Isaac Atayero
Sir John Campion
Advanced Placement English Language
April 16 2012
Explain how the Romantic and Christian imagery contributes to the success of Rime of the Ancient Mariner
What makes any piece of literature a great piece of literature is the device used by the writer in the piece. Authors who write masterpieces are authors who have mastered how to use the right device and technique in their literature. Romantic English poet , Samuel Taylor Coleridge, shows his mastery of literary devices in his infamous poem, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner. In this poem Coleridge expertly uses Romantic and Christian imagery to contribute to the success of the poem. The Rime of the Ancient Mariner requires its readers to visualize in order to truly enjoy and understand the plot. By using Romantic and Christian imagery Coleridge provides his readers with great visuals and scenarios which contributes to the originality of the poem.
Coleridge is able to mix the Romantic imagery perfectly with the Christian imagery. Coleridge uses this fusion of imagery at crucial points throughout the poem. He uses it when the Mariner unjustly shoots the albatross, when the sailors die as a punishment for pardoning such merciless behavior, when the Mariner repents and when the Mariner imparts his knowledge upon the Wedding Guest. In each of these instances the writer makes use of both Romantic and Christian imagery to give his audience a better understanding of the themes present in the scene. This works because Romantic and Christian imagery prove to be great companions. Romantic and Christian imagery not only complement each other but they give open up a deeper understanding of themselves to the reader. Coleridge understood this and was able to execute it seemingly flawlessly in his masterpiece, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner.
This combination becomes the perfect equation for a great piece of poetry. The Romantic and Christian imagery in The Rime of the Ancient Mariner separates the poem from being just any adventure story. The imagery not only gives the poem substance but it also adds a moral level to the story. The fusion of the Romantic and Christian imagery present in The Rime of the Ancient Mariner is an excellent addition to the romantic and moral dynamics present in the poem. To be simply put, the poem is about a Wedding Guest who is being told a story by the Mariner. However the symbolism and literary devices placed within the poem add much more depth to the relationship between the Mariner and the Wedding Guest.
The Romantic and Christian imagery are placed at strategic points in the poem where they give a clearer meaning to the scene. the Romantic and Christian imagery in the poem highlight the brilliance of every description and scene without distracting the reader from the basic theme of the scene. What makes the poem so excellent is its ability to present the material from the viewpoint of a romanticist and the viewpoint of a Christian. The poem gives the reader just the right amount of tools to translate the themes presented in the poem however he/she sees fit . For example the romanticist reader might view the Mariner as a representation of people who have to deal with the sns they have committed against nature and the consequences of their sin.The Christian might also view the story as a tale with a moral but he/she will not interpret as vaguely as the romanticist does.
The Christian has certain stories and tales that they can identify with the story and certain themes that they may see in the story that might not be as clear to the romanticist. The Romantic and the Christian imagery are so perfectly coupled in the poem which is why the dramatization in the poem is intelligently executed. A perfect example of the effortless use of Romantic and Christian imagery in The Rime of the Ancient Mariner is the personality of the Wedding Guest and the Mariner. Throughout the poem, the Mariner imparts his knowledge unto the Wedding Guest which puts the Mariner in a superior position to the Wedding Guest. In terms of Romantic imagery their relationship can be seen as a tradition of sharing knowledge. The older generation sharing knowledge with a younger generation to better the life of the younger people.
The Wedding Guest might be meant to depict the portion of mankind that does not have the amount of understanding that the Mariner has. Another example of the marriage of the Romantic and Christian imagery works well occurs when the Mariner kills the albatross. At the beginning of the poem the albatross was a sign of good luck and charm but when the Mariner kills the albatross he brought about ill luck to he and his crew mates. On the Romantic level this is a sin against nature and because God is in everything, killing the bird was a sin against God. On the Christian level, the killing of the bird is also a sin of God . This is a perfect example of fusion of both imagery because it takes the theme of appreciating nature and it allows romanticists and Christians to interpret the scene in a way that each one could appreciate.
This is where the genius of the poem lies; Its ability to give the reader just enough information and let them come to their own conclusion . The Romantic and Christian imagery work so well in the poem because they allow the reader to interpret the poem however they see fit. The Mariner’s insensible killing of the bird of an innocent creature causes all of nature to revolt against he and his men. Nature no longer works in their favor and the albatross, a former symbol of good luck, becomes a symbol of guilt and ill fate. The Mariner’s fellow sailors become victims of the Mariner’s act because they condone his killing of the innocent bird. The death of the sailors are not the only consequences to the Mariner’s insensate killing of the albatross.
From the point of view of the Christian reader, the Mariner deserves to pay for the sin he has committed .This is because Christians believe that no sin should go unpunished especially a grave sin such as murder. From the viewpoint of the romanticist the ill luck that has fallen on the Mariner is nature’s way of avenging her own. It is a perfect example of prophetic fallacy ; It is nature’s way of reacting to the violation of its rules . Nature rebels when it is violated and the Mariner was standing in the way of its fury. Nature sees the need to avenge the Mariner itself and make him a scapegoat for all others like him.
The Mariner showed disrespect to nature by unjustly taking the life of an innocent one and by doing this he provokes nature’s wrath. The Romantic and Christian imagery contributes to the efficacy of the themes that Coleridge presents in his poems. This is because they show two different interpretations that complement each other and help the reader understand the essence of each scene a lot better. The repentance of the Mariner follows the consequences of his horrific actions. The Mariner, after much suffering , unconsciously blesses the creature. For the Romanticist this scene shows that nature has forgiven the Mariner and he can finally be reunited with nature. For the Christians this scene is the most important because it represents the sinner showing humility and asking for forgiveness.
While romanticists see this as the Mariner’s path back to oneness with nature, Christians see this as the Mariner’s salvation. Essentially both Romanticists and Christians will agree that the Mariner ‘s experience is meant to make the Wedding Guest, the reader , more aware of the world that surrounds he/she. The Wedding Guest represents the reader who leaves “sadder and a wiser man”. The powerful combination of Romantic and Christian imagery makes the poem a personal experience for the reader. Coleridge has accomplished a great deal in his poem, The Rime of the Ancient Rimer, without distracting the reader or taking away from such an excellent story. The mark of a great writer is his ability to use his words to say what he wants them to say without making them say too much. 
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