I have been given an extract from the poem Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor

Coleridge. It is from the beginning of the poem where the exposition of the plot, character,
setting and atmosphere takes place, and the act of storytelling begins.
ROTAM is the longest major poem by STC. Written in 1797-8 and published in the first
edition of the Lyrical Ballads in 1798; it has become an important landmark in the literary
canon since its publication and has contributed various phrases to common speech. In a move
typical of the Romantics, in this poem, Coleridge places the poems focus on the protagonists
empirical experience of the world, rather than on a didactic message .The poem also typifies
the Romantic fascination with liminal spaces. Though it exemplifies the Romantic theme of
the subjectivity of experience and the importance of the individual, this poem has a loose
rhyme scheme and archaic language, which went against the Romantic tradition of writing in
contemporary, unrhymed language. This poem is a harmonious whole; the natural, the
supernatural and the human are artistically fused. Through it, Coleridge sought to propagate
the idea of interdependence of living beings on each other, and the intimate relationship
between man and nature. Many believe that Coleridge wrote this strange, liminal, sensuallyrich poem under the influence of opium, and that through this poem he sought redemption for
his opium addiction.
I will give a brief overview of the poem. The Rime of the Ancient mariner is an allegorical
story of a mariner who, driven by an unconscious impulse commits the dastardly deed of
killing an innocent bird-the albatross whose appearance the sailors had celebrated, hailed in
Gods name and considered auspicious. He thus sets in motion a series of dismal events, as
the spiritual world uses the natural world as a weapon to avenge the death of the albatross.
The sailors, paralysed by fear, die one by one, due to thirst and the suns scorching heat, as
the ship stops moving due to the lack of wind. The solitary survivor- the ancient mariner, in
his utter loneliness, realises his heinous crime, and it weighs heavily on his soul. He craves
for human companionship amidst the corpses of his dead shipmates; his only company being
a plethora of abominable sea creatures surrounding his stationery ship. He is burdened by
immense guilt, repentance and remorse. He seeks redemption, but in vain, as he is doomed to
perform penance to pay for his sin for all eternity, that is, wandering the Earth telling people
his story.
In this IOC, I will talk about the structure of the poem, the way Coleridge creates rhythm in
the poem, manipulates its pace, and gives it a musical effect. I will talk about the themes of
act of story-telling and the natural world that are vibrant in this poem. I will explain how
Coleridge employs various stylistic devices and imagery to set the mood, to convey attitudes
and feelings and to shape the imagination of the readers. I will also talk about his use of
language and the role of his writing style in bringing out the essence of the poem and
broadcasting his message.

The Rime of the Ancient Mariner is one of the best representatives of the English ballad
tradition. It is divided into seven parts. Most of the stanzas in the poem have four lines;
several have five or six lines. In the four-line stanzas, the second and fourth lines usually

