The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge is a classic masterpiece of literature, revered and studied by aspiring authors and keen readers alike. This poem conveys Coleridge’s own philosophical views on life, and serves as an emotionally charged narrative surrounding a sailor’s transgressions and subsequent redemption.
The poem begins with a description of a weathered, solitary Mariner, who stops a fellow wedding guest to tell his story. He begins his narration with his voyage to recover a stolen albatross---a bird considered a good omen among sailors and a sign of God’s blessing. However, the Mariner shoots it, incurring a guilt-ridden punishment of sin and alienation. The death of the albatross serves as a metaphor for the Mariner’s sins, and consequently, for everyone’s sins.
As the Mariner’s vessel leaves the misty regions of the north, his ship is becalmed, the sailors exhausted, and they slowly drift in a stagnant sea state. God’s punishment encompasses the ship, with a prevailing Death-Mist suddenly covering them, and a coven of dead spirits arriving in the shape of a ship. At the sight of these spirits, the Mariner is filled with horror, yet he eventually finds peace and solace when the spirit’s boat morphs into an Albatross.
The condemned mariner then faces a series of other afflictions, including hallucinations, skeletal creatures and a supernatural water-snake. All of these acts fromGod can be interpreted as a means of rehabilitating the Mariner, however, it is only upon the saving of a young sailor’s life from a water-snake that the Mariner’s curse is finally lifted.
At the poem's climax, the Mariner learns the lesson of love and penitence for his own and other’s misdeeds. On the voyage home, he is immediately engulfed by a divine presence, which grants him knowledge and a renewed faith. His suffering is then repurposed and he is even granted a redemptive power through his story and return.
The poem’s conclusion returns to the beginning of the tale, back to the wedding. The Mariner, returned with a newfound knowledge of Christian love and acceptance, urges his audience to listen and to embrace the intellectual and spiritual aspects of a well-tempered life.
The Rime of the Ancient Mariner is a captivating and emotive narrative, exploring themes of penitence and spirituality, and it is still highly sought after today. Coleridge’s ability to convey spiritual and ethical components within the poem, and to convey its inherent message reveals a great deal about human nature. As such, the poem serves to both challenge and amuse readers, leaving them with a deeper understanding of their own lives, and how it pertains to those of others.
