The Rime of the Ancient Mariner

Samuel Taylor Coleridge

The Rime of the Ancient Mariner

• Samuel Taylor Coleridge

• 1798 • The consequences

of sin • Guilt • The horror of

isolation

The Rime of the Ancient Mariner

• Lyrical Ballad

• Ballad – narrative poem

• Intense descriptions

• Emotional Force

• Rhyming

Part 1

• The wedding guest is under the “spell” of The Mariner’s “glittering eye”

• The Albatross is a spiritual symbol – God and nature – white bird like a dove (Holy Spirit)

• Romantics believed God and nature were one• Verses 41-44 - “Storm…tyrannous and strong”

– personification• “wings…chased us” - metaphor

Part I continued

• Verse 81 – “Why look’st thou so? – tone change

• The Mariner kills the good bird with his cross bow

Part 2

• The shipmates blame the Mariner for killing the Albatross then take it back – they become accomplices to the killing

• Verses 103-106 – “furrow, followed free” – Alliteration

• The shipmates blame the Mariner for killing the Albatross – they believe that killing the bird has caused them to be stranded and evil around them

• “Instead of the cross” hang Albatross around his neck – symbolism – sin and guilt

Part 3

• “Death Ship” – metaphor• Verses 190 – 194 - “Her lips were red…”

personification of death – a woman• Verses 195 – 198 - Game of dice “I’ve won” game

of “chance” – fate/life• Darkness = death• Verse 215 – “cursed me with his eye” – symbolism • Souls passed him like his “crossbow” – how he

killed the Albatross

Part 4

• Verses 232 – 235 – “Alone, alone, all alone…” – repetition – he is isolated

• “My heart as dry as dust” – he is alive but his soul is dead– symbolism

• Although the men are dead they curse him with their eyes (souls)

• “Seven days, seven nights…” – biblical number• Verse 263 – “The moving Moon…” – alliteration

also brings a change in tone

Part 4

• Verses 263 – 287• “Softly she was going up…”• “…beams bemocked…”• “…the water snakes… shining white… elfish light”• “I watched their rich attire:/Blue, glossy green and

velvet black….flash of golden fire”• The beauty of nature has saved him, he can pray and is

alive• The Albatross falls off – his guilt/sin is released into the

sea

Part 5

• Mary – Holy Mother – brings sleep and rain• Rain – water = rebirth – symbolism • Mariner dies in his sleep and comes back a

blessed ghost • The dead rise and steer the ship without any

wind• They are angels – “angels song”• “dawned…dropped” “Sweet sounds” -

alliteration

Part 5

• The Polar Spirit carries the ship as the angels command but he still wants vengeance

• The Polar Spirit takes the ship to the line. He and his demons shake the ship. The Mariner is struck and is unconscious.

• The Mariner’s penance is not over

Part 6

• When the Mariner is in a trance the ship moves with super natural power

• When he is awake serves his penance and the dead men continue to curse him

• Verse 446 – “…on a lonesome road…” – symbolism – life , isolation

• Verse 472 “… clear as glass…” – simile – change in tone – light images

• Angels are light

Part 7

• The Hermit – hermits live in the woods away from people

• He Hermit encourages the pilot to push forward and rescue the Mariner

• The appearance of the Mariner – “The Devil knows how to row.”

• Mariner asks Hermit to shrieve ( hear penance, absolve someone’s sins)- transforms him into a priest

• Once he tells his story (sin) he is free• His penance is to retell his story