Symbolism In The Rime Of The Ancient Mariner

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The Albatross: A Symbolic Figure Through the use of poetry, many people can interpret it in many ways. Poems are said to be works of art created to relay important messages or express how the poet was feeling when it was written. Poetry, a unique concept, sometimes portrays important key elements, such as symbols, literal and figurative meanings, a theme, and a tone of the poem. When analyzing the poem, “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, it incorporates all these components and many more that make it a wonderful work of art.
When evaluating this poem, the main idea is centered on the symbol, the albatross. Back during the Romantic time period, many people, like the crewmen accompanied by the Mariner of the story, …show more content…

The albatross is the main idea, so it plays a huge role in the theme of the poem. It enhances the mystery, suffering, pride, and adventure that the poem portrays throughout the story line. The poem’s main theme is transformation in that the Mariner starts out as a sailor who does not appreciate the superstitions or the albatross that in turn ends up blessing the ugly sea creatures as an act of redemption. The poem states, “He prayeth best, who loveth best all things both great and small; for the dear God who loveth us, he mad and loveth all” (Coleridge, 1680). When he prays for the sea creatures, he is showing how he loves all the creatures, big or small, created by God himself. All of these themes were brought on by the single act of the albatross. The tone of the poem is fear and admiration. The albatross developed these qualities by causing the Mariner fear when he did not know what was going to happen to him from the effects of killing the bird. The admiration of the poem was seen when the Mariner saw only the greatness in life, such as the sea creatures.
Overall, the albatross is a symbolic figure that shows the greatness of the poem, “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. It enhanced both the theme and tone as well as providing a figurative and literal meaning to the poem. Poetry, during the Romantic time period, provides many readers with different messages that makes is such a great work of

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