Coleridge’s “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” Essay

Samuel Taylor Coleridge presents a complex web of beginnings and symbols within the seemingly simple plot preeminence of The poem of the ancient Mariner. The story of the seafarer with the glittering eye (1.13) and his puzzling record at sea told to an loth listener, the Wedding Guest, unfolds into a multifaceted array of planned sequences, heavy unearthly undert unitys, and hints at a biographical posting of Coleridges past. If one reads The match of the Ancient Mariner simply as a tale at sea, the poem stands as a remarkable one with its continuous simple rhyme organization and easy flow of speech. And if one reads deeper into the intricate symbolism, solutions and signifi toilettet subject matter, Coleridges masterpiece becomes even to a greater extent brilliant. An examination of the poem on both levels proves Coleridges genius.The plot line is told in the third person and is about the Mariners first off person account of his trip at sea. A write up effect is accomp lished with this choice, and although it takes a appearance from the poetic feel, it gives the poem a to a greater extent story-like flow. Characters include a protagonist, the Mariner, and a listener, the Wedding Guest, presumed to be the audience. Coleridge introduces his tale by describing the old, gray-headed sailor who approaches ternion young men headed for a wedding celebration and compels one of them, the grooms next-of-kin, to hear his story. At first the intrusion is resented, however the sailors story becomes remarkably compelling. The listener f entirelys captive to the building suspense, responding with fear, and later with shame as the tale unfolds.The Mariner tells of a storm at sea, how he and his crew were bl proclaim pip course towards the southeast Pole, and how a good omen, an millstone, came to guide them back to the north. But the good omen before long turns into a nuisance. The Mariner shoots it, bringing bad luck to the ship and crew, as he showed no see to it for living things. Death and his mate, Life-in-Death, come to the ship and battle everyplace who will control. Death wins the ship Life-in-Death wins over the Mariner, sparing his life, but giving death as the crews fate. For 7 days and seven nights the Mariner is forced to confront the open, accu darknessg eyes of his dead shipmates. He bedamns the sea creatures that squirm slightly him, proving to Life-in-Death that the Mariner has not learnedhis lesson. Only when the Mariner praises the living things, when he blessed them unaware, (1.285) is the curse broken. Spirits then fill the bodies of his dead crewmates, and the ship sailed homeward.Soon the spirits depart and are replaced by A universe each(prenominal) light, a seraph valet(1.490) that shines light on the homeland. A small preservation ride comes alongside the Mariners ship and a loud noise rushes through the water, splitting and sinking the boat, throwing the Mariner into the sea. He is brought into th e boat and the sight of him terrified everyone in it. The rescue boat reached coast and the Mariner runs to the Hermit of the Wood to beg for forgiveness from his sin. What manner of man art thou? (1.577) give tongue to the Hermit, which sparked a recount of the Mariners story in order to unfreeze him of the sin. The Mariner concludes his account to the Wedding Guest by saying that ever since the Hermits blessing, he has been obliged to locomotion from land to land, never knowing when the agony of remembrance might return. But whenever the curse again darkens his soul, he recognizes the face of a man with whom he must share his message of love and reverence for beau ideals creation.Basic analysis of the poem classifies it as a lyrical ballad. Although it can be seen as an almost miniature epic, the stanza form and meter follow that of a ballad. Coleridge uses four line stanzas with rhyme proposal acbc in the seven part poem and rotates the number of syllables in each line of th e stanza, starting with a multiple of four, then three, and four, then three. Although at that place are a few irregular meters, as the twelfth stanza in power I and the 3rd in helping II have six lines each, there is a continued simple rhyme and flow passim. Heavy usage is on a more complex internal rhyme, for example And through the drifts the snowy clifts (1.55) and A speck, a mist, a shape, I wist (1.153).Coleridge uses repeat often in the poem as well. The repetition can be seen clearly in the first few stanzas of Part III, where weary is used three times in the first stanza, wist is repeated (II. 152, 153), When throats unslaked, with scorch lips baked (II.157, 162), and A sail a sail is cried in line 161. Often, the repetition is used for point of the lines allotted syllable number, as in the case of See see in line 167, but other instances Coleridge