Addressed To A Young Man Of Fortune Who Abandoned Himself To An Indolent And Causeless Melancholy by Samuel Taylor Coleridge (Poem, Summary, & Analysis)

 

Addressed To A Young Man Of Fortune Who Abandoned Himself To An Indolent And Causeless Melancholy

by Samuel Taylor Coleridge

(Poem, Summary, & Analysis) 

Addressed To A Young Man Of Fortune Who Abandoned Himself To An Indolent And Causeless Melancholy

Hence that fantastic wantonness of woe,

O Youth to partial Fortune vainly dear!

To plunder'd Want's half-shelter'd hovel go,

Go, and some hunger-bitten infant hear

Moan haply in a dying mother's ear:

Or when the cold and dismal fog-damps brood

O'er the rank church-yard with sear elm-leaves strew'd,

Pace round some widow's grave, whose dearer part

Was slaughter'd, where o'er his uncoffin'd limbs

The flocking flesh-birds scream'd! Then, while thy heart

Groans, and thine eye a fiercer sorrow dims,

Know (and the truth shall kindle thy young mind)

What Nature makes thee mourn, she bids thee heal!

O abject! if, to sickly dreams resign'd,

All effortless thou leave Life's common-weal

A prey to Tyrants, Murderers of Mankind.

 

The poem opens with the speaker addressing a young man who is wealthy and fortunate yet has succumbed to a self-indulgent and unjustified melancholy. The speaker admonishes the young man for his "fantastic wantonness of woe," suggesting that his sorrow is not only unwarranted but also a form of indulgence in his privileged state. The young man is urged to visit the poor and the truly suffering, such as those living in "plunder'd Want's half-shelter'd hovel," to understand real hardship.

The speaker contrasts the young man's baseless sorrow with the genuine struggles of the less fortunate. By witnessing the destitute conditions of the impoverished, the young man would gain perspective on the triviality of his own despair. The poem highlights the disparity between the young man’s self-pity and the severe adversities faced by others.

Throughout the poem, the speaker criticizes the young man's indolence and implores him to recognize his blessings and the duties that accompany his privileged position. The message is one of awakening the young man to a sense of responsibility, urging him to move beyond self-centered sorrow and toward compassion and action for those who genuinely suffer.

The poem ultimately serves as a moral exhortation, calling the young man to rise above his causeless melancholy, appreciate his fortune, and engage in acts of empathy and charity.

 

Analysis

Themes

Contrast Between Privilege and Poverty: The poem draws a stark contrast between the superficial melancholy of the wealthy young man and the genuine suffering of the poor. Coleridge emphasizes the moral responsibility of the privileged to acknowledge and address the real hardships faced by others.

Moral Responsibility: Coleridge criticizes the young man's indulgence in self-pity and encourages a shift towards social awareness and moral duty. The poem suggests that true fulfillment comes from engaging with and alleviating the sufferings of others.

Critique of Idleness: The poem reflects Coleridge’s disdain for idleness and self-indulgence, particularly when it leads to unnecessary melancholy. The young man's idleness is portrayed as a moral failing, especially given his fortunate circumstances.

Empathy and Compassion: The poem urges the young man to develop empathy by witnessing the plight of the poor. This shift from self-absorption to compassion is depicted as a necessary step for moral and personal growth.

 

Literary Devices

Apostrophe: The poem directly addresses the young man, creating a conversational tone that engages the reader and emphasizes the speaker's exhortation.

Contrast: Coleridge uses the stark contrast between the young man’s imagined woes and the real suffering of the poor to highlight the shallowness of the former’s melancholy.

Imagery: Vivid imagery is used to depict the harsh realities of the poor, such as "plunder'd Want's half-shelter'd hovel," to evoke a sense of urgency and compassion.

Irony: There is an ironic tone in how Coleridge describes the young man's melancholy as "fantastic wantonness of woe," underscoring the absurdity of his self-imposed sorrow compared to the real struggles of others.

 

Structure and Tone

The poem’s structure is direct and didactic, meant to teach a moral lesson.

The tone is admonitory and critical, with a sense of urgency in pushing the young man toward self-awareness and moral responsibility.

 

Conclusion

Coleridge’s poem is a critique of privileged indolence and a call to moral action. It reflects Romantic ideals of compassion, social responsibility, and the importance of engaging with the broader human experience. By juxtaposing superficial sorrow with genuine suffering, Coleridge challenges the young man—and by extension, the reader—to reassess the value of their emotions in the context of the world around them.