Use of the Sun and the Moon in Rime of the Ancient...

Both Sun and Moon play significant roles in this old poem, in a symbolic and supernatural way, in order to reinforce the mood that Samuel Taylor Coleridge has attempted to create in his use of old legends and superstitions. The role that the sun and moon play in this tale of cursed sailors is an old one, retold over and over the years that Coleridge adapted for his own. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Although mentioned several times before, the Sun makes its first significant appearance in the seventh stanza of the second part. Before then, one will find both Sun and Moon mentioned many times purely for the reader’s enrichment. The repeated mention leads the reader to believe that it will soon become important by foreshadowing without†¦show more content†¦It eventually turns out that those bars of prison are the shadows of Death’s dead and dying ship, but does this not allude to the approaching change in life that the Ancient Mariner suffers? He becomes trapped in life, to wander the earth forever, spreading his story--a prison of freedom, a cell made out of eternal life. A curse disguised as the world’s greatest blessing. He goes further to describe the boat when he says the line, â€Å"Are those her ribs through which the Sun/ Did peer, as through a grate?† This is, on one level, merely continuing the same vein of in terpretation as mentioned before, both veins. But on another level, it describes the weariness of the Ancient Mariner, and the old and eaten-away shape his body has taken on over the years--his ribs sharp and bony against even the baggy of rags. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Later, it discusses a very old superstition that many may not be familiar with--the legend of the Moon as guardian of the dead, and keeper of the souls that have passed on. More than once, it is alluded to that the Moon is keeping the sailors’ souls safe, and that the Moon is holding them captive where they lie, as well. Once it even mentions that the Ancient Mariner sees the cold and pale unfeeling light of the moon reflected in the dead men’s cold black unfeeling eyes. Is it a coincidence that the images stirred up are extraordinarilyShow MoreRelatedSamuel Taylor Coleridge s The Rime Of The British Romantic Movement1065 Words   |  5 Pagesthe two men worked together on a joint volume of poetry called Lyrical Ballads. The collection that they did is considered the first great work of the Romantic school of poetry and contains Coleridge’s famous poem, â€Å"The Rime of the Ancient Mariner.† â€Å"The Rime of the Ancient Mariner† is the longest major poem by Coleridge. It was written between 1797-1798 and published in 1798 in the first edition of Lyrical Ballads. It was a shift to modern poetry and the beginning of British Romantic literatureRead More Symbolism in â€Å"The Rime of the Ancient Mariner† Essay1712 Words   |  7 Pages In 1798, Samuel Taylor Coleridge published his poem â€Å"The Rime of the Ancient Mariner†. Several editions followed this, the most notable being the 1815 version, which included a gloss. This poem has grown to become well known and debated, especially concerning the message that Coleridge was attempting to impart. The interpretation of the poem as a whole and of various characters, settings, and objects has been the subject of numerous essays, papers, books, and lectures. There are approximatelyRead MoreThe connection of man and nature in The Rime of the Ancient Mariner Coleridges poem The Rime of800 Words   |  4 PagesThe connection of man and nature in The Rime of the Ancient Mariner Coleridges poem The Rime of the Ancient Mariner can be interpreted in many different ways regarding the question of the relationship between the man and the nature. According to Geoffrey H. Hartman Coleridges poem traces the dim and perilous way of a soul that has broken with nature and feels the burdenous guilt of selfhood (48). Robert Penn Warren explains his perception and â€Å"the primary theme in this poem as the theme ofRead MoreAnalysis Of The Rime Of The Ancient Mariner 2394 Words   |  10 PagesTashinga Chitambira Salsbury Brit Lit 18 April 2016 Finding Christian Imagery in â€Å"The Rime of the Ancient Mariner† Many people read Samuel Coleridge’s ballad, â€Å"The Rime of the Ancient Mariner,† and find various and complex symbols. Among these symbols are spiritual and religious analogies. The poem connects God and Nature and the way that God is represented in â€Å"All things great and small,† (Coleridge 7.617). There is an allegorical nature of Coleridge’s work best found in his Christ like albatrossRead MoreThe Rime Of The Ancient Mariner1954 Words   |  8 Pages In Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s most remarkable work, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, I found literary critics, college professors, and multiple sources discussing the poem. The critics discussed the following work by the use of supernaturalism and religious symbolism. College instructor, Melba Cuddy-Keane, states that the poem is viewed as a â€Å"dream voyage to another realm† (par. 2). According to critic Michael Burke, the poem reveals a â€Å"romantic myth of a circular transcendin g journey, organizedRead MoreCritical Analysis of Coleridges The Rime of the Ancient Mariner2466 Words   |  10 Pagescomplex web of themes and symbols within the seemingly simple plot line of The Rime of the Ancient Mariner. The story of the seafarer with the glittering eye (1.13) and his puzzling tale at sea told to an unwilling listener, the Wedding Guest, unfolds into a multifaceted array of planned sequences, heavy religious undertones, and hints at a biographical account of Coleridges past. If one reads The Rime of the Ancient Mariner simply as a tale at sea, the poem stands as a remarkable one with its continuousRead MoreChristian and Biblical References Hidden Within â€Å"the Rime of the Ancient Mariner†1810 Words   |  8 PagesHopwood Text amp; Context: Imagination and Reality Due: March 8th, 2012 Christian and Biblical References Hidden Within â€Å"The Rime of the Ancient Mariner† Christian and Biblical references have been involved in the craft of writing since the birth of religion; or at earliest, the composition of the Bible. Biblical Symbolism in â€Å"Rime of the Ancient Mariner† Samuel Taylor Coleridges poem, which was written in 1797, has been widely discussed throughout literary history. Although criticsRead MoreEssay on The True, the Beautiful and the Good1967 Words   |  8 Pagesundoubtedly, his writings must be the best explanation of the Beautiful. The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, written in the form of ballad, is like an unforgettable piece of song. Coleridge uses simple words with an attempt to tell a vivid story about desire, sin, and punishment. The characteristic of imaginary in literature is that it can bring readers into the scene where the stories depict. In The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, the cold sea is just like the epitome of the unmerciful present world. ThereRead MoreAnalysis of Mary Shelleys Frankenstein Essay1720 Words   |  7 Pagesthe time. This is also one of those subtle nods towards former works Shelley had read. For anyone who has read The Rime of the Ancient Mariner (another Romantic work), his ship was stuck in a sea of ice as well. This theme of nature directly affecting, displaying, and sometimes even predicting, things that will happen in the novel is very much the Romantic style. We still use nature as symbols all the time as well. Fung Shua deals with using plants and other things of nature as symbols thatRead MorePoetic Devices and Poems3332 Words   |  14 Pagesthing perceived. In both cases, irony involves the perception of discrepancy, usually between apparent and real significance. It is an indirect way of communicating an attitude. Irony can vary in tone, from humorous to bitter. Example- Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge: â€Å"Water, water, every where, and all the boards did shrink; Water, water, every where, nor any drop to drink.† Diction: choice of words. A writing style may vary according to the level of diction: formal or