A Biographical Analysis of The Rime of the Ancient Mariner

A Biographical Analysis of The Rime of the Ancient Mariner

“The Rime of the Ancient Mariner,” by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, is a

somewhat lengthy poem concerning the paranormal activities of a sea

mariner and his crew. The work was constructed to be the beginning

piece in Lyrical Ballads, a two-volume set written by William

Wordsworth and Coleridge. Wordsworth intended to, in his volume, make

the ordinary seem extraordinary, while Coleridge aimed to make the

extraordinary ordinary. “The Rime” was first published in 1798.

Despite the current popularity of the piece, it was harshly criticized

upon being first published. One of “The Rime’s” toughest opponents

was Wordsworth himself, who claimed that the poem had “neither

characterization nor proper agency nor skill in the handling of

imagery” (Fry, 12). Wordsworth even bluntly described the piece as

being in the wrong overall meter (Fry, 12). Because of these presumed

flaws, “The Rime” was edited into several subsequent editions, being

released in 1800, 1802, 1805, 1817, and 1834.

When a reader examines “the Rime,” the piece first appears to be

merely that of an archaic ghost story. Throughout the years though,

many have analyzed the poem from various angles of interpretation.

Some of the methods used to decipher “The Rime” have included

reader-response, Marxist, new historicism, psychoanalytic, and even

deconstruction analysis. While each of these alternatives provides an

individualistic prospective on the poem, they are all somewhat

different, and can even be objective at times depending on the reader

in question. While “The Rime” may have been constructed to address

slavery, the economy, or even morality, it can also be greatly

appreciated when looke...

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...ations of his work (Fry, 8). A short

time later, Coleridge died, but only after some of the most peaceful

years of his life.

“The Rime” is a supernaturally based poem, which is full of

imaginative symbolism and imagery. Despite its numerous revisions, it

is still a defining piece of literature from the Romantic period.

While several approaches can be taken to investigate the poem, a

biographical analysis provides an insightful look into the life of the

author that created the work. In “The Rime,” Coleridge has the

Mariner facing many of the same obstacles that he faced throughout his

life, including death, isolation, constant wandering, and a final

search for salvation.

Works Cited

Coleridge, Samuel. “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner.” Fry 26-75.

Fry, Paul, ed. The Rime of the Ancient Mariner. Boston and New

York: Bedford / St. Martin’s, 1999.