About the Poet
Before looking at the literary analysis of themes in Frost at Midnight, it is important to look at the poet’s introduction. Samuel Taylor Coleridge was born in Devon, England in 1772. He was a literary critic, poet, and philosopher of English language. Coleridge along with William Wordsworth began Romantic Movement in England. Some of the best works of Coleridge are Kubla Khan, The Rime of the Ancient Merchant, etc. He has also coined many terms like Suspension of disbelief, which is widely explained by English language learners. S. T. Coleridge has his influence upon American Transcendentalism and Ralph Waldo Emerson.
Literary Analysis of Themes in Frost at Midnight
This poem, Frost at Midnight is known as one of the best poem in which he is in conversation with the reader. The poet is sitting in his cottage in rural setting and his infant is sleeping nearby in his cot. He is now thinking and talking about his own childhood and the upcoming age of his little one. S.T. Coleridge’s poetry is full of imagery, religious references, and emotions.
The main themes found in this poem are nature, childhood, relation with God, hope, and mindset.
Childhood
On this cold night, the speaker is thinking about his own childhood. His schooldays were spent in city and he felt so alone there. He wants his child to grow up in the rural life that is close to nature instead of going to the urban life.
The speaker addresses his infant that growing up in the city was so suffocating for him. He was always feeling lonely there. While living there, he has always seen beautiful except the beautiful sky above his head. It portrays the city life and its infrastructure, which is so developed with tall building that he was unable to see big sky.
At the school where he was studying, the principal was very strict, which was also a lonesome experience was the little child. The poet further says that throughout the day and everyday, he was hoping for someone to visit him from his village. He was waiting for his aunt or sister to visit him. He declares that urban setting is worst to spend your childhood.
Nature
S. T. Coleridge’s mention of nature again and again clearly mentions that he is giving importance to something that is real. His love for his child his clear because he does not want the traditional approach for him. Rather, he want his child to have a youth that experience independence and satisfaction of living through the natural world.
In his imagination, he wishes that his child will wander like a wind and submerge in all these incredible view around him. This kind of exciting childhood will be ‘sweet’ for the child.
Relationship with the Creator
The poet strongly believes that the way to become closer to God is by getting near to the nature. It is the Creator who has designed all these amazing scenery including forests, lakes, sea, mountain, animals, etc. With these creations, God wants to communicate with us.
The holiness of the nature educates people about finding spirituality even in the harshness of winter or in the summers. This is the way of God to speak to its people through the sights and sounds of nature. Through every mountain, plant, animal, clouds, etc, God is telling us that he is present around us. He keeps on telling us that he has created us. Poet has claimed that individuals who choose to study nature gets to know that God is the beginning of everything.
Mindset of a person
The poet believes that the mindset of any person depends on the environment around him. In the overall poem, the speaker is continuously bringing that the thoughts are interrupted with whatever is happening in the surroundings. A mind is influenced by its surroundings and affects the mood of a person as well by bringing old memories and thoughts about future.
Just like this, it is visible that how winter night is affecting his ideas and even the choice of words like ‘Frost Night’ and ‘owlets’s cry’. As the memories of past life comes into speaker’s mind and caused him pain. With these past thoughts, he is also thinking about his son’s future. This sense of place is all due to the environment around poet and it is transporting him in his thoughts.