rhyme. In the five and six-line stanzas, the second or third line usually rhymes with the final
line.
Like I said before, in this extract, the author reveals the setting- The ancient mariner stops a
wedding guest on his way to participate in the joyful festivities of a marriage, and begins to
narrate a melancholy tale of his voyage at sea. Thus, the poem is partly set in a place of gay
atmosphere, and partly in that of a dismal atmosphere. Thus, the merry and the gloomy are
woven together to paint the whole picture of life. The plot begins to take shape. The
characters acquire vague forms- the wedding guest, a symbol of social life, and the AM
stands for spiritual life. This characterisation acquires depth, authenticity and credibility as
the poem progresses.
The central theme in this extract is the act of storytelling. Most of the poem is in the form of a
bleak tale that the protagonist, the AM relates to a wedding guest. Thus, the poem is largely
told from the AMs perspective though there is a minor involvement of a separate narrator,
who describes the WGs and AMs actions. The AM tells his self-centred tale for a selfcentred purpose- To allay his agonizing story-telling compulsion.
The AMs vivid descriptions of his confounding experience with the natural and supernatural
world bring out the theme of the relationship between man and the natural world in the poem.
In this extract, the descriptions of the environment have been used to establish the
atmosphere. For example, the rising and setting of the sun convey not only the time and
direction in which the sailors ship was moving, but the rich descriptions of the same also
create a gay atmosphere. Later in the poem, the lurid descriptions of the sun begin to have a
negative effect on the readers, and the atmosphere that is created is very unpleasant and eerie.
This extract is rich with imagery, amplifying the effect the message has on the reader. For
example, there is visual imagery in the entire physical description of the Ancient Mariner,
which forms a clear picture of the skinny ancient mariner with a long grey beard and
gleaming eye in the minds of the readers. There is visual imagery in the explicit description
of the rising and setting of the sun as well. Ive already talked about the impact this has on the
readers.
I will now talk about the role of the stylistic devices used by Coleridge in the poem.
Coleridge uses repetition to create rhythm, and to highlight certain feelings, attitudes and
situations. For example, in the line Below the kirk, below the hill, Below the light-house
top. Coleridge uses repetition to produce a musical effect. He also uses it to make the picture
of the surroundings clear in the minds of the readers, as when, later, the ancient mariner
returns from his voyage at sea, he sees these features in reverse order. Also, the WGs action
of beating his chest occurs twice in this extract; this demonstrates his sheer desperation to
attend the marriage and his utter frustration due to his inability to do so.
Coleridge uses personification in his depiction of the rising and setting of the sun. This
contributes in making the atmosphere joyful, as the sailors set sail.

Coleridge uses internal rhyme in the lines of the poem extensively, in order to add to the
speed and closeness of the lines, make it rhythmic, pleasant and memorable. For example,
met-set and bright-right. Coleridge also uses enjambment, and occasionally inverts the word
order to retain poetic effect, such as in the line, And he shone bright, and on the right Went
down into the sea.
Alliteration, like in merry minstrelsy and beat his breast adds to the rhythm and beauty of
the poem.
This extract is also interspersed with similes, such as like a three years child, which
accentuates the WGs inability to act upon his own desire of attending the wedding, and his
being forced to listen to the story intently like a child of three years; and Red as rose is she
which paints a picture of a blushing bride, and thus works as a contrast to the mariners
dreary appearance.
All these elements help in setting the mood and tone of the extract. The mood in the
beginning is that of merriment and optimism, as the sailors set sail. The tone of the poem as
the AM relates his tale is mostly reflective and its tone in the interspersed dialogues of the
WG and the descriptions of his actions is that of frustration.
I will now talk about Coleridges characterisation of the protagonist, the AM. The strangeness
of the AMs appearance plays on the readers minds right from the beginning of the poem.
The way the WG is compelled to listen to the AMs tale due to his hypnotic stare, is
confounding and unnerving. Thus, a slight supernatural element creeps in. This contributes in
bringing out the essence of the poem.
Coleridges distinctive use of language also draws out the substance of the poem. Coleridge
has used simple, old English and archaic language in the poem to invoke a sort of literary
timelessness. He uses archaic words like eftsoons and minstrelsy to preserve the essence
of the poem, enhancing the effect the mood, tone and message have on the readers. He uses
punctuation to create breaks in thoughts without disrupting the flow of the poem.
Thus in this extract, Coleridge successfully introduces the setting, plot and characters through
his interwoven themes of the act of story- telling and the relationship of the natural world
and man, his stylistic devices adding flavour to poem. The poem is infused with similes, and
a lot of imagery that only add to its beauty. As the poem progresses, the sailors encounter a
storm which pushes the ship into a land of mist and snow, where an albatross emerges. They
are able to manoeuvre out of this desolate place, and at this point of time, driven by an
unconscious impulse, the AM kills the albatross, and the sailors find themselves in a very still
part of the sea where their ship stops moving. As the poem progresses, the spiritual world
begins to avenge the death of the albatross, bringing in its stride a series of tragic events.