The Nightingale: A Conversation Poem

Friendship is a recurring motif in the poem. The joyful song of the nightingale is heard by the three friends who listen in companionable silence. They are all in agreement about the joy, love, and beauty that nature offers. Everything is harmonious between them, and the reader senses the warmth with which they interact, even though only Coleridge’s voice is heard. “My Friend, and thou, our Sister!” (Line 40) suggests a close relationship between the three. The sister (Wordsworth’s sister, Dorothy) is sister to them both, suggesting the affection Coleridge felt for her.

Moreover, the “most gentle Maid” (Line 71), who is so familiar with the grove of nightingales, may be a playfully veiled compliment to Dorothy. Coleridge’s words of farewell to his friends also suggest closeness, since they will all see each other again very soon: “And you, my friends! farewell, a short farewell! / We have been loitering long and pleasantly, / And now for our dear homes” (Lines 90-92). The human bonds have thus been nourished and enriched in the presence of nature. Joy in nature fosters joy in friendship.