"idle flitting phantasies,
Traverse my indolent and passive brain,
As wild and various as the random gales
That swell and flutter on this subject lute!..."See in text(Text of the Poem)
“Phantasies,” a variant spelling of “fantasies,” refers to thoughts or desires born of the imagination. In context, Coleridge’s speaker describes the “wild and various” ideas that come to him through nature, comparing them through a simile to the “random gales” of music created on the eolian harp. The passage moves the poem from a description of the music of the harp to an expression of an unconventional spiritual belief in the lines that follow.
"The sunbeams dance, like diamonds, on the main,..."See in text(Text of the Poem)
In context, “main” refers to the sea, undoubtedly Bristol Channel near Clevedon, the poem’s setting. The passage includes both personification and a simile in describing sunshine reflected by the surface of the water. The sunbeams look “like diamonds” (a simile) as they “dance” on the sea (personification). The image is one of light and beauty that is consistent with the poem’s celebration of nature.
"Is Music slumbering on her instrument...."See in text(Text of the Poem)
The passage includes two examples of personification, as the breeze and Music are given human traits. The breeze sings, and Music, a feminine being, sleeps on the harp when the air is still.
"As twilight Elfins make, when they at eve..."See in text(Text of the Poem)
The harp’s music is again described with a simile. It is compared to the bewitching sound made by elves at twilight in “Fairy-Land” as they float on gentle breezes. The description underscores the beauty of the music and imbues it with magical qualities.
"Like some coy maid half yielding to her lover..."See in text(Text of the Poem)
The music of the harp is now described with a simile, comparing it to the flirtatious protests of a maiden pretending to resist her lover’s advances. As such, the music is “sweet” and alluring.
The “s” sound in “slow” alliterates with “saddening,” “star,” “serenely,” “scents,” “snatched,” “so,” “stilly,” “sea,” “silence,” and “simplest.” The soft sibilance of the “s” sound creates the “hushed” atmosphere Coleridge is describing.
"late were rich with light..."See in text(Text of the Poem)
An example of alliteration, the initial “l” sound in “late” is repeated in “light.” The sound device introduces the extensive use of alliteration in the lines that follow, adding a lyrical, flowing quality to the verse.
