Form / Structure This poem is written as a lyrical ballad, which tells a lengthy narrative. Like many lyrical ballads, this poem is written mostly in quatrains and follows a rhyme scheme in which the second and fourth lines rhyme, however, Coleridge does not strictly follow this format. His decision to not follow the lyrical ballad form precisely shows a rebellious side, similar to the rebellious nature of the mariner when he decides to shoot down the albatross. This rebellion signifies a rebellion against God which ultimately leads to harsh consequences. Repetition There is a lot of repetition present in this passage and the poem as a whole. In general, the mariner uses a lot of repetition to ensure the listener will remember the important details of his story. Most of the repetition is used to reiterate and accentuate the horrible things that the crew had to endure. By repeating this, it is drilled into the head of the reader and affirms all the awful things God has done to them as punishment for their sins. Meter The poem is written in iambic meter, with lines alternating from eight syllables in the first and third lines, and six syllables in the second and third lines. The meter symbolizes an up and down motion similar to that of waves which represent their journey and struggle while being stranded on the sea. The up and down motion that the meter provides also stresses the idea of the ups and downs the mariner and his crew have faced during their
The repetition gives this passage significance and makes it stand out,
This allusion plays an important role in helping reveal the theme of time and love. In addition, the poem has some rhyme and meter that add to the style in the poem. Firstly, there is a basic end rhymes with the AABB rhyme scheme. The lines are also made up of trochees and their are four sets of them. Trochaic tetrameter is the meter of the poem as well.
The symbolism in the “Rhyme of the ancient mariner” is said to be an impossible representation of the Christian story of reconciliation from sin, redemption and forgiveness for that sin, but the symbolism in this poem clearly contradicts those views. The poem is one of a great sin committed against nature and the supernatural - being God - and how the wrong doer was redeemed from that sin and his journey into realigning what he had done. The Mariner was punished for his sin by the supernatural and forces of nature while he was glorified by his crew mates for his skill that was shown in killing the albatross with a crossbow. This is often true in Biblical stories and modern day where one is glorified for earthly talents and is given fame, but what they are famous for contradicts God and his law. Other aspects of Christianity are embedded in this poem as well that are easily overlooked like when the Mariner prays to some force he does not know. He is guilty for his transgression and knows what he has done is wrong although the sin was committed with ill will not intended. Lastly this poem displays a value important to Christianity, but also to all other ideologies and the is the topic of justice for crimes committed and the Christian aspect of thats once justice is served salvation is needed and redemption takes place. All of these values presented by symbolism throughout this poem all point toward the idea that the story of the Mariner was meant to serve as an example of the
With a few exceptions, the poem primarily follows the form of accentual-syllabic verse. The majority of lines are composed of three syllables, most often two unstressed and one stressed. Using a combination of structural technique and descriptive language, Williams emphasizes the action of visual perception.
The third stanza which marks the middle of the poem begins, "The Ocean said, Come flow freely with me" with ten syllables written in pentameter accompanied by iambic, spondee and trochee syllables. A steady rhythm in meter is noted in the next four lines which declines to trimeter for all four lines. Line fourteen, "and the creatures in my seas." contains pyrrhic, trochee and anapestic syllables. The fifteenth line in trimeter, "Here your tears will disappear," contains for the first time in the poem, a dactyllic syllable accompanied by the iambic syllable. Line sixteen, "and your worries will cease." contains again the iambic syllable now accompanied by the pyrrhic syllable. The last line in the series of trimeter lines is line seventeen which states, "Be the element that I need.". concludes the metered pattern. In lines fourteen through seventeen the meter is measured the same, however there is a new element added to the syllables previously used in the beginning stanzas. The repeated trimeter is suggestive of familiar situation but the new syllable is
When I read through the poem at first I did not understand why the Mariner suddenly deserved to be set free. The audio recording aided me in realizing exactly where the spell begins to break and why. When the Mariner is asking for forgiveness he pleas “but or ever a prayer had gusht” (244) explaining how sorry he is for what he has done. Yet, that stanza ends with “my heart as dry as dust” (246) showing how he hasn’t quite learned his lesson yet and he is still deeply affected by the tragedy of the consequences. Although these words rhyme, the reader chooses not to highlight that, rather she chooses to highlight the differences in the two words.
These lines use enjambment for the effect of the lines flowing into each other to make it seems like the sea. The first half flows smoothly, as does the second half, except for the final word. The letter "S" is used in both halves to bring them together - to remind the readers of Islands Man closeness to the sea. The letter "H" ("head") is a break from the "S's" and therefore the rhythm is lost. The third line ("to the sound of blue surf") has alliteration of the letter "S". The sound of this letter is very much like that of the waves to remind the reader of the sea. To insure that this comes across to the readers there is emphasis on these letters. There is also an emphasis on the word "head" here to make the readers realize that it is only in Island Man's head, as he also realizes the truth.
