Essay

The Rime of The Ancient Mariner has been interpreted in a variety of ways since its creation in 1797. Some argue that the poem is a story of our salvation of Christ whereas others dispute that it is a metaphor for original sin in the Garden of Eden. What can’t be argued is that religion lies at the heart of the poem focusing on the trials and tribulations, depicting a moving spiritual journey of sin, punishment, repentance, and eventually redemption. There are many different themes in the Rime of the Ancient mariner, such as the description on weather, the usage of colors, the comparison of figures to Christ, religion, and lastly nature. Throughout my paper I will show through examples the supernatural elements that took place in the poem, I will also try to make further meanings the functions of those elements. In Part I stanza 15, the ice near Antarctica makes loud cracking noises that sound “like noises in a swound.” The word “like” makes it clear that this is a simile. In Part II stanza 25, describes the good weather which last all of one stanza. The weather is enjoyed by the crew and features alliterative repetition of the “F” sound, as “furrow, follow, free.” Later on in Part II, when the wind dies and the ship can’t move the scene is compared using simile to a motionless painting. Also the crew becomes so thirsty that it’s as if their mouths were full of dry “soot,” or ashes. If the albatross hadn’t come along, then sure, the whole crew probably would have died in that ice field. But the consequences of shooting the albatross seem almost worse than death. Maybe that’s because shooting is a completely senseless act. As a persecuted figure of salvation, the albatross resembles Christ in many ways, especially when you consider that a bird often symbolizes Christ. The crime arouses the wrath of the supernatural spirits who then pursue the ship “from the land of mist and snow,” the south winds had initially led then from the land of ice now sends the ship into uncharted waters, where it is becalmed. Day after day, after day, We stuck, nor breath nor motion; As idle as a painted ship Upon a painted ocean. Water, water, everywhere, And all the boards did shrink; Water, water, everywhere, Nor any drop to drink. In Part II of the poem in lines 23-24, Coleridge uses parallelism to show how the sailors quickly change their minds about whether killing the albatross is good or bad. The structure of the last four lines of this stanza states, “Then all averred” (agreed) and continued on with “bird to slay.” The albatross becomes the defining symbol of the Mariner’s big mistake. As a symbol of the burden of sin, it is compared explicitly to the cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified. The usage of color in this poem is important in order to show other supernatural elements. In Part II stanza 31, the water begins to turn strange colors at night after the albatross has been killed. These supernatural green, blue, and white lights are compared in a simile to “witch’s oils,” which are used for spells and enchantments. In Part IV stanza 63-64, the water snakes leave a white light in their wake that looks likes “flakes” of frost. The same light is compared using metaphor to “golden fire” in stanza 64. It’s hard to separate the religious, spiritual, and supernatural in this poem. By the end of the poem, the message of the Mariner’s bizarre and violent story has become, “Go to church and pray.” The poem seems more like a radical re-working of Christian symbols rather than traditional Christian themes. In stanza III line 44-46, the forces of Death and Life-in-Death are personified as the crew of the Ghost Ship. Life-in-Death is a strange mix of the beautiful and creepy, as evidenced by two similes; “her hair is like gold, but her skin is diseased land like a leper’s” and also the dice game that they play represents the fate of the sailors. In part V stanza 67, sleep is mythologized as a gift from the Virgin Mary. After the curse is broken (stanza 70) and the Mariner can finally get some sleep, he feels as light as a ghost. Also in Part V further down in stanzas 82-84, we learn that the singing of the angels is compared in a simile to singing birds and to a symphony of instruments. A pleasant noise like a babbling brook continues to be heard after the singing has stopped. In The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, Coleridge never strayed from his style of writing. As we have learned in class Coleridge, amongst other things was fascinated with the beauty of nature, and although his usage in this poem was slightly exaggerated; it was no different. Nature is emphasized throughout and also becomes a recurring theme. With physical suffering, the power of nature shows us forgiveness in many ways. The Albatross, as a representation of nature, means nothing to the Mariner until he begins to find his salvation when he looks at the “slimy things” as creatures of strange beauty. He then understands that the Albatross was a symbol of nature and he realized what he had done wrong. The Mariner is forgiven after sufficient penance. Nature shows us more strength as we realize that people of today can’t forgive someone who has killed another person. At a spiritual level, nature can decide if we will live, or be condemned. Nature is a powerful element. Using its physical, spiritual, and emotional leveled powers, it can help teach us to focus of life and love.