What Is Life?
July 6, 2023To The Rev. George Coleridge
July 6, 2023To The River Otter
Dear native brook! wild streamlet of the West!
How many various-fated years have passed,
What happy and what mournful hours, since last
I skimmed the smooth thin stone along thy breast,
Numbering its light leaps! Yet so deep impressed
Sink the sweet scenes of childhood, that mine eyes
I never shut amid the sunny ray,
But straight with all their tints thy waters rise,
Thy crossing plank, thy marge with willows grey,
And bedded sand that, veined with various dyes,
Gleamed through thy bright transparence! On my way,
Visions of childhood! oft have ye beguiled
Lone manhood’s cares, yet waking fondest sighs:
Ah! that once more I were a careless child!
Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772-1834) was an English poet and philosopher who is known for his works that explore themes of nature, the supernatural, and the human imagination. He was a leading figure in the Romantic movement and his works, including "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" and "Kubla Khan," continue to be celebrated for their lyrical beauty and imaginative power.