William Wordsworth and Samuel Coleridge touch upon similar themes, concepts, and techniques in their poems, Tintern Abbey and Frost at Midnight. It is evident through the juxtaposition of these two poems that each poet utilizes dramatic techniques, the appreciation of nature, time, and spontaneity. Although Wordsworth and Coleridge both incorporated the same themes into their poems, they are still uniquely implemented. .
Both poems are spiritual monologues that express the inner thoughts and personal reflections of the speakers. In each case, the speakers in the poems are the poets themselves. Both Coleridge and Wordsworth are involved in solitary reflections on life. Coleridge sits up late one winter night thinking while Wordsworth is in a pastoral location recalling the memories he retained from the same scene five years earlier. Both poems are dramatic soliloquies, which are addressed to a specific person. In Tintern Abbey, Wordsworth is expressing his own thoughts, yet the poem is actually addressed to his "dear, dear sister," Dorothy. In Frost At Midnight, Coleridge speaks of his own ideas and concerns, yet his poem is addressed to his son. Both poets used dramatic technique in order to allow the readers to peer into their personal thoughts, thoughts that were meant for a specific individual. The readers are in a sense eavesdropping on private conversations. .
The effect of nature on the imagination is a prevalent theme in Romantic poetry. Both poets begin their poems with vivid descriptions of nature and they continue these descriptions throughout the poems. As the speaker in Frost At Midnight, Coleridge draws upon nature in order to compare it to his infant son. "But thou, my babe, shalt wander like a breeze by lakes and sandy shores" (line 59). He also wishes for his son to enjoy all that the seasons have to offer him, whether it's the "greenness, or the redbreasts" of summer, or "the tufts of snow" in the winter.