uses the repetition to take to the effect.The seafarer is completely alone in the beginning of Part IV, and in the third stanza this is expressed by the reiteration of Alone, alone, all alone / Alone on a wide wide sea (II.232, 233), which emphasizes the solitary scenery.The poem has hints of alliteration end-to-end, often intertwined within the internal rhyme. gestate off Unhand me, graybeard loon / Eftsoons his hand dropped he (II. 11, 12) and The western wave was all ruttish (1.172) are examples. Furthermore, Coleridge uses these techniques of rhyme, repetition and alliteration to set the pace and the passing of time. For the sky and the sea, and the sea and the sky 91.250) reads slowly, expressing a slowing down of time, as the Mariners weariness seems to last forever. The rhetoric used is field of operation statement, as the Mariner is telling his true tale of his trip at sea. Literally, the poem is a story, with descriptive details. Figuratively, however, deeper meanings can be observed.Religious connotations, mainly those found in delivererian belief, are abundant throughout the poem. From the specific numbers used to show passage of time to the many symbols and representations, biblical references abound. First in the poem, the ship symbolizes the body of man. It is affected by the trials and tribulations of the sea, as humanity is affected by lifes trials. But is can also be steered, by the Mariner, who represents ones soul. However, the fate of the ship is finally determined by the wind and currents in the sea.The resurgence of the ship after the death of the albatross, a skeletal frame ship this time, represents mans emptiness without Christ. In Christianity, the body is dead and empty without accepting Christ the ship that appeared carried Death and Life-in-Death, an obvious corollary. The wind represents the Holy Ghost, also guiding the ship on course. rase deeper into Christian beliefs is the possibility that the Mariner exemplifies Cain, a man found in the Bible in the disc of Genesis. Cain killed his brother, as the Mariner killed the albatross, and both had to deal with the consequences of their actions.The most apparent symbol, however, is the albatross representation ofChrist. The albatross is killed by a cross-bow, symbolical of the cross that Christ died on. And the Mariner wore the bird around his neck, much like a crucifix Instead of the cross, the Albatross / About my neck was hung (11.141, 142). Acceptance of Christ in Christianity is the one panorama of getting to heaven the albatross was the ships one chance at finding the way from the icy death of the sea. With the absence of the albatross, the ship came upon stagnant water. Nothing was directing the ship. Continuing this symbolism is the reciprocal ohm Pole as a representation of Hell.The albatross was leading the aimlessly drifting ship from the South Poles direction, as Christ leads man to heaven. Therefore, the Mariners own countree (1.468) represents heaven, the final destination. When he reaches home( heaven), the body (ship) must die, therefore the ship sinks. W hen the Pilot and his boy see the ship sinking, they act as angels to retrieve the newly departed soul and carry it to heaven. Since the albatross is dead, representing Christ as one of the three parts of the three, the Hermit is the resurrected Christ that comes to take the sin away from the Mariner. The symbolism of Christ is recurrent throughout the poem.God is also seen through the lie and Moon. The Sun acts as Gods law ceaselessly over the Mariner Nor dim nor red, like Gods own head / The glorious Sun uprist (II. 97, 98), and the Moon is symbolic of the redemptive, loving God that comes to help the Mariner, as is seen with the Hermit and his forgiveness. Other significant Christian symbols are the numbers 7 and 3 used throughout the Bible and in Coleridges work. The Rime of the Ancient Mariner is told in seven parts. Seven is the number of days it took God to create the world in Genesis. The Mariner also lay afloat (1.553) for seven days until the Pilots boat picked him up. And, for seven days the Mariner saw the curse in his dead crewmates eyes. Three represents the Trinity and the number of daysafter Christ died before His resurrection. When Death-in-Life wins the battle over Death in Part III, she whistles thrice (1.198). The saviors of the Mariner from the sea, namely the Pilot, his boy and the Hermit, represent the three bodies of Christ the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.All of these symbols add to the theme of ungodliness and repentance in the poem. Coleridge is portraying the struggle within oneself after committing a crime, and the sluggish question of when the guilt will pass. By telling the story to another, even an unreceptive audience, the removal of guilt and heavy commit is realized. The Wedding Guest leaves at the conclusion of