Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner
The Rime of the Ancient Mariner- Analysis * Verse drama * Major characters: the Mariner and the Wedding Guest
- to enjoy the poem, one must visualize the actions and facial expressions of these two characters.
The poem can be read on at least three levels, two of which tend to overlap: * The literal level
-The poem can be enjoyed simply as a suspenseful adventure story. * The moral level
- The Mariner's killing of the bird is a symbolic representation of original sin. The punishment of the Mariner resembles the crucifixion and bears upon the scapegoat tradition of Christianity.
- This examines the poem as a fable of sin, penance, and redemption, drawing upon traditional Christian symbols and motifs. * The allegorical level
-It sees the Mariner as an everyman figure who must come to grips with his isolation from society- deals with sin in the universe and its overcoming.
Eg: The Mariner's repentance. The Mariner cannot pray until he blesses the vile creatures unaware. When he found himself able to pray, and the corpse of the Albatross fell from his neck. – the curse is broken.
Symbols and Imagery * The albatross resembles Christ in many ways.
- Part I. Stanza 16: The albatross is treated like a person, a "Christian soul," by the lonely sailors. In Christian symbolism, Jesus Christ is sometimes compared metaphorically to a bird, so the albatross could be a symbol for Christ.
- II.24: The albatross becomes the defining symbol of the Mariner's big mistake. As a symbol of the burden of sin, it is compared explicitly to the cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified. * The Religious and the Supernatural
- Part III.44-46: The forces of Death and Life-in-Death are personified as the crew of the Ghost Ship. Life-In-Death is a strange mix of the beautiful and the creepy, as evidenced by two similes: her hair is like gold, but her skin is diseased like a leper's. The dice game they play represents the random fate of the sailors.
- to enjoy the poem, one must visualize the actions and facial expressions of these two characters.
The poem can be read on at least three levels, two of which tend to overlap: * The literal level
-The poem can be enjoyed simply as a suspenseful adventure story. * The moral level
- The Mariner's killing of the bird is a symbolic representation of original sin. The punishment of the Mariner resembles the crucifixion and bears upon the scapegoat tradition of Christianity.
- This examines the poem as a fable of sin, penance, and redemption, drawing upon traditional Christian symbols and motifs. * The allegorical level
-It sees the Mariner as an everyman figure who must come to grips with his isolation from society- deals with sin in the universe and its overcoming.
Eg: The Mariner's repentance. The Mariner cannot pray until he blesses the vile creatures unaware. When he found himself able to pray, and the corpse of the Albatross fell from his neck. – the curse is broken.
Symbols and Imagery * The albatross resembles Christ in many ways.
- Part I. Stanza 16: The albatross is treated like a person, a "Christian soul," by the lonely sailors. In Christian symbolism, Jesus Christ is sometimes compared metaphorically to a bird, so the albatross could be a symbol for Christ.
- II.24: The albatross becomes the defining symbol of the Mariner's big mistake. As a symbol of the burden of sin, it is compared explicitly to the cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified. * The Religious and the Supernatural
- Part III.44-46: The forces of Death and Life-in-Death are personified as the crew of the Ghost Ship. Life-In-Death is a strange mix of the beautiful and the creepy, as evidenced by two similes: her hair is like gold, but her skin is diseased like a leper's. The dice game they play represents the random fate of the sailors.