Unit 2

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British Romantic

Literature II UNIT 2 SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE: ‘THE


RIME OF THE ANCIENT MARINER’:
BALLAD TRADITION & SUMMARY
Structure
2.0 Objectives
2.1 Introduction to the S.T. Coleridge
2.2 Introduction to the Poem The Rime of The Ancient Mariner
2.3 The Ballad
2.4 Outline of the Poem
2.5 Text of the Poem The Rime of The Ancient Mariner (Parts I,II& IV)
2.6 Interpretation
2.7 Poetic Devices
2.8 Check Your Progress : Possible Questions
2.9 Let Us Sum Up
2.10 Suggested Readings

2.0 OBJECTIVES
In this unit we shall introduce you to another Romantic poet called Samuel Taylor
Coleridge who along with Wordsworth published ‘The Lyrical Ballads’ in the
early quarter of the 19th century. The extract prescribed for your course is from
Coleridge’s ballad The Rime of The Ancient Mariner. In the course of your study
of this unit, we will explain:
• the characteristics of a ballad
• an outline of the poem (of all the seven parts)
• a detailed analysis of the poem (Parts I,II&IV) that includes annotation
and
• critical analysis
• the poetic devices employed in the ballad.

2.1 INTRODUCTION TO S.T.COLERIDGE


Coleridge (1772-1834) was both a poet and a critic. He was a close associate of
Wordsworth, who with him holds an important place in the English Romantic
Movement. Some of his best poetical works include France: an Ode, Kubla
Khan, Christabel, Dejection Ode and The Rime of the Ancient Mariner.
Coleridge presented his philosophy of poetry and his critique on Romantic
ideals in his (literary autobiography), ‘Biographia Literaria’. As a philosopher,
Coleridge tried to reconcile science, religion and politics, while as a literary
78 critic he anticipated modern psychological criticism.
Coleridge said that in his poetry he dealt with the supernatural and that he Samuel Taylor
“sought to give a semblance of truth” to make “these shadows of imagination” Coleridge: ‘The
Rime Of The
appear natural. The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, Kubla Khan and Christabel Ancient Mariner’:
are poems that arise out of the subconscious and evoke a magical and mysterious Ballad Tradition &
mood. Summary

2.3 INTRODUCTION TO THE POEM “THE RIME


OF THE ANCIENT MARINER”
The Rime of the Ancient Mariner has a close parallel to the Biblical story of
Abel and Cain, the two sons of Adam and Eve. Adam minded the sheep while
Cain was a tiller of the ground. In course of time, Cain brought to the Lord an
offering of the fruits of the ground while Abel offered Him the fat portions of
his sheep. The Lord accepted Abel’s gifts but not that of Cain.
In a fit of jealousy and anger, Cain killed Abel and thus became the first murderer on
earth. The Lord cursed Cain and said, “You should he a fugitive and a wanderer
on the earth” He put a mark on Cain to warn other men to stay away from
him.
The Rime of The Ancient Mariner is a similar story about an old sailor who
thoughtlessly kills an albatross (a large sea bird)during a sea voyage. He is
punished for his cruel, wanton act and experiences extreme physical hardship
and alienation from God and Man and is tormented by feelings of guilt. As part
of his penance and expiation, he is cursed to wander from country to country
and narrate his story and thereby relive those horrible moments.
Do you recognise the similarities between these two stories?
i) They both involve an unpremeditated crime done on an impulse.
ii) Both lead to alienation from man and God.
iii) Both Cain and the Mariner suffer a curse which includes wandering from
place to place.
iv) Both stories have a strong moral that if man violates the laws of nature he
must suffer.
v) In both stories the guilty man atones for his crime through re-living his
experience.
Thus, the two stories deal with crime, punishment, penance and some kind
of redemption (forgiveness). It is interesting to learn from contemporary
evidence that Coleridge was keenly interested in the subject of guilt, suffering
and expiation. He began writing a poem called “The Wandering of Cain” and
although he did not complete it, he modelled his Mariner on the figure of Cain
and explored the theme of psychology of guilt in this poem.
Coleridge’s poem tells the story of the Mariner in a dramatic and imaginative
way. The narrative content lends itself to the form of a ballad. The poem also
incorporates certain basic ideas about poetry which Coleridge and Wordsworth
formulated in the Preface To the Lyrical Ballads. Accordingly, Wordsworth
was to write poems dealing with familiar objects and scenes and make them
79
British Romantic interesting and new while Coleridge was to deal with persons and experiences
Literature II that are strange and unfamiliar and make them appear natural. He was to describe
these mysterious events and people in such a way that while reading them the
reader will temporarily forget their strangeness and believe them to be true. In
short, Coleridge was to make the reader suspend his disbelief and thereby not
question the credibility of the narrative. How was Coleridge to achieve this?
i) by describing the natural settings in the poem accurately to create the
impression of reality
ii) by making the emotions and reactions of the characters seem authentic and
psychologically convincing such as the reader might himself experience in
a similar situation.
iii) by linking the supernatural world of spirits and non-natural happenings with
the real world to show that these two levels of existence are interrelated and
affect each other.
Both Wordsworth and Coleridge demonstrate in their different ways the basic
romantic belief that there is a spirit or life in Nature and that man must live in
harmony with nature. This belief is termed pantheism. Other features that make
this poem a romantic ballad are:
i) Coleridge’s use of the power of imagination to conjure up a spiritual world
that lies beyond reality.
ii) his sensitivity to the objects and phenomena of nature.
iii) his interest in and use of the stories, atmosphere, language and poetic form
of the Middle Ages (12th to 15th centuries). His interest in the medieval
period is known as medievalism (an important element in the poetry of
John Keats whom you will study in the next unit).
iv) his keen interest in the working of the human mind in this poem—a study
of the psychology of crime and guilt.

