"The Eolian Harp" is a blank verse poem written by the English Romantic poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Coleridge began writing the poem in 1795 and continued revising it through 1828. An eolian harp is a type of stringed instrument that produces music whenever wind blows across it and causes its strings to vibrate. Many Romantic poets used the image of the wind and the harp as a metaphor for poetic inspiration and imagination. Coleridge's poem likewise uses the eolian harp as a metaphor for poetic creation, but the speaker rejects the Romantic image when it clashes with more orthodox Christianity.
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The Full Text of “The Eolian Harp”
1 composed at clevedon, somersetshire
2My pensive Sara! thy soft cheek reclined
3Thus on mine arm, most soothing sweet it is
4To sit beside our Cot, our Cot o’ergrown
5With white-flowered Jasmin, and the broad-leaved Myrtle,
6(Meet emblems they of Innocence and Love!)
7And watch the clouds, that late were rich with light,
8Slow saddening round, and mark the star of eve
9Serenely brilliant (such would Wisdom be)
10Shine opposite! How exquisite the scents
11Snatched from yon bean-field! and the world so hushed!
12The stilly murmur of the distant Sea
13Tells us of silence.
14 And that simplest Lute,
15Placed length-ways in the clasping casement, hark!
16How by the desultory breeze caressed,
17Like some coy maid half yielding to her lover,
18It pours such sweet upbraiding, as must needs
19Tempt to repeat the wrong! And now, its strings
20Boldlier swept, the long sequacious notes
21Over delicious surges sink and rise,
22Such a soft floating witchery of sound
23As twilight Elfins make, when they at eve
24Voyage on gentle gales from Fairy-Land,
25Where Melodies round honey-dropping flowers,
26Footless and wild, like birds of Paradise,
27Nor pause, nor perch, hovering on untamed wing!
28O! the one Life within us and abroad,
29Which meets all motion and becomes its soul,
30A light in sound, a sound-like power in light,
31Rhythm in all thought, and joyance everywhere—
32Methinks, it should have been impossible
33Not to love all things in a world so filled;
34Where the breeze warbles, and the mute still air
35Is Music slumbering on her instrument.
36 And thus, my Love! as on the midway slope
37Of yonder hill I stretch my limbs at noon,
38Whilst through my half-closed eyelids I behold
39The sunbeams dance, like diamonds, on the main,
40And tranquil muse upon tranquility:
41Full many a thought uncalled and undetained,
42And many idle flitting phantasies,
43Traverse my indolent and passive brain,
44As wild and various as the random gales
45That swell and flutter on this subject Lute!
46 And what if all of animated nature
47Be but organic Harps diversely framed,
48That tremble into thought, as o’er them sweeps
49Plastic and vast, one intellectual breeze,
50At once the Soul of each, and God of all?
51 But thy more serious eye a mild reproof
52Darts, O beloved Woman! nor such thoughts
53Dim and unhallowed dost thou not reject,
54And biddest me walk humbly with my God.
55Meek Daughter in the family of Christ!
56Well hast thou said and holily dispraised
57These shapings of the unregenerate mind;
58Bubbles that glitter as they rise and break
59On vain Philosophy’s aye-babbling spring.
60For never guiltless may I speak of him,
61The Incomprehensible! save when with awe
62I praise him, and with Faith that inly feels;
63Who with his saving mercies healèd me,
64A sinful and most miserable man,
65Wildered and dark, and gave me to possess
66Peace, and this Cot, and thee, heart-honored Maid!
The Full Text of “The Eolian Harp”
1 composed at clevedon, somersetshire
2My pensive Sara! thy soft cheek reclined
3Thus on mine arm, most soothing sweet it is
4To sit beside our Cot, our Cot o’ergrown
5With white-flowered Jasmin, and the broad-leaved Myrtle,
6(Meet emblems they of Innocence and Love!)
