After Professor Oerlemans had briefly mentioned Coleridge’s works about animals, I was curious and decided to look for them. In doing so, I stumbled across “To a Young Ass”, an odd and definitely unique poem that conveys Coleridge’s sympathy for a donkey foal. Coleridge’s compassion for animals can be compared to Wordsworth’s almost worshipful respect for nature. Throughout the poem, Coleridge pities the foal and its mother’s inability to explore the “land of luxury”. The foal and its mother are an “oppressed race”, forced to meekly await their lives of burden and suffering.
I found this poem interesting because it can be interpreted in a social and religious context. Firstly, the poem can be interpreted as a drawing parallel between the plight of the burdened, starving donkey and the English working class. The life of the trapped, hard-working, and bread eating donkey can be compared to that of the inner city poor people of England during the end of the 18th century. Furthermore, this poem can be interpreted in a religious context as well. Donkeys are symbols of spiritual merit; they are the paragons of patience, humility, lowliness, and most importantly, suffering. These are attributes that earlier Christians believed humans should exude in order to gain eternal life. In order to find favor in heaven, we must bear God’s burdens and suffer in life. In this way, the human-like donkey, a “Meek Child of Misery” with its “languid patience” is deserving of Coleridge’s pity.
Poor little Foal of an oppressed race!
I love the languid patience of thy face:
And oft with gentle hand I give thee bread,
And clap thy ragged coat, and pat thy head.
But what thy dulled spirits hath dismay’d,
That never thou dost sport along the glade?
And (most unlike the nature of things young)
That earthward still thy moveless head is hung?
Do thy prophetic fears anticipate,
Meek Child of Misery! thy future fate?
The starving meal, and all the thousand aches
‘Which patient Merit of the Unworthy takes’?
Or is thy sad heart thrill’d with filial pain
To see thy wretched mother’s shorten’d chain?
And truly, very piteous is her lot –
Chain’d to a log within a narrow spot,
Where the close-eaten grass is scarcely seen,
While sweet around her waves the tempting green!
Poor Ass! they master should have learnt to show
Pity – best taught by fellowship of Woe!
For much I fear me that He lives like thee,
Half famished in a land of Luxury!
How askingly its footsteps hither bend?
It seems to say, ‘And have I then one friend?’
Innocent foal! thou poor despis’d forlorn!
I hail thee Brother – spite of the fool’s scorn!
And fain would take thee with me, in the Dell
Of Peace and mild Equality to dwell,
Where Toil shall call the charmer Health his bride,
And Laughter tickle Plenty’s ribless side!
How thou wouldst toss thy heels in gamesome play,
And frisk about, as lamb or kitten gay!
Yea! and more musically sweet to me
Thy dissonant harsh bray of joy would be,
Than warbled melodies that soothe to rest
The aching of pale Fashion’s vacant breast!
I like your thoughts about the meaning of the poem. There’s long been a debate about whether the poem is really about a donkey, or is an allegory about oppressed peoples. This poem was widely mocked after it was published because people at the time took it literally. I tend to take it literally too–fitting with Coleridge’s early idealism.
This poem demonstrates double meaning very well because as Professor Oerlemans stated, the reader is unsure if the poem is about a donkey or oppressed peoples. I think the reference ti Hamlet’s soliloquy: “Which patient Merit of the Unworthy takes” is very interesting because it can mean “the insults worthy people receive from the unworthy.” Perhaps this ties in with the theme of oppression and how those who are oppressed face backlash and improper remarks from those who are not.