Frost at Midnight: by S. T. Coleridge - Summary & Analysis

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INTRODUCTION TO THE POEM

      The poem Frost at Midnight was written in February 1798 in honour of the poet's son Hartley Coleridge. It gives us the picture of an evening spent by the poet hy his fireside on a frosty night. The mood of the poet is contemplative. Memory floats into the poem and colours with its pensive hue the painting of Nature. The world of reality is far off, the poet is walking in a dreamland in which everything is seen bathed in a low, soft: moonlit night, in a veiled music. His thoughts wander back to his own past, or are projected forward to the failure of his young child. The stillness of the night is maintained throughout the poem. Nowhere is its harmony disturbed by the vehemence of thought.

      The poem shows vividly the deep influence exercised upon Coleridge by Wordsworth. Here Coleridge believes in Wordsworth's theory of the Education of Nature which was embodied by him in his Lucy Poems.

So shalt though see and hear

The lovely shapes and sounds intelligible

Of that eternal language which thy God

Utters, who from eternity both teach

Himself in all, and all things in Himself.

CRITICAL SUMMARY

      It is a frosty night. The frost is falling silently and noiselessly. The shrill cries of the owlet heighten the grim silence of Nature. All the members of the poet's family have gone to bed. The poet alone is left to his solitary musings. His infant is sleeping peacefully in the cradle beside him. It is awfully calm. Indeed, so calm it is that it disturbs the poet’s meditation "with its strange and extreme silentness." Sea, hill and wood are as quiet as dreams. The fire in the hearth, too is still. Only the film on the fire flutters which appears to the poet as a welcome companion.

      Then the poet is reminded of the monotonous life he live in his school-days as he sits at night dreamily watching the flickering of fire in the grate. Confined within the walls of the school he will dream away his clays with the sweet memory of his own village, its church-tower and ringing church-bells which was the only music that the poor men hear. At last, the pleasant things he dreamt would lull him to sleep, and his dreams will be prolonged in his sleep. Even in the next morning he is so much overtaken by the pleasant dreams of his native village, that he would be quite indifferent to the class-work, although he will continue fixing his look upon the book, awed by the stern teacher's face. As soon as the door half-opened, he will snatch a hasty glance, for he hopes to see some stranger's face or a townsman or his aunt, or some sister with whom he might have played in his childhood.

      Thinking of his dull, monotonous school-life, the poet congratulates his son on the fact that his childhood will be spent in far happier surroundings than his. As for the poet he is brought up in the great city, "pent amid cloisters dim" and see nothing lovely but the sky and stars. He is glad to think that his son shall wander like a breeze by lakes and sandy shores, beneath the crags of ancient mountains and beneath the clouds. He will hear the language of God in Nature's sound and melody, "who from eternity doth teach Himself in all, and all things in Himself." In this way, God-the great Universal Teacher-will teach his child by exciting in him curiosity for beautiful and lovely objects of Nature.

      Therefore, all seasons with their characteristic charms and delights will be dear to his son. Summer with its green foliage will have for him as great an appeal as winter when the red-breast sits and sings between the tufts of snow on the bare branch of the moss-covered apple tree.

DEVELOPMENT OF THOUGHT AND CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Development of Thought

      The Deep Quietness and Stillness of a Frosty Night. The frost is falling silently and noiselessly, 'unhelped by any wind'. The shrill cries of the owlet enhance the grim silence of the night. All the members of the poet's family have gone to their rest, leaving him to his solitary musings. Only his infant sleeps peacefully in a cradle near him.

      The Awful Stillness of the Scene Disturbs the Calm Meditation of the Poet. It is awfully clam. Indeed, it is so calm that it disturbs the poet's meditation with its strange and extreme stillness. Sea, and hill, and wood, and populous village lie as peacefully as dreams. Even the fire in the hearth is still. The only stirring element is the film on the fire which the poet accepts as a welcome companion. The poet reads in its flappings and flutterings meanings according to the mood of his own mind.

      The Poet is Reminded of the Monotonous Life he Lived in his School-Days. The poet is reminded of the dreams and fancies which has inspired him in his school-days by the sight of the flame glimmering in the fire-place. He thought he could discover a form within the flame and gazing at it will be reminded of his native place. He dreams his days away with the sweet memory of his own village, its church tower and ringing church bells whose music has a peculiar appeal and significance to him. The dreams which is visited his mind would linger on to the next day and make him indifferent to the class-work. He will pretend to study the book but it swam before his eyes. At that time, seeing the door half-open, he will snatch a hasty glance, for he hope to see the face of some person from his native village, or of some townsman or of some aunt, or of some sister with whom he may have played in his childhood.