the poem A sadder and a wiser man (1.624), proving the Mariners tale had an effect on him. And the Mariner was able to rid himself of the guilt of his sin by following the Hermits request to tell his st ory.Just as obvious is the theme that relates the Mariner to the story of fling and Eve and their realization of the knowledge of good versus evil. Anthropological discussion of the dualistic mindset of humans (us against them) that begins with the story of turn and Eve can be used to distinguish the theme in The Rime of the Ancient Mariner. The Mariners act of killing the albatross is symbolic of his belief that humans are above animals animals are the other and thus easily disposed of. Although Adam and Eve did not actually physically kill anything in the Garden of Eden, their eating of the Forbidden fruit removed them from the group of animals that knew neither good nor evil thus eliminating their sense of well-being and happiness.Another jibe can be drawn from the fact that all the crewmates suffered from the Mariners lone mistake, as all mankind is said to suffer from the mistake of Adam and Eve. Another important comparison is the role of the glide in both the poem and i n Genesis. The snake in the grass is considered to be the reason for the fall of man, as Adam and Eve fell from Gods grace in the garden after taking the snakes advice. In The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, the Mariner must bless the snakes (loving and forgiving them that despitefully use you) beforethe curse is removed. The Mariner had to stoop to the lowest level, ironically praising the means associated with mans fall, in order to ascend.The theme of newly found in colony can also be seen within the poem. Still within religious connotations, it is clear that the Mariner made a transition from dependence to a new, tiro independence. His act of killing the albatross removed him from the dependence on the ship and thebird. However, all alone, he realizes that some sort of dependence is necessary, and acknowledges the importance of spiritual guidance. The characterization of the Wedding Guest, as he is about to engage in a dependent relationship before being stopped by the effects of the Mariners story, imparts the message that independence is more desirable than dependence. He went like one that hath been stunned / And is of sense forlorn / A sadder and a wiser man (II.622, 623, 624) show that the Wedding Guest, although saddened by the knowledge, was enlightened by the Mariners truth, and chose to walk away from the bridegrooms door.Critics question whether Coleridge wrote this poem in response to occurrences in his own life. He was known to have an addiction to opium, the onset of which began when he was a patient at Christs Hospital, as it was the administered pain medication. He was said to be pursue by this addiction, the guilt possibly being the same guilt felt by the Mariner. Following the theme of dependence in the poem, Coleridge may have presented himself as the Mariner, initially needing the ship and the crew as he needed the opium. Help from the albatross, which he turned away, could have been early rehabilitation efforts. The struggle to deal wit hout the albatross was finally thwarted as Coleridge accepted the addition (blessing the snakes) and thus accepted help from the Hermit and longed for forgiveness. The dour and continuous guilt seems to be the lifelong knowledge that he could never truly be free from the addiction to opium, just as the Mariner had to share his story to rid himself of the guilt.Regardless of the many detailed analyses of Coleridges lyrical ballad,The Rime of the Ancient Mariner proves to be a moralistic story. All can agree that the plot has a lesson to teach, and the Mariners rough struggles at sea, and at life, leave him with the burden to inform readers of what lifes lessons he learned. He is troubled by guilt, and has to find someone to listen, to teach. The religious roots run deep within the poem, however Coleridge constructed it so that an in depth study of Christian symbolism is unnecessary to understand his message. Neither is the focus on the significance of numbers or themes needed. In s tructure alone, the ballad isan impressive piece.Its simplicity and flow make the story of travel an interesting read. by chance Samuel Taylor Coleridge himself was following his Hermits order to release his guilt by writing this poem, and telling it to his readership for his own personal penance, or maybe it is just a lyrical ballad created from his vivid imagination. Nonetheless, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner succeeds in making the extraordinary believable creating graphic word-pictures, some fraught with horror, others piercing with truncated visions of exquisite beauty, but all evoking images so clear and deep they impact the readers senses and emotions.