2.3 THE BALLAD


The setting for the poem The Ancient Mariner is the Middle Ages. Coleridge
uses archaic words and creates the atmosphere of that era. A popular form in
medieval times is the ballad and this is the form Coleridge employs for his
poem. The original ballads (like the oral popular folk songs in India) were
anonymous. We do not know who wrote them except that they were stories sung
before an audience. The Ancient Mariner, however, is a “literary ballad”—i.e. a
poem consciously modelled on the original form and written to be read and not
necessarily sung.
In a ballad
i) The story is told in a simple and direct manner
ii) There is a quick succession of new scenes and incidents
iii) The language is simple and terse
80
iv) In a literary ballad, archaic words and spellings common in medieval poetry Samuel Taylor
are used to create an authentic atmosphere. Coleridge: ‘The
Rime Of The
v) Repetition of phrases occurs frequently Ancient Mariner’:
Ballad Tradition &
vi) There is frequent use of alliteration (repetition of consonant sounds) Summary

vii) Normally a 4-line stanza is used with the first and third line consisting of
4-feet and the second and the fourth of 3-feet. Usually the rhyme scheme is
abcb.

2.4 OUTLINE OF THE POEM


Part I: An old sailor’ (the Ancient Mariner) detains a guest at a wedding to tell
him the story of his strange voyage. The guest is eager to join the festivities,
protests but the Mariner with the force of his personality compels him to sit and
listen. The voyage begins normally and the ship sails southwards till it reaches
the Equator. It is then driven by a storm to the regions of perpetual ice. There
is no sign of life there till a large sea bird, the albatross appears. This coincides
with the coming of a favourable wind and the ship returns northwards. The bird
is welcomed by the ship’s crew who feed it and enjoy its company. It follows
the ship for nine days when all of a sudden without any apparent cause, the
Mariner shoots the bird.
Part II: The ship moves northwards but the foggy conditions of the Polar
Regions persist. The Mariner’s shipmates blame him for killing the bird of
good omen that made the breeze to blow. When, however, they approach the
equatorial regions and the fog clears and the sun shines brightly, they applaud
the Mariner’s deed of killing the bird as though it was responsible for bringing
the fog along. They thus become accomplices in the Mariner’s crime. At the
equator, the ship is stranded without a breeze and the crew suffers terribly from
heat and thirst. This marks the beginning of the punishment for the killing of
the albatross. The shipmates now blame the Mariner for their suffering and they
hang the dead bird around the Mariner’s neck as a sign of his guilt.
Part III: The ship remains stationary and the torture of the crew continues.
They are visited by a horrifying skeleton ship manned by two fearsome figures.
One is identified as Death and the other as Life-in-Death. They gamble for the
lives of the crew: Death wins all of them except the Mariner whom Life-in-
Death takes possession of. Part III ends with the death of all the crew members
while the Mariner remains alive to be left alone with his torment.
Part IV-VII: The Mariner suffers total isolation and he is plagued by a sense
of guilt. The only living things visible are the sea-creatures which look ugly to
him as they crawl about. He is surrounded by the bodies of his shipmates whose
eyes seem to curse him even in their death. This agony continues for 7 days
when under the light of the moon the Mariner observes a Hermit and asks him
to listen to his confessional story. As he begins to narrate his experiences, he is
wrenched by a terrible agony which leaves him only when his story is finished.
This compulsion to roam from land to land and narrate his story (and relive his
experience) is the penance that he must do all through his life.

