Samuel Coleridge is considered one of the most important poets of the Romantic period. Part of this distinction rests on Coleridge's beautiful, nature-themed poetry, but it also rests on his ability to infuse fantastical and disturbing elements into his poems. His talent for mixing the natural with the supernatural is particularly evident in The Rime of the Ancient Mariner. This poem is so heavily imbued with supernatural elements that Coleridge relies on allegory as a means of conveying the theme of the poem. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Written in an archaic style, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner is full of fantastic and often ambiguous images and events. Like Dante's allegorical Inferno, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner details one man's moral journey, or in this case, moral sea voyage. This journey is divided into seven sections, each of which falls into the categories of sin, repentance, or redemption. The first section begins the story of the ancient mariner. Showing up mysteriously at a wedding, the sailor takes a guest aside and begins reciting his story. The Mariner tells of a time when he and the crew of a ship set sail from Scotland. A storm pushed the ship south, where the frozen sea trapped it. At that moment, an albatross appeared next to the ship. He remained with the sailors nine days and they, regarding the bird as a symbol of good luck, were comforted. The ancient mariner sadly tells the guest that, for no apparent reason, he shot the albatross and killed it. The mysterious tale of the sailor takes on a clearer light when viewed allegorically. The beginning of the sea voyage parallels the beginning of a person's life. The ice trapping the ship represents some difficulties that occur in life. The albatross takes on a very important role, because it represents nature. The comfort that sailors gain from the bird parallels the comfort that romantics believe can be found in appreciating nature. Finally, the ancient mariner's reckless murder of the albatross comes to represent what the Romantics considered a great sin: a cruel and reckless act committed by someone who has no appreciation for nature. The second section of The Rime of the Ancient Mariner details the events following the Albatross. death of the albatross. Initially enraged by the killing of the bird they believed had caused the ocean breezes, the crew forgets their anger when the fog lifts, even supporting the ancient mariner for killing "the bird that had brought the fog and the mist". Soon, however, the ship ventures into a "silent sea", completely devoid of wind. Stranded in a salty sea, the sailors have no drinking water, and the sailor even points out the irony by saying, “Water, water, everywhere/And all the boards have shrunk;/Water, water, everywhere/And not a drop to drink." Convinced once again that killing the albatross is the cause of their misery, the crew hangs the dead albatross around the ancient mariner's neck as punishment. Obviously the extreme suffering of the sailor and crew represents both the consequence of sin and the price paid for failure to respect nature. The third section introduces several fantastic elements into the story. The sailor says he saw a ship in the distance. In a Draculian gesture, the sailor bites his arm, sucks blood and shouts to the crew that there is a ship. Heartened by the prospect of certain rescue, the sailors smile joyfully. However, as the ship gets closer, the terrible truthbecomes clear. The ship's hull is ghostly and torn to pieces, and the sole crew consists of a man and a woman, who the sailor refers to as Death and Nightmare Life respectively. The man and woman roll the dice and as Death wins the lives of the crew, Night-mare Life-in-Death claims control of the ancient mariner. Immediately the entire crew dies. Lonely and frightened, only the sailor remains alive, knowing that his sin is the cause of the death of his companions. The allegorical references in this section are quite clear. The menacing names of the man (Death) and the woman (Night-mare Life-in-Death) immediately reveal their terrible roles in the poem. Furthermore, Coleridge states that the woman has "skin as white as leprosy." These images not only induce thoughts of illness and death, but allude to the marginalized state of the leper, in this case the sailor. The fourth section introduces the aspect of redemption into the poem. Alone and scared, the sailor says he tried to pray, but his heart "dry as dust" wouldn't let him. Days passed and one night the sailor noticed some beautiful water snakes swimming in the moonlit sea. Grateful for their beauty, the sailor blesses the serpents. As soon as he does, he finds himself able to pray. After praying, the albatross falls from the sailor's neck. This moment clearly identifies the sailor's redemption, because he has learned to appreciate the beauty of God's creatures. As the sailor learns this, he is allowed to pray and thus lighten some of his burden. By praying, he is rid of his sign of shame, the albatross, further signifying the sailor's redemption. In the fifth section, the sailor tells the guest that after praying, he slept. While he slept it rained on him. Upon awakening, the sailor saw the spirits inhabiting the bodies of the sailors and they began to man the ship and guide it home. The sailor heard two voices. A voice asked if he was the man who killed the albatross. The other, in a softer voice, said that the sailor had done penance for his sin, and would do even more penance. The fifth section continues the use of supernatural spirits to introduce aspects of redemption and repentance. The rain symbolizes the respite from the harsh thirst that the sailor had suffered; a reprieve perhaps from his punishment. The two voices appear to represent two divergent opinions: one that the sailor had committed an unforgivable crime by killing the albatross, and the other that begged kindness by saying that the sailor had paid and would continue to pay for his sin. The sixth section continues the conversation between the two voices. They say that the moon overturned the sea and freed the ship from the sea's grip. The sailor wakes up and discovers that a strong wind is carrying him towards his hometown. He also sees the dead crew stand silently and stare at him, and states that he couldn't avoid their gaze or pray as they looked at him. As the sailor begins to recognize the Scottish coast, he hears wonderful music. Music comes from the bodies of men as the seraphim leave them and fly to heaven. Then he sees a small boat approaching him and thinks he needs to find a priest to hear his confession. Says the sailor: "He [the hermit] will mourn my soul, he will wash away / the blood of the Albatross." This section, despite its ghosts and disturbing voices, introduces the first moments of peace that the sailor had after his terrible sin against the albatross. As the sailor continues to repent, his punishment temporarily ceases and he can return home. However, his simplistic belief that a priest will relieve him of his guilt reflects the fact that the ancient mariner has yet.