Nature

What is Life?

by Samuel Taylor Coleridge 1772–1834

From Complete Poetical Works, ed. E. H. Coleridge (1912)

Nature

Resembles life what once was deem'd of light,
Too ample in itself for human sight?
An absolute self--an element ungrounded--
All that we see, all colours of all shade
By encroach of darkness made?--
Is very life by consciousness unbounded?
And all the thoughts, pains, joys of mortal breath,
A war-embrace of wrestling life and death?

✦ ✦ ✦

1805

MLA

Coleridge, Samuel Taylor. “What is Life?” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/coleridge/246/.

Chicago

Coleridge, Samuel Taylor. “What is Life?” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/coleridge/246/.

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