81
British Romantic Sounds from the wedding celebration are heard and as the wedding guest gets
Literature II ready to leave, the Mariner tells him that his greatest joy in life is to be a part
of the human community once again. The Mariner teaches by his own example
that as part of God’s creation we must love and revere all things that God has
made. The poem ends with the departure of the Mariner and the wedding guest
finds himself ‘a sadder and a wiser man’ after this strange encounter with the
Mariner.

2.5 TEXT OF THE POEM ‘‘RIME OF THE


ANCIENT MARINER’’ (PARTS I, II, & IV)
The Rime of the Ancient Mariner Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1798) (Parts
I, II, & IV)
PART I
An ancient Mariner meeteth three gallants bidden to a wedding feast, and
detaineth one.
IT is an ancient Mariner,
And he stoppeth one of three.
‘By thy long beard and glittering eye,
Now wherefore stopp’st thou me?
The Bridegroom’s doors are opened wide,
And I am next of kin;
The guests are met, the feast is set:
May’st hear the merry din.’
He holds him with his skinny hand, ‘There was a ship,’ quoth he.
‘Hold off! unhand me, grey-beard loon!’
Eftsoons his hand dropt he.
The Wedding-Guest is spell-bound by the eye of the old seafaring man, and
constrained to hear his tale.
He holds him with his glittering eye—
The Wedding-Guest stood still,
And listens like a three years’ child:
The Mariner hath his will.
The Wedding-Guest sat on a stone:
He cannot choose but hear;
And thusspake on that ancient man,
The bright-eyed Mariner.
‘The ship was cheer’d, the harbourclear’d,
Merrily did we drop
Below the kirk, below the hill,
Below the lighthouse top.
The Mariner tells how the ship sailed southward with a good wind and fair
weather, till it reached the Line.
The Sun came up upon the left,
82 Out of the sea came he!
And he shone bright, and on the right Samuel Taylor
Went down into the sea. Coleridge: ‘The
Rime Of The
Higher and higher every day, Ancient Mariner’:
Ballad Tradition &
Till over the mast at noon——’
Summary
The Wedding-Guest here beat his breast,
For he heard the loud bassoon.
The Wedding-Guest heareth the bridal music; but the Mariner continueth his
tale.
The bride hath paced into the hall,
Red as a rose is she;
Nodding their heads before her goes
The merry minstrelsy.
The Wedding-Guest he beat his breast,
Yet he cannot choose but hear;
And thusspake on that ancient man,
The bright-eyed Mariner.
The ship drawn by a storm toward the South Pole.
‘And now the Storm-blast came, and he
Was tyrannous and strong:
He struck with his o’ertaking wings,
And chased us south along.
With sloping masts and dipping prow,
As who pursued with yell and blow
Still treads the shadow of his foe,
And forward bends his head,
The ship drove fast, loud roar’d the blast,
The southward aye we fled.
And now there came both mist and snow,
And it grew wondrous cold:
And ice, mast-high, came floating by,
As green as emerald.
The land of ice, and of fearful sounds, where no living thing was to be seen.
And through the drifts the snowy clifts
Did send a dismal sheen:
Nor shapes of men nor beasts we ken—
The ice was all between.
The ice was here, the ice was there,
The ice was all around:
Itcrack’d and growl’d, and roar’d and howl’d,
Like noises in a swound!
Till a great sea-bird, called the Albatross, came through the snow-fog, and was
received with great joy and hospitality.

