The Rime Of The Ancient Mariner
The Rime of the Ancient Mariner
Samuel Taylor Coleridge
The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, by Samuel Taylor
Coleridge, deals with the Mariners alienation from the
subsequent reconciliation with the natural world. The
Mariners shooting of the albatros suggests his
alienation from natural life because the albatros is a
symbol of good omen. As a result of killing the
albatros only bad things will come. What seems to make
the albatros fall from the Mariners neck and leave him
momentarily free is reconciliation, meaning a change
from bad to good. This symbolizes that the Mariner has
finally come to realize the natural life as well as the
rest of his surrounding.
The Mariner is alienated from the natural world
because of the shooting of the albatros. He didnt
have any premeditated thoughts about killing the bird.
The Mariner just acted on impulse and didnt even
consider what may arise from his actions. One way to
look at the albatros is as a guiding spirit. The
albatros always kept an eye on the Mariner and watched
over him from the sky.
The Mariner becomes reconciled with the natural
world. The Mariner blesses unaware “happy living
things”,
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