The Albatross Around Your Own Neck (An analysis of 3 messages from Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner”) Literary devices are used by every author of every piece of literature to enhance the meaning and development of their message. Authors are trying to leave their reader with one form of impression or another, and literary devices are what helps them to accomplish this task. These devices include things such as allusion, symbolism, imagery, simile, metaphor, and so on and so forth. “Poetic representation plays with connotative structures and literary devices to convey meanings” (Richardson). More often than not, authors take advantage of symbolism to enhance the meaning of their work; they take something simple …show more content…
The old man does this by recalling previous personal experiences of his travels on the sea. While on his journey, the man commits a terrible crime of killing a bird called an Albatross. He states, “‘With my crossbow I shot the Albatross” (81-82). Thinking nothing of it at the moment, this man had no idea how impactful his actions would be. Throughout the rest of the story, this man is forced to hang the Albatross around his neck; this symbolizes the wrongs that he has done and the fact that he can’t change them. The bird will go with him wherever he goes, as does the burden of his guilt. The author is trying to tell us here that it is important to think about what we do before we do it because we will have to live with the consequences of our actions. This is especially true in the cases where we hurt others in the process, as the old man in the story does. All of his men die, but the old man is cursed with life and watching how his actions hurt those around him that he cares for. This adds to the man’s guilt; “Guilt is ‘other-oriented’ in that it focuses on one's effect on others” (Fincham). In other words, the man’s feelings of guilt for killing the Albatross increase as he watches those around him die. Coleridge causes his audience to reflect on their own moral status and think of the Albatross hanging …show more content…
When the recipient of the old man’s story wakes up the next morning, he is sadder and wiser because of the knowledge he has gained and the lessons he has learned from the story. He knows now that he is never alone, and also that his actions have very real and irreversible consequences. Works Cited Carlson, Allen. “Nature, Aesthetic Appreciation, and Knowledge.” Jstor.org, www.jstor.org/stable/430974?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents. Fincham, Frank D. “SELF-FORGIVENESS: THE STEPCHILD OF FORGIVENESS RESEARCH.” Proquest.com, search.proquest.com/openview/315c4f666cce0ed6ed77d53acedc732e/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=37398. Richardson, Laurel. “The Consequences of Poetic Representation.” Books.google.com, books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=Fakwo1jA8mMC&oi=fnd&pg=PA125&dq=literary+devices&ots=NUUL7vB895&sig=z4ZdrAYD6Mvzeapls9ojSCUZ4_k#v=onepage&q=literary%20devices&f=false. Saito, and Yuriko. “Appreciating Nature on Its Own Terms - Volume 20, Issue 2, Summer 1998.” Environmental Ethics, 22 May 2017, www.pdcnet.org/pdc/bvdb.nsf/purchase?openform&fp=enviroethics&id=enviroethics_1998_0020_0002_0135_0149. Simons, Peter. “Parts: A Study in Ontology.” Philpapers.org,
The main theme of Samuel Taylor Coleridge's poem is to learn from your mistakes. After telling his tale to the Wedding Guest, the Ancient Mariner realized that the murder of the Albatross was a mistake and lived a life of penance. The act of murder was an impulsive act because the Mariner felt threatened by the Albatross their actions. The deaths of both birds brought about memories from both the Ancient Mariner and Hagar which they shared with other people, the Wedding Guest and Murray F. Lees. These memories help them to realize the mistakes they made. Through their own personal recollections, the Ancient Mariner and Hagar both achieved a better understanding of their lives and in turn were able to die with a sense of contentment and relief.
Coleridge and Poe are both known for writing incredible horror stories. There most famous stories are The Raven, Poe, and The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, Coleridge. Both stories were the first of their kind and were written around the same time. These poems have many things in common and many other things not in common. The main focus here is the symbolism of the birds in the poem. The poems are in fact based around the birds and their meanings. There are three main points to compare between the symbolism of the birds, they are; the birds both being an omen, the birds giving a feeling of remorse or prosperity, and the birds creating a false hope.
He describes how he was “Alone, alone, all, all alone, Alone on a wide, wide sea!” (232-233). He persistently uses the word “alone” to explain his emotion during the situation, highlighting the fact that there was absolutely no one to guide him, and it was most likely that he would die alone in the sea. By enforcing the fact that the Mariner was so “alone”, Coleridge builds suspense by leading the reader to ponder how the Mariner survived to tell his story to the wedding guest. Being “alone” is an extremely terrifying thought, especially if one were stranded in the “wide, wide sea”, so connecting this common association of the word alone to the Mariner’s fear, Coleridge alerts the reader to how hopeless his situation
The costs of their decisions would weigh heavily on them both throughout their travels. Because of his rash decision, the albatross was hung around the Mariner’s neck, a burden which, along with his guilt, he’d have to carry for a long time. Avenging the albatross also were the ghastly duo who gambled for the Mariner’s life- all the members of his crew, some of whom were very close to him, “dropp'd down one by one… With heavy thump, a lifeless lump” (l. 219-220), killed by Death. They, too, shared the blame for the Mariner’s crime, as they had condoned his action as long as things were going well. Ma...
To begin with, the killing of the albatross signified the love that Christ had among his people, and the execution he was forced upon in order for the hope of reassurance of his people. “Is it he? quoth one, “Is this the man? By him who died on cross, With his cruel bow he laid full low The harmless Albatross. The spirit who bideth by himself In the land of mist and snow, He loved the bird that loved the man Who shot him with his bow.” (Lines 398-405). Samuel Coleridge dignifies the crucifixion of Jesus Christ with the execution of the albatross. Religious symbolism reflects the apocalypse meaning throughout the killing of the albatross.