7And watch the clouds, that late were rich with light,
8Slow saddening round, and mark the star of eve
9Serenely brilliant (such would Wisdom be)
10Shine opposite! How exquisite the scents
11Snatched from yon bean-field! and the world so hushed!
12The stilly murmur of the distant Sea
13Tells us of silence.
14 And that simplest Lute,
15Placed length-ways in the clasping casement, hark!
16How by the desultory breeze caressed,
17Like some coy maid half yielding to her lover,
18It pours such sweet upbraiding, as must needs
19Tempt to repeat the wrong! And now, its strings
20Boldlier swept, the long sequacious notes
21Over delicious surges sink and rise,
22Such a soft floating witchery of sound
23As twilight Elfins make, when they at eve
24Voyage on gentle gales from Fairy-Land,
25Where Melodies round honey-dropping flowers,
26Footless and wild, like birds of Paradise,
27Nor pause, nor perch, hovering on untamed wing!
28O! the one Life within us and abroad,
29Which meets all motion and becomes its soul,
30A light in sound, a sound-like power in light,
31Rhythm in all thought, and joyance everywhere—
32Methinks, it should have been impossible
33Not to love all things in a world so filled;
34Where the breeze warbles, and the mute still air
35Is Music slumbering on her instrument.
36 And thus, my Love! as on the midway slope
37Of yonder hill I stretch my limbs at noon,
38Whilst through my half-closed eyelids I behold
39The sunbeams dance, like diamonds, on the main,
40And tranquil muse upon tranquility:
41Full many a thought uncalled and undetained,
42And many idle flitting phantasies,
43Traverse my indolent and passive brain,
44As wild and various as the random gales
45That swell and flutter on this subject Lute!
46 And what if all of animated nature
47Be but organic Harps diversely framed,
48That tremble into thought, as o’er them sweeps
49Plastic and vast, one intellectual breeze,
50At once the Soul of each, and God of all?
51 But thy more serious eye a mild reproof
52Darts, O beloved Woman! nor such thoughts
53Dim and unhallowed dost thou not reject,
54And biddest me walk humbly with my God.
55Meek Daughter in the family of Christ!
56Well hast thou said and holily dispraised
57These shapings of the unregenerate mind;
58Bubbles that glitter as they rise and break
59On vain Philosophy’s aye-babbling spring.
60For never guiltless may I speak of him,
61The Incomprehensible! save when with awe
62I praise him, and with Faith that inly feels;
63Who with his saving mercies healèd me,
64A sinful and most miserable man,
65Wildered and dark, and gave me to possess
66Peace, and this Cot, and thee, heart-honored Maid!
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“The Eolian Harp” Summary
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“The Eolian Harp” Themes
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The Unity of the Natural World
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God and Nature
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Creativity and Poetic Inspiration
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Love and Marriage
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Line-by-Line Explanation & Analysis of “The Eolian Harp”
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Lines 2-7
My pensive Sara! thy soft cheek reclined
Thus on mine arm, most soothing sweet it is
To sit beside our Cot, our Cot o’ergrown
With white-flowered Jasmin, and the broad-leaved Myrtle,
(Meet emblems they of Innocence and Love!)
And watch the clouds, that late were rich with light, -
Lines 8-13
Slow saddening round, and mark the star of eve
Serenely brilliant (such would Wisdom be)
Shine opposite! How exquisite the scents
Snatched from yon bean-field! and the world
so
hushed!
The stilly murmur of the distant Sea
Tells us of silence. -
Lines 14-19
And that simplest Lute,
Placed length-ways in the clasping casement, hark!
