Loneliness in S. T. Coleridge s Trio1 and Dejection: An Ode

The aim of this study is to explore the paradox of loneliness in company with nature in Coleridge s Trio and Dejection: An Ode. Loneliness plays the role of vital connector between nature and the poet or between nature and the characters within the poems under study. This loneliness leads to a communion between the poet and nature, and, consequently, the poet is able to create and be illuminated by a better understanding of himself and others. However, loneliness could not always bring the poet and nature into communion, and so there is sometimes a failure in connection. This success and failure reflect the fluctuations in the poet s life as a creator. This communion represents the organic relationship between the romantic poet and nature, which is a vital part of his survival as a poet. Nature is a container for the romantic poet, but a relationship with it cannot be established without loneliness.