Implications of Solipsism in Samuel Coleridge's "Frost at Midnight" and "Dejection: An Ode"

Abstract

Objectives: This research aims to examine Samuel Coleridge's "Frost at Midnight" (1798) and "Dejection: An Ode" (1802). It explores the implications of solipsism in these two poems.
 Methods: To achieve this purpose, the research reviews some major works in philosophy that dwell on solipsism, briefly traces the evolution of solipsism, how some philosophers and literary critics define and employ the concept in literature, and how solipsism specifically features Coleridge’s thought. Through a critical and an analytical reading of the two chosen poems, the research highlights solipsistic inclinations. Additionally, the research valorizes how Coleridge uses poetry to negotiate his own philosophy and highlight his skeptical view of the world.
 Results: This analysis eventually manifests how the existence of the external world becomes merely a reflection of the poet's mind, and surroundings acquire their meanings according to his state of mind.
 Conclusions: By examining the relationship between solipsism and Coleridge's two poems, the research suggests a more comprehensive revision of Coleridge’s poetry on the one hand, and introduces new possibilities for exploring the affinity between romantic literature and solipsistic philosophy on the other hand.