Of The Ancient Mariner

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Rime
Of The Ancient Mariner

Samuel Taylor Coleridge's poem "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner,"
written in 1797, has been widely discussed throughout literary history. Although
critics have come up with many different interpretations of this poem, one idea
that has remained prevalent throughout these discussions is the apparent
religious symbolism present throughout this poem. "The Ancient
Mariner" contains natural, gothic, and biblical symbolism; however, the
religious and natural symbolism, which coincide with one another, play the most
important roles in this poem (Piper 43). It is apocalyptic and natural symbolism
that dominates the core of this poem (43). The biblical symbolism found in this
poem mainly reflects the apocalypse, as it deals with the Mariner's revelation
that good will triumph over evil, and his acceptance of all nature as God's
creation. It is impossible to believe that Coleridge was not thinking of the
mysterious wind that blows on the Mariner, without any awareness of the wind as
a Biblical symbol of the Holy Spirit. Coleridge could also not associate the
murder of the albatross with the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. The reader is told
that the Polar Spirit “loved the bird that loved the man who shot him with his
bow.” It is doubtful that someone with Coleridge’s Christian background and
faith could fail to see here an analogy with God who loved his son who loved the
men that killed him (Gardner 169). Another example of symbolism is the fact that
the albatross is hung around the Mariner’s neck like a crucifix. Event the
“cross” in “cross-bow” hints at the murder of Jesus, which logically
paces the albatross as a symbol for Christ (180). It is thought that Coleridge
deliberately created these symbols and images with Christian meaning in mind.
The apocalypse is heavily reflected upon throughout this poem as Coleridge
combined the vivid colors, the ocean, and the death fires of “The Ancient
Mariner” with the terror and desolation of the days of wrath in the apocalypse
(Piper 48). The section of the poem after the Mariner kills the Albatross is a
description of the emptiness and desolation that the Mariners experience, and
the curse that is over the ship (103-127). This section of the poem has
tremendous correspondence to the apocalyptic story. The language and form in
this part of the poem represent the images and words, which have traditionally
described the wrath of God and the guilt of man in Christian terms. Its is at
this point in th...

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