He is almost sleeping while doing this. This creates a very powerful visual image. It epitomizes how the people left to grieve act. Many people stricken by death want to be left alone and bottle themselves up. The first few lines of the poem illustrate how deeply in sorrow the man is. This image should affect everyone. It should make the reader sympathize or even empathize with the man. Another main way he uses imagery is through the black bird or the raven. The presence of the bird is a bad omen. It is supposed to be followed by maleficent things. The bird is used to symbolize death figuratively and literally. The bird only says one word the entire poem. It repeats “nevermore.” This word can be interpreted multiple ways each time it is said. It is also possible that the bird is not talking. It is possible that the bird is an image created by
This action against nature is rather extreme, for he takes this thought of death lightly. The Albatross, as a representative of nature, means nothing to the Mariner. These thoughts are quickly changed, though, as Nature begins to start the punishment for his crimes commence when there is, "Water, water, everywhere nor any drop to drink." He is punished harshly for killing the symbol of nature that everyone reveres. He is beaten down by the sun with its rays and is taunted by the endless sight of water that he cannot drink.
He has to feel a pain in his chest that becomes unbearable until he sees a certain soul that is the right one to tell. No matter what. In the long poem, “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” by Samuel Taylor Coleridge has three lessons about human life: supernatural, pride, and suffering. In “Rime” by Sam Coleridge, the mariner goes through many supernatural events that scare him into submission. Coleridge does a great job of describing the scenery around the boat that the mariner resides in.
As the ancient Mariner described his adventures at sea to the Wedding-Guest, the Guest became saddened because he identified his own selfish ways with those of the Mariner. The mariner told the Guest that he and his ship-mates were lucky because at the beginning of their voyage they had good weather. The mariner only saw what was on the surface -- he did not see the good weather as evidence that Someone was guiding them. Also, when he shot the Albatross, the Mariner did not have any reason for doing so. The Albatross did nothing wrong, yet the Mariner thought nothing of it and without thinking of the significance of the act, he killed the bird. At this, the Guest was reminded of how self-absorbed he, too, was, and the sinful nature of man. At the beginning of the poem he was very much intent on arriving at the wedding on time. He did not care at all about what it was that the Mariner had to tell him; he did not want to be detained even if the Mariner was in trouble. Instead, he spoke rudely to the mariner, calling him a "gray-beard loon", and tried to go on his own way.
The poem describes the night that he was distubed by a somewhat evil raven "...tapping at his chamber door..." (Poe line 9). He heard a tapping at the window and as he "...flung [open] the shutter... [there] stepped a stately Raven..." (Poe lines 68-70), known as the bird of ill-omen. The raven in the poem repeatedly states "nevermore" after he boastfully entered the room. The bird saying "nevermore" could indicate the man's self-torture. The bird also represents the man's inner death and darkness. The man was constantly reminded of the death of his loved one as the bird bothered him
The rope symbolizes death and destruction. When Mr. Wright was killed, he was chocked to death with a rope. The same way Mrs. Wright was killed, so was Mrs. Wright's bird. The death of Mr. Wright was Mrs. Wright's way of starting a new life. The bird's death symbolizes Mrs. Wright's dying because she is with Mr.
Overall “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” is poem that seems like a simple story told by a sailor about his woes at sea. But Coleridge uses many details to make symbols throughout the story for the reader to interpret and see the connections between it and religion. Whether it be through the Christ like albatross, which most would just see as a simple bird, or the woman on the boat showing how the lifestyle might be fun but ultimate leads to nothing we see that these small details create a bigger story than what is just on the cover.
...ous allegory represents Christian ideals such as sin, forgiveness, and prayer. In addition, Coleridge’s use of language and form contribute to the message conveyed in the text. The form fluctuates throughout the text by use of different rhyme schemes, loose meter, and stanzas in length varying four to nine lines. The variety of form could be representative the array of interpretations of this text. Coleridge conveys profound religious meaning by using symbolic language with interpretive representations. Although his use of elevated language possibly narrowed the audience, that could have been his intentions due to the complexities of this philosophical poem. In the end, Coleridge’s depiction of the Mariner’s journey ultimately conveys the Christian ideal, which is to love and appreciate all creatures created by God, whether Albatross or snake.
In discussing the symbolism of guilt in "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner", it is important to understand that in the eyes of the Romantics God was one with Nature. Because of this belief a sin against Nature was seen as a sin against God. In line 82 of the poem, the Mariner simply says, "I shot the Albatross." In saying this, the reader often questions why the bird was shot. There is no explanation. The Albatross was shot without reason or motive very much like the sin of humans. Here the poem begins to take on its allegorical purpose in which the Albatross symbolizes not only sin, but possibly Jesus as well. In Christianity, Jesus died upon the cross for the sins of humanity. He was punished in order for ...
(16) The two represent a parallel to the Ghost Ship and snakes. (17) The Albatross symbolizes a connection to god, “He loved the bird that loved the man who shot him with his bow”(405-406).(18) God loved the Albatross so dearly that, when the Mariner shot it down, earned the stupid mortal his curse of being an empty wanderer .(19) The other parallel symbol included by Coleridge is the spirits, they have a tie or a connection to God in the same sense as the Albatross that is contrasting to the snakes.(20)