1220:"
1134:"
1130:"
1127:"
1123:"
1120:"
1116:"
1113:"
1109:"
1106:"
1102:"
1099:"
1095:"
1092:"
1088:"
1085:"
1081:"
1078:"
1074:"
1071:"
1067:"
1064:"
1060:"
1057:"
1053:"
1031:"
1027:"
904:)
900:(
892:"
888:"
885:"
881:"
878:"
874:"
871:"
867:"
864:"
860:"
857:"
853:"
850:"
846:"
843:"
839:"
737:e
730:t
723:v
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