      The Poet Thinks that his Son's Childhood will be Spent in a Happier Surroundings Than His. Thinking of his unhappy school-life, the poet congratulates his son on the fact that his childhood will be spent in far healthier and more bracing surroundings. As for the poet he is reared in the great city, "pent amid cloisters dim" and see "naught lovely hut sky and stars". He is glad to think that his son shall wander like a breeze by lakes and sandy shores, beneath the crags of ancient mountains and beneath the clouds which "image in their bulk both lakes and shores and mountain crags". He will thus allow his child to grow unhampered in the midst of the wholesome atmosphere of Nature, drinking deep of her grand majesty and lyric beauty; hearing the language of God in her sound and melody, seeing Him in all things and all things in Him. So God, the great 'Universal Teacher' shall mould his spirit and excite his curiosity and interest in all "sweet sounds and harmonies".

      How the Various Seasons will Teach the Poet's Son. In as much as the shapes and sounds of Nature will convey to his son the eternal message of God all seasons will be equally dear to his son. Summer with its green foliage will have for him as great an appeal as winter when the robin sits and sings between the tufts of snow on the bare branches of moss-covered apple tree.

Critical Appreciation and Interpretation

      Autobiographical Interest. The poem has an autobiographical interest. The poet invites his readers to have a peep into his past life. They are allowed to catch a few glimpses of his school days. This is what all great romantic poets do. They become personal and take the reader into their confidence. From this poem we learn that the poet's school life is wretched and miserable.

.....For I was reared

In the great city, pent'mid cloisters dim,

And saw nought lovely but the sky and stars

      Coleridge's Attitude Towards Nature. Like all other romantic poets, Coleridge is also a keen lover of Nature. His poems are full of Nature pictures. In his conception of Nature, Coleridge was much influenced, at least in his earlier writings, by his friend, Wordsworth. Frost at Midnight clearly bears the impress of Wordsworth and it is he who has coloured Coleridge's view of Nature. Some of the lines could have been written only by Wordsworth.

      Wordsworth's philosophy of Nature was (1) his Pantheistic belief that God pervades all objects of Nature, that the divine power manifests itself in all things of this universe and that all things of this universe have their being in Him: (2) the healing power of Nature; he believes that nature exercised a healing balm on the lacerated heart of humanity; that the companionship of Nature brought real joy and solace to the human mind; (3) moral and educative influence of Nature-Words worth looked upon Nature as a great moral teacher as the best philosopher, guide and friend of man. One who receives education in the school of Nature and takes her as one's model, one who establishes a spiritual bond with her and has a mystic union, one who abandons himself completely to be guided and shaped by her, will attain perfection and grow up to be the happiest mortal.

      The above view of Nature held by Wordsworth is fully illustrated by the poem Frost at Midnight. Coleridge himself has passed his school period in the suffocating and soul-crushing atmosphere of the city of London, but his son (so says the poet) shall have direct association with Nature in all her aspects:

But thou, my babe I shalt wander like a breeze

By lakes and sandy shores, beneath the crags

Of ancient mountains, and beneath the clouds

      The above lines refer to the Nature Education Theory of Wordsworth as outlined in his Lucy Poems. Perfection in all spheres of life-moral, spiritual and physical - can be attained only if man suffers Nature to mould his personality. Coleridge was a pantheist. He strongly believed in the immanence of God. This belief of his is clearly supported by the following lines.

So shalt thou see and hear

The lovely shapes and sounds intelligible

Of that eternal language, which the God

Utters, who from eternity doth teach

Himself in all, and all things in Himself

Great universal Teacher he shall mould

Thy spirit, and by giving make it ask.

      Coleridge's Power of Painting Pictures in Words. This poem also brings out Coleridge's wonderful power of painting pictures in words. With what consummate skill does the poet give us the vivid pictures of his, own school days, the fluttering film, the loveliness of the seasons, the silent icicles quietly shining to the quiet moon. Coleridge is a great master of the art of description and his descriptive powers are marvellous.

      Tranquility in the Poem. Peace and stillness reign supreme in the atmosphere of the poem and the poet is in a meditative mood. In the hush of Nature, the poet establishes a bond of sympathy between his mind and the flickering film. His idling spirit interprets the flickerings of the film according to his own fancies. Memories of his past life crowd upon his mind and the picture of his school days comes before him. The poet has well succeeded in producing in our minds the one impression of quietness and calmness, peace and tranquility. For this purpose he has made use of all aids-language, meter (blank verse), atmosphere, ideas and feelings.

      Conclusion. This poem gives us the picture of an evening spent by the poet by his fireside on a frosty night. The mood of the poet is contemplative, memory floats into the poem and colours it with a pensive hue and painting of nature. The world of reality is far off, the poet is walking in a dreamland in which everything is seen bathed in "a low, soft moonlit night in a veiled music". His thoughts wander back to his own past, or are projected forward to the future of his young child. The stillness of the night is maintained throughout the poem. Nowhere is its harmony disturbed by vehemence of thought. The metre, though Miltonic in structure, reflects the sweet subdued mood of the poet.