Repetition In The Rime Of The Ancient Mariner

The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, a text by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, uses repetition to demonstrate the despair of the ancient mariner. Coleridge uses repetition in the lines of the poem which helps readers to understand the despair that the ancient mariner feels. In Part 1, the ancient mariner is stranded with his sailors in an icy area where they cannot pass. The sailors grow weary due to the stagnant trip, where the mariner’s despair is seen by the description of “ice was here, the ice was there, the ice was all around” (59-60). The repetition of the word ice shows the desolation of the sailor’s isolation. By describing that the ice is all that the sailors can see, the loss of hope is evident. If they were still hopeful, they may see the
beauty in the ice or have a solution. However, all that surrounds them is complete despair. The utter despair of the ancient mariner is further seen when he is the only remaining sailor who is alive. He describes how he is “Alone, alone, all all alone, alone on a wide wide sea” (233-234). This repetition of the words “alone”, “all”, and “wide”, show the unending misery of the ancient mariner. It also shows a degree of madness that the ancient mariner is suffering from. By repeating words, it is evident that the ancient mariner is in solitude and the isolation is affecting him mentally. The isolation not only deteriorates him mentally, but in the sea, he does not have access to drinking water. The ancient mariner repeats the line “Water, water, everywhere” twice, and then comments on how there is “nor any drop to drink” (119, 121-122). The lack of water drives him insane, as he is surrounded by salt water that he cannot drink. The repetition shows the struggle that the mariner faces which contributes to his despair. The repetition helps to fully describe the mariner’s pain and his despair as he is alone and stranded on the ship.