Symbolism and Impact

"The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" is a less confusing poem than a lot of other romanticism works, but there are many deeper meanings behind the tragic story. Coleridge uses s lot of symbols to explain to the reader what is happening. Often used symbols were the sun and the moon. The sun was a sign of misfortune, even being described as the color of blood. After that, the ghost-ship comes and makes the sun look like a prisoner in its presence. What comes after that was obvious. The moon proved to be the most powerful being throughout the entire story. It was revealed that the relationship between the moon and the sea was that of a slave and its master. So in reality, the moon controlled where the ship went the entire time. It's true there may have been a lot of symbolism, but there was a more obvious story to the "Rime." The needless sacrifice of the albatross, the story of penance, and the last few stanzas of the poem is a moral story that reflects the story of Christ. "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" has had a huge impact on our culture. There have been countless references to the "Rime" in media. For a poem to have such an impact on culture, it's amazing. In 1939, there was a re-release of Sherlock Holmes where the archenemy of Holmes committed crimes that were based around paintings of a man with an albatross around his neck to cover up his real crimes. Even today, the poem is referenced in movies, such as in "The Men Who Stare at Goats" (2009). With such references in our culture, it's a wonder how the poem was thought of in the first place. There are many origin stories for the "Rime", it's said that the "Rime" was inspired by James Cook's voyages at sea. In Cook's second voyage, he crossed into the Antarctic Circle 3 times. Although, according to William Wordsworth, another romantic poet, said that the poem came to fruition when Coleridge, Wordsworth, and his sister were walking in Somerset. The trio was discussing the book, A Voyage Round the World by Way of the Great South Sea (1726). This book, written by Captain George Shelvocke, has a brief excerpt where the sailor shoots a black albatross. Wordsworth then offers some more of a storyline to Coleridge, and by the end of the walk, the poem had taken shape. It's amazing how literature can build upon itself and just become better and better.

Vincent Nguyen