Nature in Wordsworth and Coleridge

Romantic poetry places nature at its core, though poets interpret it differently. Wordsworth, in "Lines Composed a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey," illustrates three stages of his evolving relationship with nature, which he sees as a vital influence on the human mind and spiritual growth. For Romantics, nature is an "organic" entity, contrasting with the rationalist view of it as a mechanical system. They emphasized precise observation in their depiction of nature, using it as a medium for meditation and poetic imagination.
Wordsworth believed that closeness to nature fosters moral integrity, while urban life leads to moral decay. Coleridge, while also valuing nature, focused more on imagination in his poetry, distinguishing between primary and secondary imagination. His work, like "Kubla Khan," emphasizes imagination as the key to creativity and poetic expression.
Thus, both Wordsworth and Coleridge explored nature through poetic imagination, linking it to the soul and using it to articulate meaningful perspectives, contributing to the richness of Romantic poetry.