Coleridge's Complaints and Patriotism

In his "Fears in Solitude," Coleridge vehemently expresses his distaste for the current state of Britain that has warranted an invasion by the French. He claims that the British people have "borne to distant tribes slavery and pangs," a wrong that "murders the whole man." He continues to lament the wrongs specifically done within the British government where officials had "barter[ed] freedom and the poor man's life/ For gold as at a market." Essentially, the country had abused and extended its power unnecessarily at the cost of their own integrity and the freedom of others. To be sure, he includes himself among the transgressors rather than accusing a single group, saying, “We have offended!” However, his poem begins and ends with ornate and prideful descriptions of his homeland, which “has been [his] sole and most magnificent temple.” Despite his complaints, Coleridge maintains loyalty to Britain and is hopeful for the change the French can bring. However, his emphasis on his own home and family especially at the end of the poem suggests that he seeks to protect solely the life he has made there rather than the country at large.