83
British Romantic At length did cross an Albatross,
Literature II Thorough the fog it came;
As if it had been a Christian soul,
We hail’d it in God’s name.
It ate the food it ne’er had eat,
And round and round it flew.
The ice did split with a thunder-fit;
The helmsman steer’d us through!
And lo! the Albatross proveth a bird of good omen, and followeth the ship as it
returned northward through fog and floating ice.
And a good south wind sprung up behind;
The Albatross did follow,
And every day, for food or play,
Came to the mariners’ hollo!
In mist or cloud, on mast or shroud,
Itperch’d for vespers nine;
Whiles all the night, through fog-smoke white,
Glimmer’d the white moonshine.’
The ancient Mariner inhospitably killeth the pious bird of good omen.
‘God save thee, ancient Mariner!
From the fiends, that plague thee thus!—
Why look’st thou so?’—’With my crossbow
I shot the Albatross.
PART II
‘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!
His shipmates cry out against the ancient Mariner for killing the bird of good
luck.
And I had done an hellish thing,
And it would work ‘em woe:
For all averr’d, I had kill’d the bird
That made the breeze to blow.
Ah wretch! said they, the bird to slay,
That made the breeze to blow!
But when the fog cleared off, they justify the same, and thus make themselves
accomplices in the crime.
84
Nor dim nor red, like God’s own head, Samuel Taylor
The glorious Sun uprist: Coleridge: ‘The
Rime Of The
Then all averr’d, I had kill’d the bird Ancient Mariner’:
That brought the fog and mist. Ballad Tradition &
‘Twas right, said they, such birds to slay, Summary
That bring the fog and mist.
The fair breeze continues; the ship enters the Pacific Ocean, and sails northward,
even till it reaches the Line.
The fair breeze blew, the white foam flew,
The furrow follow’d free;
We were the first that ever burst
Into that silent sea.
The ship hath been suddenly becalmed.
Down dropt the breeze, the sails dropt 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.
And the Albatross begins to be avenged.
Water, water, everywhere,
And all the boards did shrink;
Water, water, everywhere,
Nor any drop to drink.
The very deep 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.
A Spirit had followed them; one of the invisible inhabitants of this planet,
neither departed souls nor angels; concerning whom the learned Jew, Josephus,
and the Platonic Constantinopolitan, Michael Psellus, may be consulted. They
are very numerous, and there is no climate or element without one or more. The
shipmates in their sore distress, would fain throw the whole guilt on the ancient
Mariner: in sign whereof they hang the dead sea-bird round his neck. 85
British Romantic And some in dreams assuréd were
Literature II 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 wither’d at the root;
We could not speak, no more than if
We had been choked with soot.
Ah! well a-day! what evil looks
Had I from old and young!
Instead of the cross, the Albatross
About my neck was hung.
PART IV
The Wedding-Guest feareth that a spirit is talking to him;
‘I fear thee, ancient Mariner!
I fear thy skinny hand!
And thou art long, and lank, and brown,
As is the ribb’d sea-sand.
I fear thee and thy glittering eye,
And thy skinny hand so brown.’—
‘Fear not, fear not, thou Wedding-Guest!
This body dropt not down.
But the ancient Mariner assureth him of his bodily life, and proceedeth to relate
his horrible penance.
Alone, alone, all, all alone,
Alone on a wide, wide sea!
And never a saint took pity on
My soul in agony.
He despiseth the creatures of the calm.
The many men, so beautiful!
And they all dead did lie:
And a thousand thousand slimy things
Lived on; and so did I.
And envieth that they should live, and so many lie dead.
I look’d upon the rotting sea,
And drew my eyes away;
I look’d upon the rotting deck,
And there the dead men lay.
I look’d to heaven, and tried to pray;
But or ever a prayer had gusht,
A wicked whisper came, and made
86 My heart as dry as dust.
I closed my lids, and kept them close, Samuel Taylor
And the balls like pulses beat; Coleridge: ‘The
Rime Of The
For the sky and the sea, and the sea and thesky, Ancient Mariner’:
Lay like a load on my weary eye, Ballad Tradition &
And the dead were at my feet. Summary

But the curse liveth for him in the eye of the dead men.
The cold sweat melted from their limbs,
Nor rot nor reek did they:
The look with which they look’d on me
Had never pass’d away.
An orphan’s curse would drag to hell
A spirit from on high;
But oh! more horrible than that
Is the curse in a dead man’s eye!
Seven days, seven nights, I saw that curse,
And yet I could not die.
In his loneliness and fixedness he yearneth towards the journeying Moon, and
the stars that still sojourn, yet still move onward; and everywhere the blue sky
belongs to them, and is their appointed rest and their native country and their
own natural homes, which they enter unannounced, as lords that are certainly
expected, and yet there is a silent joy at their arrival. By the light of the Moon
he beholdeth God’s creatures of the great calm.
The moving Moon went up the sky,
And nowhere did abide;
Softly she was going up,
And a star or two beside—
Her beams bemock’d the sultry main,
Like April hoar-frost spread;
But where the ship’s huge shadow lay,
The charméd water burnt alway
A still and awful red.
Beyond the shadow of the ship,
I watch’d the water-snakes:
They moved in tracks of shining white,
And when they rear’d, the elfish light
Fell off in hoary flakes.
Within the shadow of the ship
I watch’d their rich attire:
Blue, glossy green, and velvet black,
They coil’d and swam; and every track
Was a flash of golden fire.
Their beauty and their happiness.
O happy living things! no tongue
Their beauty might declare: 87
A spring of love gush’d from my heart,
British Romantic He blesseth them in his heart.
Literature II
And I bless’d them unaware:
Sure my kind saint took pity on me,
And I bless’d them unaware.
The spell begins to break.
The selfsame moment I could pray;
And from my neck so free
The Albatross fell off, and sank
Like lead into the sea.

