glad

Coleridge in his poem This Lime Tree Bower My Prison is trying to fool the reader. In the title of the poem Coleridge announces that he is trapped in a prison of sorts; yet in the poem itself he expresses himself as being content and happy. His self-proclamation of his own happiness in his disabled state is rather strange. Some may believe that Coleridge is fooling himself but this is not necessarily the only approach one can take with this poem.

Coleridge knows that he is trapped and this is not a great condition to be in. Thus, his intention in this poem may not be to fool himself but rather, to fool his readers. He is tricking his readers into thinking that he can be happy by merely knowing that his friends are having a good time, “A delight / Comes sudden on my heart, and I am glad / As I myself were there.” (Coleridge This Lime-Tree Bower My Prison, 44-46)

It is as though Coleridge is trying to put one over on his readers and make himself look more than human. He would truly have a unique and special ability if he could really gain so much pleasure from knowing that his friends are enjoying themselves while he is restricted to his prison. Coleridge wants to appear superhuman to his readers.