ROMANTIC NATURE: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF WORDSWORTH AND COLERIDGE'S PHILOSOPHY OF NATURE

Abstract

This paper explores the contrasting yet complementary philosophies of nature in the works of William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge, two leading figures of the English Romantic Movement. While both poets revered nature as a profound influence on the human spirit and imagination, their approaches diverged in terms of emphasis and interpretation. Wordsworth viewed nature as a moral guide, a spiritual teacher, and a source of solace and inspiration, emphasizing its role in shaping the human mind and fostering emotional and ethical growth. In contrast, Coleridge saw nature through a more metaphysical and symbolic lens, integrating philosophical idealism and Christian theology to present nature as a dynamic expression of the divine. This comparative study analyzes key poetic works such as Tintern Abbey and The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, revealing how their differing views of nature reflect broader Romantic concerns with imagination, the sublime, and the relationship between man and the natural world. The paper concludes that while Wordsworth and Coleridge diverged in their philosophical outlooks, their shared reverence for nature underscores the central role it played in the Romantic redefinition of poetic experience and human consciousness.