Peyton Sims
Ashley McWaters
EN 206-010
29 November 2018
Every Deed Weaves Together
“The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” by Samuel Taylor Coleridge shows causality through the use of connection between the natural world and the religious world, rather than a lack of connection as argued by William Wordsworth. Wordsworth thought that “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” did not have events with a connection. While Wordsworth is quite critical of Coleridge’s poem, “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” has connections that one might have to delve deeper to discover after its initial reading.
The connection to the natural world is seen in numerous ways that the ancient Mariner
is punished via multiple natural phenomena. Once the ancient Mariner kills the Albatross with his crossbow, the winds die down, leaving the ship and crew stranded. “Day after day, day after day, / We stuck, nor breath nor motion; / As idle as a painted ship / Upon a painted ocean.” The sailors blame the ancient Mariner for their grievous misfortune and force him to wear the dead Albatross around his neck. The carcass symbolizes the burden that the ancient Mariner has to bear. While left wandering at sea, the sun’s heat immensely intensifies and bakes the sailors’ lips and parches their throats, making them miserable. Unfortunately, there was also no rain to use for drinking water to hydrate and quench the extreme thirst of the sailors. The ancient Mariner recalls while at sea, “…a thousand slimy things / Lived on; and so did I. / I looked upon the rotting sea, / And drew my eyes away.” The sea was horrifying and full of snakes.
Natural forces are means to lavish rewards after the ancient Mariner blesses the snakes and offers a prayer to God. The winds begin roaring and fill the ship’s sails, providing a way home. There is fire from the sky and rain pours from a cloud, supplying the much needed drink. With these wonderful experiences from the natural world and the chastisement after the death of the Albatross, the ancient Mariner gains a great respect for all living things in the natural world, as he turns from his sin.
The connection to the spiritual world is shown through various relationships and circumstances. In “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner”, the ancient Mariner’s ship encounters danger with an Albatross, following along, never leaving the ship. The ancient Mariner does not consider what help the Albatross is capable of providing, and with reckless abandon, the ancient Mariner shoots and kills the Albatross with his crossbow. Without knowing, the ancient Mariner is a sinner. The spiritual sin is all living creatures, human and animal, deserve respect. After this sin by the ancient Mariner, the spiritual world punishes the ancient Mariner through the use of various natural physical forces, as extreme heat, horrifying sea creatures, and no wind, thus leaving the ship and sailors stranded. Bestowing further retribution by the spiritual world, the ancient Mariner sees spiritual forms such as the ghost ship, with Death and Life-in-Death aboard. As the ancient Mariner’s ship approaches this ghost ship, Death and Life-in-Death are playing dice, betting for the souls of the men. Death won all of the sailors, and they die at the hands of Death. However, even as each sailor dies, each “…cursed me with his eye.” The spiritual world even allows the souls of the men to fly by the ancient Mariner “like the whizz of my cross-bow.” Even though the sailors of the ancient Mariner die and curse him, the ancient Mariner is still alive, but Life-in-Death won him. Therefore, at the decision of Life-in-Death, he ultimately leads a life full of suffering due to the needless killing of the Albatross, which unfortunately led to the death of his crew.
The ancient Mariner is not the only living being alive, as he realizes that there are now slimy sea creatures in the ocean surrounding his ship. The ancient Mariner greatly dislikes the snakes and cannot connect with the spiritual world, as he is unable to pray. Because of his hardened heart, he has to endure this form of spiritual abandonment for seven days and nights. Afterwards, the ancient Mariner has a spiritual transformation where he is able to look at his circumstances differently and realizes that the slimy creatures are actually beautiful. Therefore, due to the spiritual change of his heart, the Albatross drops from his neck. His spiritual change allows him to pray, bless the sea creatures, and also speaks to the value of praying with others.
In “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner”, there are many things that Coleridge does not tell the reader. There is no reason given as why the ancient Mariner stops a wedding guest to tell him the story of his life. One is left to wonder how old the ancient Mariner is when he kills the Albatross. Is he young and impulsive? Is he old and bitter with life? What was the real reason for the killing of the Albatross? An explanation is not given as to why the ancient Mariner is allowed to live and his sailors die, when he was the one who commits the sin. Coleridge leaves the reader to make their own inferences, thus creating their own version of the story within the poem.
Coleridge teaches the readers assorted lessons within his poem. The reader learns that actions have consequences, some which can be very terrible, as in the death of the sailors. When the ancient Mariner was able to realize it is important to respect and care for other living things, he displays that people can learn from mistakes they make and still turn around their lives. The ancient Mariner, unfortunately affirms that a person can be haunted by their actions when he shares his story with the wedding guest. However, he was very open and vulnerable and seems to want the wedding guest to not make the same type of mistakes that he has. The last stanza of the poem seems to sum up the ancient Mariner, “a sadder and a wiser man.”
It seems difficult to understand why William Wordsworth views “The Rime of Ancient Mariner” as lacking connection. The connections with the natural world and the spiritual world are woven all throughout this poem. Without the connections between the natural world and spiritual world events occurring within the life of the ancient Mariner, this poem would just be a silly, nonsensical story. The way that Samuel Taylor Coleridge makes the reader grasp how one’s choices and actions truly have a consequence that involves both the natural and spiritual. This lesson is thought provoking and can make the reader sit back and contemplate the events of one’s life. Every word or deed, by everyone, weaves together to create the life that humans and animals share in this world. Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s connections bring to light that being respectful of all living things makes this world a better place to live.