Question

Relying on what you know about Coleridge's life, explain what you think he means in the first half of Line 6.

"Stop, Christian passer-by!—Stop, child of God,
And read with gentle breast. Beneath this sod
A poet lies, or that which once seemed he.
O, lift one thought in prayer for S.T.C.
That he who many a year with toil of breath
Found death in life, may here find life in death!
Mercy for praise--to be forgiven for fame
He asked, and hoped, through Christ..."

Answer 1

Step-by-step explanation:

From what I know about Coleridge's life, including his struggles with addiction and his quest for spiritual redemption, I believe that the first half of Line 6, "Found death in life," refers to his sense of being alive but not truly living. Coleridge struggled with opium addiction and other health issues, which left him feeling physically and mentally drained. He also experienced a crisis of faith and sought spiritual redemption through his Christian beliefs. In this context, "death in life" may represent Coleridge's feeling of being trapped in a state of existence that was devoid of meaning or purpose. By asking for mercy instead of praise and hoping for forgiveness instead of fame, Coleridge may be expressing his desire for a deeper, more meaningful life, both in this world and in the afterlife.