Ancient Mariner

The Rime of the Ancient Mariner a Spiritual Voyage
Samuel Taylor Coleridge journeys through all things that are between reality and fantasy in his epic poem The Rime of the Ancient Mariner. In The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, Coleridge utilizes the concepts of symbols and supernatural elements to illustrate the rise and redemption of the ancient Mariner. This literary work is the tale of a sailor who embarks on a journey that would eventually change his life forever. The Mariner receives a spiritual awakening while facing several trials and tribulations along the way. Through these obstacles comes a new beginning as he discovers what is God’s love. Upon his new and phenomenal experience, the Mariner feels as though he should share this revelation
with everyone he meets.
The first symbol Coleridge mentions is an Albatross. According to Coburn, the “Albatross is ‘an object associated with food and protection,’ undeterred by the fact that it was a receiver, not a giver of food” (Par 3). The Albatross is used to represent good omens and comfort towards the Mariner and his crew in the beginning the journey. According to Teresa Gibson, “Knight finds the Albatross to be a ‘redeeming Christ-like force’” (Par 3). In the tale, the Mariner does not believe that the Albatross brings good luck due to the sudden amount of fog that appears the same time as the mystical creature. The Mariner commits a crime against creation by destroying their good omen by shooting the Albatross with his “crossbow.” We associate his crime with the crucifixion of Christ “Instead of the cross, the Albatross About my neck was hung (Cuddy-Keane, par 3). The Bible says no sin can go unpunished. Ezekil Chapter Eighteen and verse four says, “The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father; neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.” The scripture says each wrong deed must have a punishment, and that no one person can accept anyone else’s punishment but the one who has committed the wrong deed.
The next symbol discussed is the water, which represents cleansing. Just as everyone experiences the feeling of endlessness when we are sinners, due to an unknown lack of something. Once someone becomes saved, they are basically cleansed from all previous wrongdoing, and past transgressions are washed away. Melba Cuddy- Keane states “the first phase of expiation begins with heat and aridity: the ship is becalmed; there is no water to drink; mouths are so dry that the sailors have not enough saliva to even speak. The Mariner, when he sees a speck on the horizon, bites his own arm and sucks his own blood, in order to moisten his mouth enough to call out” (Cuddy-Keane par 4). The Mariner has done something he should not have and is now facing God’s punishment for his action, just as humans face consequences. “I looked to heaven, and tried to pray but or ever a prayer had gushed, a wicked whisper came and made my heart dry as dust” (Coleridge 244-7). Surrounded by the dead bodies of two hundred men who stare at him with blank lifeless eyes, the Mariner is unable to pray because of his bitterness toward God who would allow the men to die, and the “slimy” water snakes to live (Gibson 8).
The Mariner begins to see water snakes which he first views as ugly swimming in the moonlight, and miraculously after seeing their beautiful colors they become beautiful to him. According to traditional Christian doctrine, the Mariner must repent by means of prayer before he can be saved from sin. So far, no grace had been granted. Allowing him the appropriate frame of mind for prayer— “no saint took pity on [his] soul in agony” (Gibson 9). The Mariner finally finds grace when the water snakes transform from ugly to beautiful in the moonlight of the shadow of the ship. “O happy living things! No tongue their beauty might declare: a spring of love gushed from my heart, And I blessed them unaware: sure my kind saint took pity on me, and I blessed them unaware (Pedrini 9). Once he Mariner felt blessed by the water snakes, the Albatross fell from the Mariner’s neck. The self-same moment I could pray; And from my neck so free The Albatross sank like led into the sea. (Coleridge
272-91) Coleridge’s first supernatural element that displayed is the Mariner’s glittering eye. In the beginning of the poem, The Mariner stops a wedding guest that is on his way to a reception.
Though he is in a hurry, the Mariner “…holds him with his glittering eye…” (Coleridge I, 69- 71.13) as if he is frozen, forcing the Wedding Guest to listen to the Mariner’s redemption story. The “glitter” mentioned is a symbol of his conviction to share God’s love with everyone. The Mariner mentions this symbol at the end by saying “…at an uncertain hour, / The agony returns: And till my ghastly tale is told, / This heart within me burns” (Coleridge VII, 698 1.582-585). Once The Mariner begins to feel conviction, he cannot rest until he shares his testimony. In the book of Mark, Chapter Sixteen and verse Fifteen says: “…And he said unto them, go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature…” (Expositor’s Study Bible). The mariner is just following the command of God by sharing his story with the Wedding Guest. “It is part of our human obligation that we are condemned to both hear out our fellow human beings in their extremity and to recognize in their stories, potential stories of ourselves” (Cuddy-Keane
3).