How by the desultory breeze caressed,
Like some coy maid half yielding to her lover,
It pours such sweet upbraiding, as must needs
Tempt to repeat the wrong! -
Lines 19-24
And now, its strings
Boldlier swept, the long sequacious notes
Over delicious surges sink and rise,
Such a soft floating witchery of sound
As twilight Elfins make, when they at eve
Voyage on gentle gales from Fairy-Land, -
Lines 25-27
Where Melodies round honey-dropping flowers,
Footless and wild, like birds of Paradise,
Nor pause, nor perch, hovering on untamed wing! -
Lines 28-31
O! the one Life within us and abroad,
Which meets all motion and becomes its soul,
A light in sound, a sound-like power in light,
Rhythm in all thought, and joyance everywhere— -
Lines 32-35
Methinks, it should have been impossible
Not to love all things in a world so filled;
Where the breeze warbles, and the mute still air
Is Music slumbering on her instrument. -
Lines 36-40
And thus, my Love! as on the midway slope
Of yonder hill I stretch my limbs at noon,
Whilst through my half-closed eyelids I behold
The sunbeams dance, like diamonds, on the main,
And tranquil muse upon tranquility: -
Lines 41-45
Full many a thought uncalled and undetained,
And many idle flitting phantasies,
Traverse my indolent and passive brain,
As wild and various as the random gales
That swell and flutter on this subject Lute! -
Lines 46-50
And what if all of animated nature
Be but organic Harps diversely framed,
That tremble into thought, as o’er them sweeps
Plastic and vast, one intellectual breeze,
At once the Soul of each, and God of all? -
Lines 51-55
But thy more serious eye a mild reproof
Darts, O beloved Woman! nor such thoughts
Dim and unhallowed dost thou not reject,
And biddest me walk humbly with my God.
Meek Daughter in the family of Christ! -
Lines 56-61
Well hast thou said and holily dispraised
These shapings of the unregenerate mind;
Bubbles that glitter as they rise and break
On vain Philosophy’s aye-babbling spring.
For never guiltless may I speak of him,
The Incomprehensible! -
Lines 61-66
save when with awe
I praise him, and with Faith that inly
feels
;
Who with his saving mercies healèd me,
A sinful and most miserable man,
Wildered and dark, and gave me to possess
Peace, and this Cot, and thee, heart-honored Maid!
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“The Eolian Harp” Symbols
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The Eolian Harp
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Wind
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“The Eolian Harp” Poetic Devices & Figurative Language
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Conceit
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Simile
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Personification
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Rhetorical Question
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Euphony
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Polyptoton
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Allusion
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Metaphor
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Enjambment
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Caesura
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Consonance
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“The Eolian Harp” Vocabulary
Select any word below to get its definition in the context of the poem. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem.
- Pensive
- Reclined
- Cot
- Jasmin and Myrtle
- Meet
- Emblem
- Star of eve
- Stilly
- Lute
- Casement
- Hark
- Desultory
- Coy
- Maid
- Upbraiding
- Sequacious
- Witchery
- Elfins
- Gale
- Joyance
- Main
- Phantasies
- Traverse
- Indolent
- Passive
- Subject
- Animated
- Organic
- Plastic
- Intellectual
- Reproof
- Dart
- Unhallowed
- Holily
- Dispraise
- Shapings
- Unregenerate
- Vain
- Aye-babbling
- Save
- Inly
- Wildered
- Dark
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- See where this vocabulary word appears in the poem.
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Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme of “The Eolian Harp”
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Form
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Meter
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Rhyme Scheme
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“The Eolian Harp” Speaker
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“The Eolian Harp” Setting
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Literary and Historical Context of “The Eolian Harp”
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More “The Eolian Harp” Resources
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External Resources
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Coleridge and the Romantics — An interesting overview of the Romantic poets, including Coleridge, from the BBC.
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"The Eolian Harp" Read Aloud — A recording of “The Eolian Harp” being read aloud.
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A Real, Live Aeolian Harp — A video recording of an actual Aeolian Harp being “played” by the wind on the Irish coast.
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More on Romanticism — Another good overview of the Romantic period from the Norton Anthology.
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Coleridge's Biography and Poetry — A detailed biography of the poet, with links to the texts of his major poems.
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LitCharts on Other Poems by Samuel Coleridge
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