▁abandon ▁a ▁unity ▁with ▁nature ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁ful fill ▁a ▁moral ▁oblig ation ▁to ▁human ity . ▁The ▁discussion ▁of ▁man ' s ▁oblig ation ▁to ▁each ▁other ▁leads ▁into ▁a ▁discussion ▁on ▁the ▁difference ▁between ▁the ▁life ▁of ▁a ▁phil os opher ▁and ▁the ▁life ▁of ▁a ▁poet . ▁By ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁poem , ▁the ▁narr ator ▁follows ▁the ▁philosoph ical ▁path ▁in ▁a ▁manner ▁similar ▁to ▁what ▁Col er idge ▁sought ▁to ▁do . ▁The ▁response ▁to ▁the ▁poem ▁from ▁critics ▁was ▁mostly ▁positive ▁with ▁many ▁of ▁them ▁emphas izing ▁the ▁religious ▁aspects ▁of ▁the ▁poem ▁in ▁their ▁analysis . ▁ ▁Background ▁After ▁marry ing ▁S ara ▁Fr icker ▁in ▁aut umn ▁ 1 7 9 5 , ▁Col er idge ▁left ▁their ▁home ▁at ▁Cle ved on ▁and ▁began ▁to ▁travel ▁throughout ▁England ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁meet ▁with ▁various ▁philosoph ers ▁and ▁political ▁the or ists . ▁In ▁part , ▁he ▁was ▁trying ▁to ▁meet ▁with ▁people ▁so ▁he ▁could ▁raise ▁subscri ptions ▁for ▁his ▁various ▁works . ▁During ▁this ▁time , ▁he ▁would ▁write ▁home ▁constantly ▁to ▁his ▁pre gn ant ▁wife ▁and ▁was ▁concerned ▁about ▁her ▁state ▁of ▁health . ▁His ▁feelings ▁of ▁gu ilt , ▁along ▁with ▁a ▁fe ver ▁that ▁he ▁treated ▁with ▁la ud an um , ▁affected ▁him ▁greatly ▁and ▁caused ▁him ▁to ▁express ▁these ▁feelings ▁in ▁a ▁letter ▁to ▁Jos iah ▁W ade ▁on ▁ 1 0 ▁February ▁ 1 7 9 6 : ▁" My ▁past ▁life ▁seems ▁to