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Allegorical Interpretations of "Rime of the Ancient Mariner": Milton Parallels or Shelley's Interpretation?

Explore the allegorical themes in "Rime of the Ancient Mariner" and its relation to Milton's "Paradise Lost" and Shelley's "Frankenstein." Is it a tale of sin, punishment, and redemption? Dive into the symbolism and surreal imagery in this dark Gothic masterpiece.

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Allegorical Interpretations of "Rime of the Ancient Mariner": Milton Parallels or Shelley's Interpretation?

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  1. Many critics see the ‘Rime of the Ancient Mariner’ as an allegory of some kind of fall, like…… Milton Parallels? (Paradise Lost) Shelley’s Interpretation? (Frankenstein) STRUCTURE: Sin, Punishment, Redemption… Of Lucifer - Of Adam - Of Coleridge - …cast into hell? …forbidden fruit? …opium? Cain? “…slimy things … Slimy sea” “I shot the albatross” “witch’s oils, / … burnt green, and blue and white” “…and I had done a hellish thing…” “…the very deep did rot…” Phantasmagoria!

  2. Purely inspirational? • Dark gothic? • “cursed me with his eye” • “Life-in-death” • “spectre bark” “poetry gives most pleasure when only generally and not perfectly understood" - Coleridge Many critics maintain, as Christopher Lamb does, that the ‘Ancient Mariner’ is a work of complete and pure imagination. As… No single interpretation seems to fit the entire poem… In essence, it is a very imaginative and unusual piece… Gustav Doré’s Dark Etches…

  3. Just as the Ancient Mariner has to re-tell his tale, Coleridge has to keep on returning to this poem and revising it… Coleridge felt a deep sense of sin, for his opium addiction and otherwise. The poem could be his way of fathoming his feelings. The “strange power” of the Ancient Mariner, as his difficult feelings. “mingled strangely with my fears” “I know that man … must hear me” / “To him my tale I teach” Hence, his sensitivity and saying that the poem should not be analysed…? (“poetry gives most pleasure when only generally and not perfectly understood“)

  4. A Christian Parable About Respect? “Instead of the cross, the Albatross/ About my neck was hung” “I had killed the bird / That made the breeze to blow” “Hailed it in God’s name” “Christian soul” “Crimson red like Gods own head” “blessed them unawares” Crew distanced from God - “Hid in mist” - “dungeon-grate”

  5. Science Vs. Spirituality Some critics maintain that this ballad was an exploration, by Coleridge, into the science vs. spirituality debate: There are many mysterious fantastical images,  the “glittering eye” with its “strange power” He was at a point in his life where he was more concerned with the rational than the empirical, this poem was an exploration of the former.  the “polar spirits” and “seraph band” The latin preface says, “Human cleverness has always sought knowledge of these things, never attained it”.

  6. THE END.

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