This story begins with a mariner who comes to a wedding feast of people who he does not know. Among the strangers he sees three men and chooses one to pull aside and tell his story to. (line 2) In actuality, it is not that he chose this man to speak to but it is more like a supernatural spirit has chosen him. In the beginning the wedding guest is defiant to engage in conversation with the strange man (line 11), but after the story has begun he finds himself listening intently like a child (line 15). The mariner tells the story of how he and his crew were sailing along with the joy of the favorable weather that moved their ship through the sea (lines 25-28), but suddenly they are lead into the cold and icy waters of the south where life ceases to be (lines 47-62). The individuals on the ship then see an albatross, the only sign of life besides themselves. It comes like a heavenly spirit, depicted as a “Christian soul” (lines 63-66). The albatross becomes a savior to the mariner and his crew. It lifts the mist and guides them through the icy waters bringing wind through their sails. But out of nowhere, the mariner decides to kill the albatross (lines 80-81). Why he chose to do this, I can not seem to understand. It makes no sense me why he would kill something that brought them peace during their darkest hour. But I find no explanation of why the mariner chose to do such a vicious act. Initially, the others began to criticize him for his acts (lines 93-95), but then praised him, for they believed that the bird brought unfavorable weather (lines 99-102). The fact that the wind began blowing once again after the death of the bird (line 103) made me think that nature was giving the men an opportunity to repent for the wrongdoing and wrongful accusations. Killing the bird was wrong, but they could not decide for sure if it was wrong or if it brought them good fortune. When they finally made up their mind that the bird should have been killed, the wind suddenly ceases to blow. (line 107) The ship then becomes still in the quiet waters. At this moment is seems as if all of nature, the sun, moon, wind, seas, and all the creatures, are deciding what will become of these men. Will they go unpunished or will the bird be avenged? The approaching of a strange ship that glides through the water with no wind (166-170) gives conformation that the individuals will in fact receive a punishment. When the ship approaches it covers the sun (175-176), indicating its massiveness and possible authority over the sun itself. It is the Day of Judgment for the men on the ship. There fates are decided of whether they will die or live in death. Their lives are gambled on (195-198) and it is decided that all will die except for the mariner. The mariner would instead be cursed to walk the earth in misery unable to die. (lines 257-262) On the mariner’s journey home, he experiences a life change. He realizes the importance of every living creature on earth (lines 282-287). He realizes that all things created by God are to be cherished. The living creatures and the natural world are all a part of one union, and the death of the albatross resulting in nature taking revenge on the mariner. The sea, the wind, and the sun brought the men misery and misfortune. Relief comes after the mariner realizes the true beauty of nature and he is able to return home (lines 464-467) by the grace of the sea (lines 327-330) and the spirits of the air (lines 379-380); Upon his return he acknowledges and praises the hermit who prays three times a day (line 519). Here, one can see how the mariner has had a change in his outlook on life. Though it seems that all is forgiven, it is not. He is still cursed with a life that he will live as a witness. He will perhaps forever roam the earth telling his story and teaching to the ones that are chosen. And he is only given peace when the story has been told, only to have the misery return again until he meets another (lines 578-590). The only one joy he finds now is in prayer (lines 601-609).
I think that the fact that the mariner showed up at a wedding feast is significant in understanding the story. Weddings are a time in which people are engaging in earthly pleasures. They have no cares and are unaware of any morals that may have been previously established. People are drinking and dancing with no cares. The setting provides a warning to readers that one should always be aware of their conscious, the decisions they are making, and their acts. The main meaning that I got out of the story is that humans will try to control nature by their own hands. We feel that we have authority over all other living things, and fail to realize the power of the natural world. All things should be cherished and respected, we are not more important than the birds in the sky or the fish of the sea. (lines 612-617). But far too often, we fail to realize this truth.
Trenae,
ReplyDeleteYou provide a very thorough plot synopsis of this long and complicated poem, and I like the way you cite line numbers for the sections you summarize. In these blog posts, however, I do not want a plot summary. I am much more interested in what you think about the author's text than a summary of the text. Only at the very end of this post do you begin to discuss and speculate about what is significant about having the mariner tell his story to a wedding guest; that point, however, is where I would like you to focus for the whole post. In subsequent posts try to skip the summary and expand the analysis section, and I think we will both find your post more interesting and insightful.
I like this work from Coleridge, even though I could not understand why the character would kill something that helped him. I like how he learns that everything that is around him should be cherished and that it's not up to him to decide whether or not a life, even an albatrose's life should be taken. I feel that only the creator has the ability to give and take life.
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