Romantic Narrative Poetry Analysis

“The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” – Samuel Taylor Coleridge

·         ABAB

·         The setting of this poem is paranormal and mysterious.  It is on a dangerous ship in the middle of the ocean, where everything can go wrong.

• The ancient mariner is the primary narrator of the poem, and he is narrating his story to a random man.
• The Mariner feels guilty about his sins that his guilt builds up until he must confess his sins to someone.
• Coleridge establishes a supernatural and hazardous tone in the poem. Some examples of how this tone is used throughout the poem are in words such as “death-fires” (line 128), “charnel-dungeon” (line 436), and “seraph” (line 491).
• The Mariner killed the Albatross in a “spur of the moment” situation, and it was impulsive and thoughtless.  He suffers the consequences of killing the Albatross like losing his friend.  When the boat finally reaches land, he tells his story to a hermit and confesses to him so his sins can be forgiven.  He had to tell the story to relieve himself from the agony and suffering he was experiencing.
• Man vs. Nature. The albatross represents God
• “The guests are met, the feast is set” (line 7), “In mist or cloud, on mast or shroud” (line 75), “The fair breeze blew, the white foam flew” (line 103).
• “Alone, alone, all, all alone.” (line 233), “What loud uproar bursts from that door.” (line 592), “Till clomb above the eastern bar. (line 210).
• Simile: “The water, like a witch’s oils,/Burnt green, and blue and white.” (lines 129-130). The water is being compared to the witch’s oils.
• Metaphor: “A spring of love gushed from my heart” (line 285).  The spring represents the mariner’s love.
• Personification: “The Sun came up upon the left/Out of the sea came he!” (lines 25-26).  The Sun represents a person who is leading the way for the ship.
• Alliteration: “He holds him with his skinny hand” (line 9). The mariner begins to tell his story to the wedding guest.