Verse, a breeze mid blossoms straying,
Where Hope clung feeding, like a bee—
Both were mine! Life went a-maying
With Nature, Hope, and Poesy,
When I was young!
As we read through the lines. These lines have been the opening lines of Youth and Age by S. T. Coleridge. It comes to our knowledge that the poet has attached all the positive things in life with youth. Plus, with the use of some powerful imagery, the poet has brought home to us all the joys and liberties that he enjoyed when he was young. Everything appeared to be good that could be achieved easily, the poet was full of aspiring dreams and hopes for the future. The world appeared to be good and the poet was filled with new vigor and vitality. Through his great imaginative powers, Coleridge has succeeded in capturing the joys of youth.
When I was young?—Ah, woful When!
Ah! for the change ‘twixt Now and Then!
This breathing house not built with hands,
This body that does me grievous wrong,
O’er aery cliffs and glittering sands,
How lightly then it flashed along:—
Like those trim skiffs, unknown of yore,
On winding lakes and rivers wide,
That ask no aid of sail or oar,
That fear no spite of wind or tide!
Nought cared this body for wind or weather
When Youth and I lived in’t together.
In the above lines of ‘Youth and Age’ by Coleridge, we see the poet again reminiscing very woefully about the time gone by. He still remembers the time when he was young. And with a heavy heart, he goes over the changes time had brought in him, changes brought about in his body. So, here we find that using his imaginative skills, Coleridge has succeeded in capturing the helplessness of old age. The poet remembers that in his youth he had all the blessings one could wish for. He was full of vitality and led an active life.
He says that just like those small but swift yachts that go about on the lakes and rivers, without taking any help. In the same way, nothing used to affect him nor did he have any worries concerning his surroundings. Because when we are young we are full of health and vitality with never even thought about getting unwell whereas in old age everything, our mental and physical health both, is a downhill task.
In the realm of winding lakes and expansive rivers, untouched by the need for sail or oar, free from the whims of wind and tide, this body knew no concern. Neither wind nor weather could trouble it, back when Youth and I were inseparable inhabitants of this physical form.
Also Read :
- Compare Hamlet with Macbeth, Othello and other Tragedies
- “The Pardoner’s Tale” is the finest tale of Chaucer
- Prologue to Canterbury Tales – (Short Ques & Ans)
- Confessional Poetry – Definition & meaning
Flowers are lovely; Love is flower-like;
Friendship is a sheltering tree;
O! the joys, that came down shower-like,
Of Friendship, Love, and Liberty,
Ere I was old!
Ere I was old? Ah woful Ere,
Which tells me, Youth’s no longer here!
O Youth! for years so many and sweet,
‘Tis known, that Thou and I were one,
I’ll think it but a fond conceit—
It cannot be that Thou art gone!
In these lines of ‘Youth and Age’ by Coleridge, the poet says that when you are in your prime, everything looks lovely and you enjoy nature. As a sensitive, young man he felt the charm of the natural objects and looked forward with the vitality of youth. In his youth, he was physically stronger and had an attraction towards nature and its objects. The poet says that love is like a flower and friendship is like a tree that protects you from all kinds of weather. The poet feels himself to be lucky to be blessed with friendship. But as he reconciles with this reality that he has grown old he consoles himself with this philosophy that we only grow old when our way of thinking grows old.
So, the poet further consoles himself by saying that youth has not gone but it’s how we perceive this world. He refuses to accept the harsh reality of life that is old age. We can see this reluctance when the poet says’ It cannot be that thou art are gone! We see that Coleridge simply refuses that he has grown old because in old age he will become dependent and lose every joy and liberty.
Thy vesper-bell hath not yet toll’d:—
And thou wert aye a masker bold!
What strange disguise hast now put on,
To make believe, that thou are gone?
I see these locks in silvery slips,
This drooping gait, this altered size:
But Spring-tide blossoms on thy lips,
And tears take sunshine from thine eyes!
Life is but thought: so think I will
That Youth and I are house-mates still.
These lines have been taken from ‘Youth and Age by Coleridge. In these lines. Coleridge is giving us the message of hope. The poet is saying that life is only what we perceive it to be. Even though you grow old physically. you remain young in mind as long as your way of thinking and your way of living remains young. The poet says that although he has grown old, his hair is all grey and he walks with a stoop but still he is young at the mind because his thoughts are young. Because life is just a thought, we make life according to what we perceive of it.
Here we see that the poet consoles himself and the reader with the philosophy that we only grow old when our thoughts grow old. Age might take a toll on your body but if you are young in your thoughts then no one should call you old. Life is merely a construct of thought, and thus I choose to believe that Youth and I remain cohabitants, residing together within the chambers of existence.
Dew-drops are the gems of morning,
But the tears of mournful eve!
Where no hope is, life’s a warning
That only serves to make us grieve,
When we are old:
That only serves to make us grieve
With oft and tedious taking-leave,
Like some poor nigh-related guest,
That may not rudely be dismist;
Yet hath outstay’d his welcome while,
And tells the jest without the smile.
These lines have been taken from ‘Youth and Age’ by Coleridge. Here we get the comparison between The Young and the Old’ to the dew-drops. In the morning dew drops are like gems. We get pleasure from that dew drops are like gems. We get pleasure from those dew-drops. In the evening these dew- drops became tears of morning. Because these are the symbols of the end of the day. Likewise in youth, which is the morning of life, a man has hope to look forward to the future happily. In old age, which is the evening of life, there is no hope. The old man has nothing to look forward. He feels sad only.
In these lines of the poem Youth and Age, Coleridge is describing the Pity scene of an old man. An old man has been compared to a Poor relation who has outstayed his welcome at his host is place. The Poor man is welcomed at the beginning of his stay but very soon the host is tired of him. The host is not open to his guest and asks him to go away but his behaviour towards the Poor relation gets Colder and Colder. Even the Jokes of the guest do not smile at the host. This is the scene of oldness. The poet has used striking similes in this passage.
PLEASE HELP ME TO REACH 1000 SUBSCRIBER ON MY COOKING YT CHANNEL (CLICK HERE)
