Samuel Taylor Coleridge penned that ode, and honestly? It’s my go-to when I need a dose of romantic-era melodrama that doesn’t feel performative. Unlike some of his contemporaries, Coleridge doesn’t just dress up emotions in pretty metaphors—he digs into the messiness of human feeling. The way he contrasts inner turmoil with the external world’s indifference ('I see, not feel, how beautiful they are') is brutal in its honesty. I’ve got a dog-eared copy of his collected poems on my shelf, and 'Dejection' is the one with the most underlines and coffee stains. It’s the kind of poem that grows with you; I interpreted it differently at 20 than I do now at 30.
Oh, 'Dejection: An Ode' is pure Coleridge—specifically, the 1802 version he revised after a fallout with Wordsworth. Fun trivia: it was originally a love letter to Sara Hutchinson, which explains the intimacy of lines like 'O Lady! we receive but what we give.' I teach intro to poetry workshops, and I always use this piece to show how meter can mirror emotion. The irregular rhythms feel like someone sighing or pacing restlessly. My students either connect with it instantly or find it too melancholy, but nobody forgets that opening stanza: 'Late, late yestreen I saw the new Moon / With the old Moon in her arms.' Chills.
Coleridge's 'Dejection: An Ode' has always struck me as one of those raw, soul-baring works that feels like it was torn straight from the poet's heart. I first stumbled upon it during a rainy afternoon in my college library, and the way it blends personal despair with almost mystical reflections on nature left me speechless. The imagery of the 'waning moon' and that aching line about 'the passion and the life whose fountains are within'—ugh, it guts me every time.
What’s fascinating is how the poem mirrors Coleridge’s own struggles—his crumbling marriage, creative drought, and opium addiction. It’s like he’s weaving his biography into the very fabric of the verse. I’ve revisited it during low points in my life, and there’s something oddly comforting about how it transforms pain into something almost beautiful. Makes you wonder if great art requires suffering, doesn’t it?
Coleridge wrote it during a rough patch—dude was basically the poster child for artistic angst. What I love is how the poem swings between self-pity and profound insight. That bit about 'joy' being the soul’s 'beautiful and beauty-making power'? I scribbled that in my journal after a breakup. It’s weirdly uplifting despite the title.
2026-01-03 20:17:15
3
View All Answers
Scan code to download App
Related Books
His Rejection, His Loss
Tilly Giles
9.6
124.5K
When Fiona's heart is broken by her boyfriend and mate, Leland, who turns her down in front of their whole pack, she makes a courageous decision. She offers to take her sister Stella's place in a marriage that has been arranged with the powerful Alpha of the Silver Bow Pack, in order to save her sister from a loveless union. She has no idea that her choice will start a series of challenging events that will test her strength and push the limits of destiny.
Will Fiona be successful, or will fate have something else in store? Delve into the pages and discover the exciting mysteries that lie within "His Rejection, His Loss."
Even the coldest heart would soon grow warm if she kept holding on to it. That was what she believed. That was why she became his unloved placeholder of a wife. Unfortunately, all her devotion only led to a heartless divorce. “She’s awake now,” he told her. “Step down and step away, you miserable knock-off.”Then, he left. When he came back, it was because he needed her to do something only an impostor could do: go to jail for his dream girl’s crime. Deirdre McKinnon was condemned to perdition. She lost her baby before it was born. She lost her face to violence. She lost the ability to see. It was two months of a hell-like nightmare. At last, something died inside her heart. Two years later, she found herself another man, but when Brendan Brighthall met her by pure happenstance, a new feeling was born in his heart: jealousy. There were no means too terrible, no scheme too underhanded—not if it meant he’d possess Deirdre’s heart again. And yet, she simply refused to love him anymore.“What do you want me to do, Deirdre McKinnon?! What must I do to go back to the good old days?” His eyes turned red. “I’ll give you everything I have!”“You gave me a copper trinket two years ago. It was a sorry excuse for a wedding ring, and yet I cared for it as though it was the most precious jewel in the world…“But now? Nothing you can give would be even remotely worthwhile. Not even you.”
He rejected her when she didn't know what he meant to her. He left her when she needed him the most. He left her broken and alone in the claws of this cruel world. But now he’s back to claim what’s his. Will she accept him now? Read story to find out about his REJECTED LOVE….
My mate.
So weak.
So pathetic.
I have a weak and pathetic mate. He thought as he looked at her with disgust and displeasure in his eyes.
Just like me, when I was human. She is a human! I don't want a mate. I don't want a weak and pathetic mate! She can't fix me! She's nothing! Screw this!
His thoughts were going berserk with the rushing flashes of his past. He tucked his hand roughly through his hair in an unsuccessful attempt to stop the replay of those horrible evocations. He laid her on the small grass patch at the side of the deserted road. She was half-conscious, so she could hear him.
