A Comparison of Coleridge's "The Eolian Harp" and Shelley's "Ode to the West Wind"

Type :

Presentation

Pages :

4 pages

Format :

.doc

Published date :

08/18/2007

Category :

Philosophy & literature

Sub category :

Literature

Oboulo.com selection criteria

$ 6.95 Add to cart

Summary :

Introduction
The imagery used in 'The Eolian Harp' and 'Ode to the West Wind'
1. The images of nature
2. Wind as a key image
3. The image of the wind-harp
4. The concept of a universal spirit or oversoul
The differences between Coleridge and Shelley's poems
1. The most obvious differences
2. Shelley's tone in 'Ode to the West Wind'
3. The presence of a few Christian images
4. The principal concept that Shelley appends to
Conclusion
Works cited

Abstract

"the eolian harp" and "ode to the west wind," both poems by two of the most celebrated poets of their time, each fall under the category of the "greater romantic lyric," as termed by M. H. Abrams (77). Both are written in the first person and are about the same length; shelley's is six lines longer with a line count of seventy. Yet, the most striking similarity between these two poems is that they both focus on the same major concepts: the wind as inspiration, or what Abrams calls the "correspondent breeze" in his book by the same name, the universal soul, and the wind harp. the poems remain distinct, though, because each poet has different ideas regarding these basic notions. For instance, coleridge sees the wind as gentle and beautiful, while shelley sees it as powerful and violent. shelley focuses on the destructive and creative powers of the correspondent breeze as well as its connective powers, while coleridge focuses only on the connective aspects. Most importantly, coleridge abandons the whole idea of the correspondent breeze because it conflicts with his religious beliefs, while shelley continues to embrace it wholeheartedly.