2.6 INTERPRETATION
Lines
1-16 The poem begins abruptly with the opening line, “It is an ancient
Mariner” (line 1). This is a characteristic feature of a ballad where
no words are wasted by way of circuitous introduction to the story.
The reader is straightaway geared into the movement of the story.
“ancient” suggest that (i) the mariner is old and (ii) he belongs to a
distant past—a hoary antiquarian.
Thus the term “ancient” infuses a sense of awe and fear—both of
someone dreaded and yet strangely fascinating. The young wedding
guest is arrested by the presence of this ancient-looking mariner
though he desires to be away from him.
Coleridge builds on the term “ancient” with an unusual description
of the mariner that makes the word “ancient” collate with mariner.
His skinny hand, long, grey-beard and glittering eye give him a
ghostly appearance. He looks as though he has come from a far-off
world and his sudden arrival into the natural world of men who are
gathered at a wedding feast bring the two worlds together within
the range of credibility. His mesmeric hold on the wedding guest
suggests that if in some strange way the latter is compelled to stay
back and listen to the mariner’s story, the reader can also suspend
his disbelief and accept the narrative without raising questions
regarding the mariner’s narration.
5-8 We also note the contrast between the festive and joyous mood of
the wedding feast and the eerie atmosphere evoked by the mariner’s
appearance and his story. A gradual change comes over the young
guest as he is held back from the wedding feast by the mariner.
His querulous tone of anger in the opening quatrain followed by
his effort to extricate himself from the clutches of the mariner
gradually yield to a meek submission to the Mariner’s will and he
listens to him like a “three years’ child”.
9 “unhand”: a dramatic representation of action. The Mariner with
his skinny hand holds the young man but he drops it all of a sudden.
88 By this time the old man has cast his spell on him so that the young
wedding guest is rooted to the stone on which he sits held by the Samuel Taylor
mariner’s “glittering eyes” (13). Coleridge: ‘The
Rime Of The
21-24 The mariner’s story which began with “There was a ship” suddenly Ancient Mariner’:
Ballad Tradition &
moves with incredible speed to describe the start of the voyage
Summary
and conjures up a picture of a fast sailing ship. The movement
here is the movement from the world of reality to the world of the
narrative. By giving us pictures of the harbour and the kirk, the hill
and the lighthouse, Coleridge glides us through from the world of
the wedding to that of strange and eerie happenings. Do you notice
Coleridge’s close attention to details in these lines? The sequence
kirk-hill-lighthouse shows the order in which these landmarks on
shore disappear as the ship sails farther into the sea.
25.30 These illustrate the poet’s faithfulness to geographical details. The
fact that the sun rises on the right indicates that the ship is steering
towards the South. (compare line 83, part II). As the ship moves
towards the Equator, the sun becomes nearly overhead.
32-40 The story which had been proceeding on an even tone becomes
dramatic from now onwards and holds the listener’s interest by its
own power. The young man will no more interrupt the narration
except by way of exclamations of fear and horror. The wedding
revelry will have no effect on him as he is spellbound by the story
and it’s moral.
41-50 Description of the storm that drives the ship off-course towards the
South Polar Region. Can you recognise the sequence of powerful
imagery in these lines? The poet institutes four comparisons in
succession. The storm is personified and is described in terms of
a cruel and tyrannous being. The imagery shifts soon after and it
is compared to a powerful bird with strong wings pushing the ship
forward.
The ship moving with incredible speed by the force of the stormy
wind is also compared to a man fleeing the clutches of a vengeful
enemy who pursues him with shouts and blows. The ship driven
over the waves resembles the man bending forward to save himself
from blows. Coleridge attempts to evoke a picture of strange and
fearsome happening manipulated by an invisible demonic force.
47 The enemy is close behind him, so near that his shadow touches
him.
51-70 The events that now occur are narrated in a precise and matter of
fact way which gives the impression that they are taken from the
log- book (or diary) of a ship. This helps to convince the reader that
these events had actually happened and are therefore ‘real’. The
narration has moved into the supernatural world and yet all that
happens there has a semblance of reality.
This is a vivid description of the south Polar Regions. The intense
cold of this scene will he contrasted with the fiery heat of the next
89
British Romantic scene (in part 2) just as the terrible sounds of the clashing ice will
Literature II be contrasted with the fearful silence to follow in the next part. A
special feature of Coleridge’s description of natural objects is his
ability to make them appear both ‘real’ and ‘mysterious’ at the
same time. For example, the icebergs are beautiful but sinister:
their brightness is somehow gloomy and frightening. The ice is
‘green as emerald’ and it sends a ‘dismal sheen’. Identify the figure
of speech in this phrase. It is an oxymoron in which there is an
apparent contradiction in the words. The ship is surrounded and
dwarfed by the huge icebergs. As they hit against each other they
make a tearful sound like that of an unfriendly and hostile animal
that snarls and growls. Notice the use of onomatopoeia (the use of