"Hey!" He said, jerking her pale face gently. Blood was covering half of her face but she was still looking beautiful in the moonlight. The sparks weren’t going unnoticed as he reminded himself that it was just the mate-bond. He was determined in his decision and he wasn’t going to change it. The girl opened her eyes slightly and with that, he did what he thought was right at that time.
"I, Kane Wilson, reject you as my mate!" He said, with all the strength he could have mustered in his miserable state of emotions and with that, he left her there, feeling extreme pain in his heart. But he pushed that pain aside and ran from there in inhuman speed. Away from her!
"Don't make me say this again," He said, his voice hard, "Spread your legs wide for me, Love, Or You will be punished,"
Arthur Spencer, 30 years old C.E.O. and Golden heir of the world's most enormous business empire, Spencer Enterprises, he's a powerful billionaire and an eligible bachelor of New York City, He's cold, Self-centred, Impulsive, and extremely possessive. He has the power to destroy anyone's life in just a blink of an eye, and his family is acknowledged as Dark Royalty.
Davina Ellis, a divorced 27 years old sweet, and naive woman, works as a restaurant manager at Neens Restaurant. With her hard work and determination in just three years, she made the restaurant more popular and successful than other branches of it.
***
What happens when Arthur discovers that It was Davina's husband, with whom Olivia, his fiancee and the love of his life had an affair and chose to leave him?
a story of a love triangle with a touch of soreness. a story of Spanish- Indian girl living in states. her life revolves around her dad and her best friend Josh and Joshua. Josh's younger brother, Joshua is kind of dark horse of his house, a rebel kind of teen who has a secret. his connection with Babi is different.
see what future holds for three and what is written Babi's destiny or lets see if she makes her own destiny.
After my husband has passed away, I feel my carnal desires building rapidly every single day. At night, I yearn for someone to break and conquer me roughly.
I'm at the age when I crave physical intimacy the most. Coupled with the weird ailment, I find myself constantly tormented by my urges all the time.
Having no other choice left, I can only turn to the village doctor to treat my embarrassingly weird condition. But little do I know that he'll…
I love diving into classic poetry, and 'Dejection: An Ode' by Samuel Taylor Coleridge is such a moody masterpiece. If you're looking to read it online, Project Gutenberg is my go-to—it’s a treasure trove for public domain works. You can find the full text there, beautifully formatted and free. Another great spot is the Poetry Foundation’s website; they often have analyses alongside the poems, which adds so much depth.
For a more immersive experience, Librivox offers audio versions if you’d rather listen. Sometimes hearing the melancholic rhythm of Coleridge’s words hits differently. Just a heads-up, though: avoid sketchy sites that pop up in searches—stick to these trusted ones to dodge ads or malware. Happy reading!
Coleridge's 'Dejection: An Ode' hits differently when you're in a melancholic mood. It’s this raw, emotional outpouring where he grapples with creative drought and personal despair, almost like he’s staring at his own soul in a mirror. The poem shifts between the beauty of nature and his inability to feel joy from it—a disconnect that feels painfully relatable. The 'ode' structure usually celebrates something, but here, it twists into a lament, which makes the contrast even sharper.
What sticks with me is how he blames his 'smothering weight' of sadness for deadening his imagination. It’s not just about sadness; it’s about how that sadness cages creativity. The storm metaphor near the end? Chilling. It mirrors his inner turmoil but also hints at catharsis. Makes me wonder if he ever found his way back to light, or if the ode itself was the release.
Exploring poetry online is like stumbling upon hidden treasures in a digital library. 'Dejection: An Ode' by Samuel Taylor Coleridge is a classic, and while I adore physical books, I’ve found it on platforms like Project Gutenberg or Poetry Foundation, which offer free access to public domain works. It’s worth checking there first—they’re reliable and legal.
Sometimes, though, I prefer hearing it read aloud. YouTube has recordings by literature enthusiasts that bring the melancholic beauty of the poem to life. If you’re into annotations, websites like LibriVox even provide audiobook versions. Just remember to support official publishers if you ever want a curated edition with footnotes!
One name that immediately springs to mind is Emily Dickinson. Her poems often delve into themes of melancholy, isolation, and the fleeting nature of life. Take 'I felt a Funeral, in my Brain'—it’s a haunting exploration of mental anguish, with vivid imagery that makes you feel the weight of despair. Dickinson’s sparse, almost cryptic style leaves so much room for interpretation, which is why her work still resonates today. She didn’t just write about sadness; she dissected it, turned it into something almost tangible.
Then there’s Edgar Allan Poe, though he’s more famous for his macabre tales. His poem 'The Raven' is steeped in grief, with the narrator mourning lost love. The repetition of 'nevermore' feels like a hammer to the heart. Poe had this uncanny ability to make sorrow feel grand, almost theatrical. It’s not just sadness; it’s a performance of despair, and that’s what makes his work so unforgettable.