The Last of the Flock

In the poem The Last of the Flock, there is a distinct relationship behind man and animal, which is seen through the dialog between the man and the weeping Sheppard walking along the roads. The flock of sheep was of great importance to the Sheppard. They brought him life, money, as well as stability for his family. However, ironically the relationship with animal was greater than that of human kind. Through deep observance of reading between the lines of the excerpt, time is passing before his eyes and the sense of time is not apparent. He goes from being single to married to ending up with ten children. Yet the reader does not see where this is all happening. The man does not seem to mention his family as much as one would assume. There is a greater love for what is not there in regards to the sheep.

This poem is similar to that of We Are Seven. Here, there was a dialog between a little girl and a man. The little girl insists that there are still seven in her family when in reality there less because some have passed. Yet, the lives of her siblings remain with her. She does not let go. Her attitude towards their death is quite ironic. She is not mourning their loss, rather she still acts as if her brother and sister are always around her, playing and conversing. This sort of intimacy is different from that of the Sheppard.

The concept of intimacy with nature plays an exceptional role in both poems. In The Last of the Flock, intimacy is clearly shown. Mourning here occurs with the sheep. He fails to see that there is more in life left to live for. The Sheppard had it all; he had a family and wealth. Nonetheless, he failed to see the other half. We can compare this analogy to that of a glass half empty or half full. We have to sacrifice in life in order to reach happiness and become complete again. From experience in living life, we all know how hard it is to attain this point in our lives, to love and move on. In the end, we have come to learn the moral of this ballad; things had to get worse in order to get better. He was a victim of society and the hardships he was encountering, just like those of Simon Lee.

Dweller in Human Nature

To listen and a dweller is the Definition of Simon Lee.
The lyrical ballad Simon Lee The Old Huntsman with an Incident in Which He Was Concerned depicts the life of an old man who is an inspirational. Compassion was his identity and even tho he aged, his heart stayed young. Lee is changing as life is passing. He is getting old, thin and sick yet keeps going.His ability to seek out what life has to offer has stayed with him. I say the term "seek" because ironically he is not the one looking, rather others are and he is able to share a part of him with them. We can see that his wife as well as his surroundings are helping him in life as he is listening. He is sharing and living his life, showing his pride.

In the ballad Wordsworth states,

"You're overtasked, good Simon Lee,
Give me your tool," to him I said;
And at the word right gladly he
Received my proffered aid.
I struck, and with a single blow
The tangled root I severed,
At which the poor old Man so long
And vainly had endeavoured.

This shows that Simon Lee was the "rock" for others, he was an inspiration to life. Old age was not an obstacle he had to overcome, rather, he accepted life for what it was. He shared his compassion with others and in return others began to listen. Survival is the key in life and change is irresistible. These lines from the ballad showed that if you have a talent, share it with others, you will never know who can take from it and live their life because they were given a chance of hope.

Living in "Harmony

“The Nightingale: A Conversation Poem”

“And one low piping sound more sweet than all-
Stirring the air with such an harmony,
That should you close your eyes, you might almost
Forget it was not day!”

A constant vivid image used is a Nightingale to provide the readers with many perspectives. The line written above is from the poem and the word “harmony” is what caught my attention. A nightingale is a type of bird with a beautiful poetic sound. When thinking of the word harmony , I think of peacefulness. However, there are other definitions, such as an agreement, orderly, involving music including tones, melody, and rhythm, as well as the science of the structure.


Throughout poem, there are many conversations going on with both humans and nature. Harmony plays a role in that there is a connection between what the human eye can see and hear. The Nightingale is singing, while Coleridge is speaking to his son of what he is observing around him. There is a soothing pleasure incorporated with natural sounds. When humans interact with one another, there is a connection. This is also true for that of the bird. The bird, inspired by its surroundings, is what allows it to play and get in touch with nature. The moon played a major role because it helped the Nightingale blossom. Discover news said, “A new study has determined that at least one bird's level of activity dramatically increases with moonlight .” Just like humans and conversation, the moon and the Nightingale are in harmony with each other. There is a drive that connects us in harmony and for everyone it is different. As I read the quote from the poem, I realize that when one hears of something peaceful to the ear, we tend to diminish what is going on around us and focus on what makes us happy.

An Act of Faith

In the Rime of the Ancyent Marinere, the Albatross was of great importance. It was symbolic because it was there to help. When the Marinere killed the Albatross, it left a scar that would never be erased. The bird brought hope to those on the ship and showed that everything in life has its purpose. The bird was there for guidance, it knew how to get through the treacherous storms of Antarctica. However, when the Marinere killed the bird everything around him seemed to change. The crewmembers knew that the bird was sent as an act of faith to remind them not to give up. Only the Marinere was blindsided. Faith played a major role in that everyone has it in them to see things through; it all depends on how we act upon it. The change in weather was a sign from nature that what he did was wrong and one should not do onto another what he does not want done to them. This relates much to what we see in society today. As children, we are taught to help others and not harm one another. When there is harm, consequences follow. In the poem, those on the ship lost their lives because of the Marinere’s actions. We see this constantly on the news when one decides to take someone’s life and retaliation occurs. Yes, we are all born into a cycle of life and death, but should it be with one killing another? This picture symbolizes the connection between nature and humans, we all breathe the same air, we are all a form of life. Sometime’s in life it takes something life changing to realize what was once there.