words which create the sound which is being described) in “cracked”,
“growled”, “roared” “howled”. All these words convey the loud
unpleasant sound of icebergs cracking and banging together. These
lines also illustrate the use of repetition (a characteristic feature of
the ballad) to emphasise their being completely surrounded by ice.
(L. 59-60).
65-66 From the beginning the Albatross is described as though it was
a human being. In fact at certain points in the action it is even
associated with Christ who was killed by sinful men for no real
reason and was hung upon a cross (the albatross is killed with a
‘cross-bow’ and its dead body is hung ‘like a cross’ around the
Mariner’s neck). By making this association (it is called a ‘Christian
soul’) Coleridge is perhaps suggesting that the killing of the bird is
not a trivial act but as serious as breaking of the normal law as the
killing of a man would be.
71 The ship now begins to move northwards.
77-78 (Refer to 1154-56). Here again the description of the moonlight
shining through the white fog highlights its eerie aspect: natural
objects seem to act abnormally.
79-82 The expression of horror on the face of the Mariner deepens as
he approaches the part of narration relating to his criminal action.
This is noticed by the wedding-guest and his dramatic interruption
draws attention to the agony suffered by the mariner every time he
speaks of his guilt. The question of the wedding guest is followed
by a pause before the Mariner gives the answer. This indicates
his reluctance to mention the ghastly deed. The abrupt conclusion
of Part I also serves to focus attention on the dastardliness of his
action. It is interesting to note how each part in the poem ends with
an allusion to the albatross and the crime.
Part II
83-86 The ship continues its northward journey. ,
87-90 Compare II, 71-74 for the use of repetition with slight but significant
variations.
90
91-96 Alhough the ship moves on steadily, the fog persists. The sailors Samuel Taylor
who miss the bird’s presence condemn the mariner for his evil deed Coleridge: ‘The
Rime Of The
and blame him for having killed the bird of good luck that had Ancient Mariner’:
made the favourable south-wind blow. Ballad Tradition &
Summary
Note that this stanza is of 6 lines. Coleridge occasionally varies the
length of his stanza (ref. Lines 45-50 & 97-102) to suit the needs of
his narrative. Here the lengthening of the stanza serves to emphasize
the importance of the incidents described—the inconsistent and
contradictory behaviour of the crew is thus highlighted.
97-102 When the fog finally ends and the sun rises bright and clear the
sailors justify the mariner’s action affirming that it was right to
have killed the bird that caused the foggy weather.
The inconsistent attitude of the shipmates is noteworthy. They
judge the action of the Mariner not by any sound or consistent
standard of right or wrong but simply by its effects on them. As the
commentary states they become accomplices in the crime.
97-98 draw attention to the magnificence of sunrise at sea by likening the
rising sun to the head of God himself.
103-106 A stanza famous for its alliteration. The repetition of the ‘f’ sound
conveys the swift, unhampered forward progress of the ship.
The entry into the silent sea (here the Pacific Ocean) is dramatically
sudden,
107-110 Contrast the rhythm of this stanza with that of the preceding one.
There is a distinct slowing down to convey a feeling of stagnation
and helplessness.
111-114 The sun which had earlier been welcome (contrast with II, 97-98)
now becomes an object of oppression. The sun is not “glorious” but
“bloody”. It is not like “God’s Own head”—mild, benevolent and
asource of energy, but appears severe, harsh, and an all-consuming
fire. The heat is dull, intense, and unrelieved.
The sun directly above the mast indicates that the ship is once again
at the Equator. Through the haze the sun appears small like the moon
and the scene is eerie, strange, and ghostly.
115 The repetition conveys the effect of endless monotony.
117-118 A very famous simile from English poetry. The comparison creates
a self-contained picture.
118-120 Here the commentary is important. The suffering of the mariners is
linked directly to the crime. Though the Ancient Mariner is guilty
of the actual killing, the others by applauding the action have
proved their complicity in the crime and are therefore condemned
to be punished. Initially, their torment takes the form of heat, thirst
and complete inaction.
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British Romantic 123 An exclamation to express the intensity of the horror.
Literature II
125-126 The description of the sea creatures is deliberately ugly to emphasise
the Mariner’s revulsion for these lowly creatures. The repetition of
the word ‘slimy’ along with a grotesque description of crawling
with slimy legs creates a sense of the hideousness of the sight.
127-130 The scene at night, though bright and colourful is ugly and ominous.
Mysterious lights whirl about as in a dance and the stagnant water
glistens like oil.
131-134 The Spirit of the South Pole (and therefore guardian of that region)
has come to avenge the death of the albatross. It hovers near the ship
and appears in the sailors’ dreams. They are told in their dreams
that their suffering is a punishment for the crime.
139-142 The sailors are unable to speak because of their parched tongues.
The shipmates reproach the mariner with accusing looks. They hold
the Mariner guilty and responsible for their misery and express
their anger by hanging the dead bird around his neck as a visible
sign of his guilt.
Part IV
