The Rime Of The Ancient Mariner

“The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” is a poem written by S.T. Coleridge about an

incredibly skilled story-teller, an old sailor, intent on sharing his past experiences with

a wedding guest. The themes that this poem discusses are much deeper than what one

could think at first sight: in fact the poem explores the themes of guilt, sin, and nature.

The mariner's voyage starts with a regular sea expedition but takes an odd turn when he

impulsively shoots an albatross, a bird of good omen. This thoughtless action brings

about a curse that plagues the ship and its crew, dooming them to die and leaving the

mariner the sole survivor. He is then forced to deal with the consequences of his

actions, ultimately finding redemption in the harmony hidden in the coexistence of

humans and nature.

As mentioned earlier, the journey that the sailor undergoes not only lies in the

chronological sequence of events, but it also involves a simultaneous spiritual journey

that makes it possible for the mariner to achieve redemption.

The mariner then feels obliged to narrate his story as a form of warning, with the purpose

of preventing others from making the same mistakes he made.

Throughout the course of the narration, the wedding guest, initially a reluctant listener, is

eventually captivated by the sailor’s storytelling skills and seems to increasingly

become disturbed by the tale due to the fact that he somehow feels involved in it and

begins to trust completely the mariner until he starts to take the words of the mariner

as utter truth. It is at this point that the wedding guest starts to follow the mariner’s

spiritual journey with the purpose of becoming aware that the beauty of nature lies in

its wildness and that it is impossible to escape the reflection of one’s actions.

In the same manner,“The Rime of the Ancient Mariner'' also has a profound impact on its

readers. Just as the wedding guest is moved by the mariner’s tale, readers are invited

to reflect on the messages of the poem: Coleridge uses the metaphor of the journey to

encourage us to always keep in mind the consequences of our actions because a man

who has a conscience suffers while acknowledging his sins, and that will be his

punishment.