How Does The Rime Of The Ancient Mariner Relate To The Enlightenment

ompt 3: The Romantic Era was a time of celebration for artistic, literary, musical and intellectual pursuits towards the end of the eighteenth century. With this brought an emphasis on individualism, emotion, childhood and nature, which, at large, was a reactionary response against scientific rationalisation during the Enlightenment. Yet, it was not simply a response to the rationalism of the Enlightenment but also a reaction to the material changes in society, which was accompanied by the emerging and expanding industrial capitalism in the late eighteenth century. During this time, the Industrial Revolution was at full speed and brought rapid changes to the once natural landscape many had grown accustomed to. This new “way of life” separated
Conversely, in Coleridge’s poem, “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” the word “spiritual” takes on a whole different meaning. While, Wordsworth’s poem was brimming with beautiful recollations of nature through a child’s eyes and its spiritual connection to the human experience , Coleridge’s approach to his piece shows nature’s wrath and connection to the spirit realm itself. During the Romantic Era, both the natural and supernatural were often utilized, mainly to promote the idea that, humans, no matter their worldly achievements, will never be as powerful as the almighty forces of the nature and spiritual world. This lesson is learned by the poem’s protagonist, “the ancient Mariner”, who upon stumbling into a wedding feast, laments his perilous tale of the fury of nature to a mystified guest. In doing so, the Mariner removes the story from a contained civilization and into the grips of the powerful sea, where his ship once sailed. As the ancient Mariner faces the violent nature of the sea, an albatross arrives and starts to bring fortune to he and his crew. Unfortunately, when the Mariner makes the pointless decision to kill the albatross, a curse is cast upon him and nature strikes back. As conditions worsen, he is soon forced to wear the dead albatross around his neck by his angry crew, which is evidenced by the following, “Ah! well-a-day! What evil looks/ Had I from old and young!/ Instead of the cross, the Albatross/ About my neck was hung” (Lines 139-142). Not only is this an allegory for man attempting to master nature and failing to do so but it is also an introduction to the idea that nature has a connection to the spiritual world. Furthermore, the albatross arrives as a bringer a salvation yet, as man often does, the Mariner takes advantage and the subsequent consequences are “his cross to bear”. Essentially, Coleridge is