145-150 Part IV opens with an interruption by the wedding guest. He fears
that the Mariner who seems to have appeared from the dead is
perhaps a ghost rather than a living man. He is, however, reassured
by the Mariner that he had not died and that his penance has been
prolonged.
Notice how the three physical characteristics of the Mariner
mentioned at the beginning of the poem are repeated here.
153-155 express the terror of the wedding guest. The full horror of the ghastly
appearance of the Mariner is brought out by the repetition.
156-182 traces the torture suffered by the mariner. His mental state is one
of reproach: he envies the living things around him and seems to
envy even the lot of the dead crew. There is, as of yet, no indication
of repentance and his reaction towards the sea-creatures is one of
revulsion. (The words ‘slimy’ and ‘rotting’ are echoes of the earlier
lines 123 & 125 to remind us that there has been no change in his
attitude. In fact, he not only hates the sea-creatures but there is even
a note of despair in line 160 where he speaks of his own life as an
intolerable burden.)
Mariner finds neither rest not peace and everything that he sees
around him merely intensifies his sense of isolation from all living
things. He is even alienated from God: as part of his punishment, he
has lost the capacity to pray and can therefore find no comfort from
heavenly grace.
Coleridge has effectively conveyed the restlessness of the Mariner
who craves for relief but finds none. Can you suggest the effect
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of the many repetitions in these lines? These have the effect of Samuel Taylor
conveying the unending and prolonged monotony of his situation Coleridge: ‘The
Rime Of The
with no possibility of relief. (Look, for example at line 171 which Ancient Mariner’:
illustrates this well.) Also note how effectively Coleridge has Ballad Tradition &
suggested that the suffering of the mariner is both physical and Summary
psychological; the thirst, the heat and the throbbing head and eyes
are accompanied by a lack of mental peace. He is acutely aware of
his loneliness, his guilt, the reproach of his dead mates and above
all, his alienation from God, man and all living things.
176-182 shows how deeply oppressed he is by the cursing and accusing
looks in the dead man’s eyes. He wishes only for death but even
this is denied to him. (Can you suggest why this is so? He has been
won not by Death, but by Life in Death. Besides, his punishment
is to be a prolonged one. Unlike his shipmates, he alone has been
singled out for possible redemption.)
184-205 Passages describing the Mariner’s agony are interspersed with
beautiful pictures of nature. This is a particularly elaborate passage.
Why do you think this is so?
It is a prelude to a crucial event in the story and helps to prepare us
for it. You may have observed that in the story, the Mariner is quite
passive: he undergoes many experiences but he performs only two
important actions. One is the irrational act of killing the bird. The
other which is described here is that of admiring the beauty of all
living things, feeling a spontaneous love for them and experiencing
a sense of harmony with all creation. From this moment onwards
the Mariner’s penitence and redemption (forgiveness) begin. He
no longer feels isolated, he is once again able to pray and feel
positive emotions and nature too ceases to be hostile. Instead of
the relentless heat and dull monotony, he now feels the soothing
influence of the cool moonlight and sees the varied colours of the
objects and creatures around him.
186-192 In his total isolation, he watches the moving moon accompanied by
a few stars and the appearance of the moonlight on the water. There
is a sharp contrast between the cold white light of the moon and the
angry redness of the warm sea.
193-205 These lines are meant to convey the lesson of the healing power of
Nature.
He observes the water snakes and is fascinated by their beauty
especially by the unusual and almost magical transformation that they
undergo in the moonlight. He now no longer finds them repulsive.
This is a passage of great beauty emphasising the rich colours of
the water creatures. This is also closely related to the theme of the
poem. This appreciation of the beauty of the sea creatures marks the
beginning of the Mariner’s repentance. (Incidentally, the passage is
based on the actual appearance of water-snakes observed in the islands
of the Pacific Ocean.) 93
British Romantic Coleridge stresses upon both the beauty and the joy of nature’s
Literature II creatures.
205-209 Again the image of positive emotions as a reviving spring of fresh
water (ref. 205). With the help of these gentle and loving thoughts
the curse begins to pass off and he is once again able to pray. This
is an indication of grace and forgiveness.
210-212 This section (like the previous one) ends dramatically. The
albatross is mentioned briefly and focuses attention upon the centre
of dramatic interest and the incident to which the whole section has
been leading up. The last two lines are in fact the dramatic centre
of the whole poem. It is from these that the ‘moral’ of the poem
emerges in II, 614-616 in part VII:
He prayeth best, who loveth best All things both great and small;
For the dear God who loveth us, He made and loveth all.
The Mariner’s spontaneous love for nature’s creatures brings an end to the first
phase of his punishment. The fact that the external sign of his crime and guilt,
the dead albatross, now falls off his neck and sinks into the sea is an indication
of this. Coleridge here indicates the link between the Mariner’s positive reaction
and the beginning of redemption.

