In the moments between vague awareness and undisturbed slumber, some minds tend to explore the deepest and darkest parts of the soul. The speaker in “The Pains of Sleep” consistently fails to attain a deep enough sleep to escape the terrible sufferings in his soul. Disturbing images aggravated by opium addiction keep him on edge. He even prays, something he is unaccustomed to, in order to find solace. Not only does the speaker struggle to sleep peacefully, but he also struggles to find someone to comfort him. Three lonely nights pass with varying degrees of suffering, but by the third night he comes to a conclusion about the source of his support. Coleridge uses religious references, the rhyme scheme, and the structure of “The Pains of Sleep”
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The sporadic rhyme scheme testifies to the uncertainty and intensity felt by the speaker. Rhyming words either pair ideas together or break them apart. For example, “Since in me, round me, every where/ Eternal Strength and Wisdom are” do no rhyme with any other lines (12-13). Lack of rhyme shows the speaker’s uneasiness with the idea. In contrast, the final lines of the poem contain multiple rhyming lines as well as repetition of sounds. An increase in consistent sounds parallels with the sobering mind of the speaker. By the end of the poem, the speaker concludes that “To be beloved is all I need/ And whom I love, I love indeed” (51-52). The speaker realizes that all he needs is the love of those around him to help him endure. Ending the poem with such a strong rhyme shows readers the strength of this conviction opposed to the ending lines of the first stanza referencing God. Coleridge ends the poem with this rhyme to solidify the idea that love of friends or family is …show more content…
Each stanza represents a specific point leading up to the revolution made by the speaker. In stanza one, the speaker possesses a small amount of hope, but the next night described in stanza two shows that his faith failed to improve his situation. The first stanza, the shortest of the three, emphasizes the briefness of the speaker’s dependency on religion. The second night, apparently longer than the first, is filled with “Fantastic passions! maddening brawl!/ And shame and terror over all!” (24-25). His terror could not be contained in a shorter stanza, so the added length displays the frightening nature of his nightmares and the length of his suffering. The last night is recorded in stanza three, which is twenty lines long. Although this stanza is only one line longer than the second stanza, the extra line adds an emphasis of importance to what the speaker is saying. Readers can see that this night did not end by waking up from dreams, but he allowed himself to cry until his “tears subdued/ My anguish to a milder mood” (41-42). Upon reaching a mild mood, he is finally able to comprehend his situation. On this third night after a long period of suffering, the speaker found a glimmer of hope in his loved
The sporadic rhyme scheme testifies to the uncertainty and intensity felt by the speaker. Rhyming words either pair ideas together or break them apart. For example, “Since in me, round me, every where/ Eternal Strength and Wisdom are” do no rhyme with any other lines (12-13). Lack of rhyme shows the speaker’s uneasiness with the idea. In contrast, the final lines of the poem contain multiple rhyming lines as well as repetition of sounds. An increase in consistent sounds parallels with the sobering mind of the speaker. By the end of the poem, the speaker concludes that “To be beloved is all I need/ And whom I love, I love indeed” (51-52). The speaker realizes that all he needs is the love of those around him to help him endure. Ending the poem with such a strong rhyme shows readers the strength of this conviction opposed to the ending lines of the first stanza referencing God. Coleridge ends the poem with this rhyme to solidify the idea that love of friends or family is …show more content…
Each stanza represents a specific point leading up to the revolution made by the speaker. In stanza one, the speaker possesses a small amount of hope, but the next night described in stanza two shows that his faith failed to improve his situation. The first stanza, the shortest of the three, emphasizes the briefness of the speaker’s dependency on religion. The second night, apparently longer than the first, is filled with “Fantastic passions! maddening brawl!/ And shame and terror over all!” (24-25). His terror could not be contained in a shorter stanza, so the added length displays the frightening nature of his nightmares and the length of his suffering. The last night is recorded in stanza three, which is twenty lines long. Although this stanza is only one line longer than the second stanza, the extra line adds an emphasis of importance to what the speaker is saying. Readers can see that this night did not end by waking up from dreams, but he allowed himself to cry until his “tears subdued/ My anguish to a milder mood” (41-42). Upon reaching a mild mood, he is finally able to comprehend his situation. On this third night after a long period of suffering, the speaker found a glimmer of hope in his loved