The poem contains six quatrains, and does not follow any consistent rhyme scheme. Every line starts with a strong beat and ends up with a weak beat. The first and third lines in each stanza have iambic tetrameter, but the second and fourth lines do not contain any consistent meter. The feet generate a rhythm
The meter of the poem is part of the emotion of the speakers. The poem is in iambic pentameter, which is five groups of an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable. For example, he claimed that “Batter my heart, three- person’s God, for you.” ( ) It started a regular iambic meter, and the words “Batter my heart” were describing the angry and hateful in his life. Also, the author tried to start with a hook to attract the audience’s attention. In addition, many writers used the same types of meter to show their feeling in their poem. For instance, the poem “When I have Fears That I may cease to Be”, John Keats stated that “when I have fears that I may cease to be”. This type of meter is the same as Donne, which is iambic. They both
Because the poem is long, it won’t be quoted extensively here, but it is attached at the end of the paper for ease of reference. Instead, the paper will analyze the poetic elements in the work, stanza by stanza. First, because the poem is being read on-line, it’s not possible to say for certain that each stanza is a particular number of lines long. Each of several versions looks different on the screen; that is, there is no pattern to the number of lines in each stanza. However, the stanzas are more like paragraphs in a letter than
The depressing realization of the captain’s death is evident and seen most within the last stanza as the tone changes from that of triumph and elation to heartbreak and grief. This is shown through Whitman’s use of imagery as the speaker states, “My Captain does not answer, his lips are pale and still, / My father does not feel my arm, he has no pulse nor will” (lines 17-18). This provides a detailed description of the lifeless captain as he lies on the deck. The following lines describe the successfulness of the mission as the captain has led his crew to safety after accomplishing the goals which were set. This alteration in tone
Four varying viewpoints exist concerning what or who the mariner represents, the first being the superficial idea that he is simply the wise old man who imparts wisdom to the younger generations (Williams 1116). Going beyond the literal connotation, the most common and supported argument it that the mariner represents the Christian sinner. The diction chosen by Coleridge often alludes to Christianity, examples include “Christian soul”, ”God’s name”, “[i]nstead of the cross…about my neck was hung”, and “Dear Lord in Heaven” (Coleridge 1616-1632). Howard Creed believes that the mariner is symbolically a poet, due to the fact that he learns “the great truth about the world they live in” and then attempts to communicate it to others through the art of a story (221). The final possibility is that the mariner represents a mother. Repeated connection to conventionally female things like the sea, motherhood, spontaneity/irrationality, and nature begins to support this conclusion. The role of instructing the young, in this case the wedding guest whom “listens like a three years’ child” is also traditionally female, further developing the argument (Coleridge 1616). Overall, the poem is an exemplar at employing Coleridge’s idea of symbol to use the ordinary to show the transcendent, especially Christianity, yielding that the second option is the preeminent choice.
Samuel Taylor Coleridge is widely regarded as one of the most prominent English poets and, with William Wordsworth, helped to found the Romantic Movement. Among two of his most well-known poetic works are Kubla Khan and The Rime of the Ancient Mariner. Kubla Khan's notoriety is partly due to the fact that the poem was written while Coleridge was under the influence of opium. The drug's influence on Coleridge is apparent in the poem's style, which not only gives insight into Coleridge's state of mind, but also gives the poem an overall dreamlike quality. The Rime of the Ancient Mariner is also said to have been written while Coleridge was under the influence of opium. Like Kubla Khan, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner also contains many elements that give the poem a dreamlike feel. There are several overarching themes that are encompassed by the poems Kubla Khan and The Rime of the Ancient Mariner including supernatural phenomena, conflict, and prophecy.
The final important message from this poem is to treat all life with respect. This main point is the climax of the mariner’s tale. He states, “All things both great and small; for the dear God who loveth us, He made and loveth all.” When the boy hears this final statement he is put into a short of trance. No longer does he want to attend the wedding party or no longer does he have the same view of life as he did before. This mariner has told him to treat all life with respect, such as he didn’t do with the albatross, and now I believe the boy sees what position this ancient mariner is now. This boy has shown this man the respect he needs and now the larger lesson of treating life with respect was shown to the boy.
Again this piece by Coleridge is a demonstration of this principle. The lyrics flow up to a moment of clear recollection of the scenery, leaving the poem incomplete so that the faculty of imagination would not be diluted. Coleridge in the 3 stanzas which he relived captured the sublime, and the striking feature of this poem is in its deconstructed syntax which eagerly captured the scenery. “But oh! That deep romantic chasm which slanted/ Down the green hill athwart a cedarn cover! / A savage place!”. This is a scene that Coleridge experienced in a dream, and its recollection in reality must express the resplendence of what he felt. We can see that grammatical requirements were not fulfilled since they would merely limit the true