Coleridge’s Rime of the Ancient Mariner
The theme of sin and redemption is one that remains auspicious in Coleridge’s poem The Ancient Mariner. When the Mariner kills Albatross, committing sin, feelings of supernatural and natural guilt hound engulf him. These take him to varied spells of emotions, which drive him into repentance on one terrifying occasion. The penance comes after confession to the Hermit so his tale can be told to the world. The poem, therefore, displays man as a creature full of sin, awaited by redemption on an instant effort of penance after wrongdoing. There is so much allegorical tales of Christian beliefs like in the final speech at the wedding. ‘Farewell, farewell! But this I tell To thee, thou Wedding-Guest! He prayeth well, who loveth well Both man and bird and beast (611-614)’. Even in instances of terror within the poem, the Ancient Mariner notices a church among the first things in vision in his sight, after the ship faces a terrifying storm. “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” is allegorical in nature, which symbolizes and describes the abject huddles of individuals faced with the notion of sin and redemption. The desired purpose is evidently seen in “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner”, which further reflects hope, and the influence of empathetic imagination. The ancient mariner is set on a sea voyage close to the edge of the East of Africa and through the Pacific Ocean to England, describes the symbolic pass into the spirit realm of guiltiness, retribution, and reincarnation.
As the bodies lie ‘lifeless and flat’ (489), the mariner sees a seraph meaning an angels, hovering above each of the bodies in the ship. Then the boat having the bodies of the pilot and his boy accompanied by a Hermit who sings Christian hymns also come in sight. This hermit characterizes the power of Christianity given his description of kneeling in the woods while praying. This praying of the Hermit can be seen while the Mariner floats helplessly after the ship sinks giving the Mariner hope of roaring towards the boat symbolizing redemption. It is through the realization of sin that humans focus on finding rescue when every hope is lost and that exemplifies by saying that “the Devil knows how to row” (570). The marine members included their wish, in determining the action they initially criticized. That comes up when they had the thought of the bird causing the mist bringing about sinful superstition. When closely examined, the poem makes sense, and the cause series shows. Unlike in reality of life, the poem’s path of administration was not factual, for instance, success is likely to come after a tough effort in real life, and when one gives food to the shackle, and then the victory comes. It just shows the connection, which the poem makes with reality in Christian life for helping of the poor to receive good returns. In the poem, we have the members putting blame on anything creating change and resultantly they end up justifying the crime of Albatross murder. This then leads to the introduction of the sun, as a sensible expediency and rises nicely and wonderfully. This is allegorical of the connection between darkness and light of how people can focus in their justification.
The moon in “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner,” comes out as a symbol of happiness, beauty, love, creature’s blessing and freedom from the spell. This carries about the theme of redemption in Christianity, which display the need for some degree of holiness. Alternatively, the theme of sin has cautiously been dealt with; the premise of redemption is left open for clarification. Redemption comes out as an action of being forgiven after one has repented. This is often found in the Bible when the followers of Jesus were told to repent and be saved. In the poem, examples from the bible are used in most cases showing the Christianity angle it assumes. For instance, when the Mariner experienced a hard time, all his colleagues turned against him. This connects to leaving the spirit of life in Christianity as when a person sins and connection to God only comes after repentance. The moment he received redemption, he started seeing good things emerge around him, unlike when he was facing very hard times from his fellow members, who even punished him. The mariner had another redemption when his fellow members who had disappeared, reappeared and gave him so much joy on seeing them again. Hermit and the wedding guest are also vital to the redemption of the mariner. The hermit as a gods’ priest, accepts the Mariner back in the society, and the wedding guest as an important way that helps mariner plead guilty.
The Ancient Mariner disregards the demands of God for not vitiating human nature when he kills Albatross. Sin comes without reasoning on most occasions, and that is why the Mariner faces difficulty in justifying his motive for Killing Albatross. ‘With my crossbow I shot the Albatross!” illustrates how motiveless the killing of the albatross really was (79 – 82). It displays the connection between sinning against humanity and Christianity. Killing a person is a crime against the victim and at the same time, there comes a religious significance, which requires redemption (Coleridge 1-160). In analyzing the symbolism of guilt in, “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner”, it is relevant to appreciate that, in the context of the Romantics, God was as one with Nature. Due to this belief, a sin against Nature was sin against God. Looking at line 82 of the poem, the persona simply says, “I shot the Albatross.” This being said it raises the question of why the bird was shot. There is no clear explanation to that effect.
