The Rime of the Ancient Mariner
By Samuel Taylor Coleridge
The sun now rose upon the right:
Out of the sea came he,
Still hid in mist, and on the left
Went down into the sea.And the good south wind still blew behind,
But no sweet bird did follow,
Nor any day for food or play
Came to the mariners’ hollo!And I had done an hellish thing,
And it would work ’em woe:
For all averred, I had killed the bird
That made the breeze to blow.
Ah wretch! said they, the bird to slay,
That made the breeze to blow!Nor dim nor red, like an angel’s head,
The glorious sun uprist:
Then all averred, I had killed the bird
That brought the fog and mist.
’Twas right, said they, such birds to slay,
That bring the fog and mist.The fair breeze blew, the white foam flew,
The furrow followed free;
We were the first that ever burst
Into that silent sea.Down dropped the breeze, the sails dropped down,
’Twas sad as sad could be;
And we did speak only to break
The silence of the sea!All in a hot and copper sky,
The bloody sun, at noon,
Right up above the mast did stand,
No bigger than the moon.Day after day, day after day,
We stuck, nor breath nor motion;
As idle as a painted ship
Upon a painted ocean.Water, water, everywhere,
And all the boards did shrink;
Water, water, everywhere,
Nor any drop to drink.The very deeps did rot: O Christ!
That ever this should be!
Yea, slimy things did crawl with legs
Upon the slimy sea.About, about, in reel and rout
The death fires danced at night;
The water, like a witch’s oils,
Burnt green, and blue and white.And some in dreams assured were
Of the spirit that plagued us so;
Nine fathom deep he had followed us
From the land of mist and snow.And every tongue, through utter drought,
Was withered at the root;
We could not speak, no more than if
We had been choked with soot.Ah! wel-a-day! what evil looks
Had I from old and young!
Instead of the cross, the albatross
About my neck was hung.
Summary of The Rime of the Ancient Mariner
- Popularity of the poem: Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s lyric poem, first published in 1798 in Lyrical Ballads with William Wordsworth, captured the imagination of readers and helped launch the Romantic movement. Its musicality, vivid natural imagery, and mysterious atmosphere have ensured its enduring appeal.
- The story of the albatross: The poem opens with the mariner killing an albatross, an act that brings a curse upon the ship. Initially, the crew condemns the mariner and believes the bird’s death will bring clear skies. But as the ship becomes becalmed and the crew suffers extreme thirst, their fear turns into blame. In a desperate attempt to appease the perceived curse, they hang the dead albatross around the mariner’s neck.
- Major themes: The poem explores the consequences of disrupting the natural world, the shifting nature of blame, and the psychological torment of guilt. The albatross symbolizes nature’s grace, and its death unleashes a series of calamities that highlight humanity’s interconnectedness with the environment and the heavy price of disrespect.
Analysis of Literary Devices Used in The Rime of the Ancient Mariner
Coleridge masterfully employs a rich array of literary devices to enhance the poem’s impact and meaning. Here is an exploration of some prominent techniques:
- Allusion: The poem references “O Christ!” during the sailors’ suffering, evoking spiritual desperation and a yearning for divine intervention.
- Assonance: The repetition of vowel sounds, such as the ‘e’ in “Out of the sea came he,” creates a musical effect and emphasizes key phrases.
- Alliteration: Repeated consonant sounds at the beginnings of words, like “blew behind” and “foam flew,” draw attention to specific images and create rhythm.
- Consonance: The repeated consonant sounds within words, as in “death fires danced,” produce a subtle, noticeable effect.
- Imagery: Vivid descriptions, such as “the good south wind still blew behind” and “no sweet bird did follow,” immerse the reader in the scene.
- Metaphor: Coleridge compares abstract ideas to concrete images, for example describing silence as something that could be broken, which imbues it with weight and power.
- Personification: Inanimate objects are given human qualities, such as the “bloody sun” as a cruel figure and the “death fires” dancing with macabre energy.
- Simile: Direct comparisons using “like” or “as,” such as “as idle as a painted ship” and “the water, like a witch’s oils,” clarify meaning and create vivid images.
- Symbolism: Objects represent abstract ideas: the ship symbolizes the journey of life, the sea represents the vast unknown, and the albatross symbolizes nature’s grace and the interconnectedness of all things.
Analysis of Poetic Devices Used in The Rime of the Ancient Mariner
Beyond literary devices, Coleridge utilizes a range of poetic techniques to shape rhythm, sound, and overall effect:
- Diction: The poem’s formal, archaic diction creates a sense of timelessness and elevates its subject matter.
- End Rhyme: Coleridge frequently uses end rhyme, contributing to the poem’s musical flow.
- Quatrain: The poem largely uses quatrains—stanzas of four lines—to provide a consistent structure.
- Rhyme Scheme: The prevalent rhyme scheme is ABCB, which offers a fluid and musical quality, though variations occur in longer stanzas.
- Stanza Form: The arrangement in stanzas organizes the narrative and emphasizes key themes.
- Tone: The poem’s tone shifts from descriptive and serene to ominous and desperate, adding emotional depth.
Quotes to be Used
The following lines are useful to quote when discussing themes of supernatural forces or unexplained misfortunes:
And some in dreams assured were
Of the spirit that plagued us so;
Nine fathom deep he had followed us
From the land of mist and snow.