The poem, “Fears in Solitude”
demonstrates perfectly Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s politically correct approach
to communicating his stance on the French Revolution and its spilling over into
England. I can understand how this
plan might have worked to his advantage, as his readers were likely equally as
terrified of the idea of a faltering national reputation as they were of the
violence in France—all of Europe had been watching as France was criticized in
publications such as those we have read by Burke and More.
By beginning and ending the poem with
pastoral imagery of the British countryside, Coleridge evokes a sense of
patriotism that is likely to have played to the readers’ concern for the well
being of their own country and its repute. At this point it is doubtful that any Englishman was in
favor of sending his country to the center of continent and worldwide
scrutiny. Coleridge alludes
to England as “a green and silent spot amid the hills” and a “quiet
spirit-healing nook.” Between
these positive images, however, is a straightforward commentary on the wrongs
that Coleridge felt had led Britain into a state of questionable rule and great
vulnerability to widespread violence and failure. The construction of a tranquil setting through which
Coleridge expresses his fear for the nation leads his reader not only to pay
attention to him, but also to trust him as a fellow countryman who is but
proponing the best interest for his homeland.
Miranda, I was also interested in how the pastoral imagery worked in this poem. I think that the contrast between the idyllic English countryside and the just-out-of-reach chaos of the cities gives a sense of urgency and proximity to the revolution for the British citizens. The sense that this peaceful scene can be disrupted in an instant by the impending turmoil is what instills fear in the speaker, and makes the reader uneasy about the future of England because of the violence and bloodshed that the revolution brings. It takes the dangers of this revolution to the iconic and familiar "backyard" of the English citizens, which would cause them to feel violated and uncomfortable. The contrast serves as a powerful rhetorical device that, as you said, connects the British in a patriotic way with their homeland, and forces them to picture the destruction of that land as the danger ominously hovers over them.
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