The Albatross being shot with no motive or reason seemingly like the sin of humans. Here, the plot of the poem thickens and takes on its allegorical purpose in where the Albatross symbolizes sin and the possibility of Jesus Christ, as well. Christianity views Jesus’ death upon the cross as redemption of the sins of humankind. He was castigated such that humanity can be forgiven. Just like Jesus, the Albatross died, not for its own transgressions, but rather for the transgressions of others, like the sin of the Mariner. Closely looking at part 1 stanza 7 the persona uses biblical allusion when he states that, “The sun came up upon the left, Out of the sea came he! And he shone bright, and on the right Went down into the sea.” This easily being linked to the bible in John 3:16 where God sends his only begotten Son Jesus Christ into the world to die and redeem humanity. The notion of redemption and hope demonstrated by the Mariner over the vice that often betrays humanity can be co- related with the idea of salvation in Christianity where total redemption was only possible through Christ’s death as ransom for humanity.
There is the manifestation of guilt and for the Mariner to be set free of this sin he must first accept his guilt. Looking through lines 91 through 96 that say, “And I had done a hellish thing, and it would work ‘em woe: For all averred, I had killed the bird that made the breeze to blow. Ah wretch! Said they, the bird to slay, That made the breeze to blow!” We can see the admittance of fault that justifies the process of exoneration for the Mariner to begin. It allows the Albatross to turn into a memento of the Mariner’s wrongdoing, a depiction of Jesus Christ’s affliction, and a representation of the Christian faith. Lines 40 and 41 also say, “Instead of the cross, the Albatross About my neck was hung.”
This follows the next figurative theme in “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner,” which is that of reprisal. Lines, 143-146 there is an illustration of a time of draught for the sailors on the voyage. With no drinking water, they are in distress. This inevitably symbolizes the divine draught that humans face in Christian walk. With no love for Jesus Christ, humankind is searching for divine illumination and forgiveness without which they suffer. The “rime of the ancient mariner” also answers the ethical question, what has gone wrong with world?” there is deliberation by the persona in citing guilt, which can be related to the self-recognition of Sin, or wrong doing. The other question the” Rime of the Ancient Mariner” asks is, how can it be done to fix it? In addition, in answering this question the symbolism of rebirth. The rejuvenation as seen in the Mariner understands that all creatures are a part of God. Lines 272-281 the Mariner describes the how beautiful the water snakes moving around the boat look. This understanding leads to the Mariner’s reincarnation when he says, “A spring of love gushed from my heart, and I blessed them unaware” 284-285. It is at this moment of gratitude, when Albatross falls off from the neck of the Mariner, showing that he no longer requires it as a memento of his sin. He has been set free in his heart as he sees the loveliness that God is in Nature.
Another symbol of reincarnation in the poem is illustrated by the rain. After a draught, of nonstop time in, which the Mariner never realized his sin or the splendor of Nature in God. Finally, he feels rain that he can be drunk, and lest be quenched from his mortal and divine draught. With his acknowledgment the Mariner under goes rain as a representation of baptism, and reincarnation this can be viewed in lines 299-300 when he says, “I dreamt that they were filled with dew; and when I awoke, it rained.” In the Christian faith, baptism represents the resurrection of the human from his or her sinful nature into a new illumination (born again/born of water), as seen in “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner,” through the rain.
Conclusively as regards the poem, Coleridge brings to an end the sacred voyage of the Mariner to convey the reader into a divine expedition of guilt, reprisal, and a new start. This is as a sign of the journey of the Christian faith. Describing the abject huddles of humankind for transgression and salvation, “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” suggests to the reader that some instances of bizarre situations are real. Coleridge uses supernatural unfolding events to bring to life the notion he describes in his work. “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” evidently demonstrates the principles of Christianity as deliverance, and the power of sympathy fused in imagination. Coleridge cleverly juxtaposes between the sympathetic imagination and divine power. It can be traced that the plot keeps on thickening from guilt, retribution and finally salvation. There is a definite biblical allusion a technique, which by far strengthens the subject he explores. He answers the vital questions of humanity; as he describes the actual reality in a life of an individual. The extremes of this kind of notion might suggest that mythical beliefs only exist in the minds of those who bear bizarre logic. But, we cannot certainly dispute the fact that he greatly upholds morals, and if the world will change for better, then there has to be a reasonable amount of guilt, which mankind must admit hence causing forgiveness. The bright side of an individual struggling with life is that there is hope; there is salvation, which at most requires sacrifice. Then, silence as the price has been paid then all that is needed is acceptance, and receiving that unseen grace, the unseen power of resurrection. According to Coleridge, a complete human undergoes affliction and suffering and that the answer to this unending anguish can be attained through belief in a supernatural being. The idea of a spiritual realm and super natural character, suggests that there is an answer to all the troubles, which mankind goes through. We admit the wrong we do, we confess and then the rebirth/ redemption begins. The walk of salvation according to Coleridge cannot be fully attained if the three fundamental aspects are not followed. It is seen through guilt, retribution and retribution. Like the holy Christian book the bible says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness”1 John 1:9.
Works Cited
Coleridge, Samuel T. Ancient mariner. Nashvile, Tenesse. Nelson Publishers. (1885): 1-160