2.7 POETIC DEVICES


The form of The Rime of the Ancient Mariner is that of a ballad. (During the
second half of the 18th centurythe ballad form had been revived and it enjoyed
considerable popularity among the Romantic poets.) The old medieval ballad
served as a model for Coleridge and he incorporated its most distinctive features.
Some of these are:
1) Simplicity of language and the use of brief direct statements. Examples of
such usage are:
The sun came up upon the left,
Out of the sea came he!
And he shone bright, and on the right
Went down into the sea. (25-28)
We could not speak, no more than if
We had been choked with soot. (137-38)
2) The sudden introduction of new elements and rapid transition to new
incidents. For example,without any previous suggestion, there appear in
quick succession the ship, the silent sea, the Spectre woman and her mate,
Death.
3) Use of archaic words and spellings to capture the authentic atmosphere of
the medieval ballad. Some examples are: eftsoons (12), swound (62), uprist
(98) clomb (209).
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4) Repetition of phrases and lines. This is a feature of all oral poetry (such Samuel Taylor
as the epic) and it is used by Coleridge for emphasis and to heighten the Coleridge: ‘The
Rime Of The
dramatic effect. Refer to the following lines: Ancient Mariner’:
Ballad Tradition &
The ice was all between,
Summary
The ice was here, the ice was there;
The ice is as all around: (58-60)
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! (93-96)
Alone, alone, all, all alone,
Alone on a wide wide sea!
And never a saint took pity on
My soul in agony. (232-235)
v) Extensive use of alliteration as in:
The fair breeze blew, the white foam flew,
The furrow followed free:
We were the firs burst
Into that silent sea. (103-106)
With throats unslaked, with black lips baked,
We could nor laugh nor wail;
Through utter drought all dumb we stood!
I bit my arm, I suck, on the blood, (157-60)
(vi) The harmony between wound and sense, i.e. onomatopoeia is illustrated in:
It cracked and growled, and roared and howled. (L. 61)
Yet, slimy things did crawl with legs
Upon the slimy sea. (125-126)
Attempt to locate more examples of these poetic devices.

2.8 CHECK YOUR PROGRESS : POSSIBLE


QUESTIONS
1) Give a description of the Ancient Mariner. What effect does he have on the
wedding guest?
2) From the sections of the poem which you have studied, choose the incident
which you have found most interesting and describe it in detail. Also try to
show the significance of the incident you have described. (E.g. the shooting
of the albatross, the calming of the ship, the Mariner’s spontaneous affection
for the sea creatures).
3) Give an account of the punishment suffered by the Mariner. Attempt to show
the various stages and the different kinds of suffering he undergoes.
4) With examples from the poem, illustrate the variety of natural scenes
described.

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British Romantic
Literature II 2.9 LET US SUM UP
In this Unit you have:
• Learnt about the features of ballad poetry;
• Have studied Coleridge’s use of these devices
• And analysed in detail and understood an extract from The Rime of the
Ancient Mariner.

2.10 SUGGESTED READINGS


https://resources.saylor.org/archived
Coleridge, Samuel Taylor. The Annotated Ancient Mariner. The Rime of the
Ancient Mariner. Ed Martin Garduer. New York : C N Potter, 1965. Print.
‘‘Samuel Taylor Coleridge’’. : The Poetry Foundation web., September 2013.

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