Elements Of Romanticism In The Rime Of The Ancient Mariner

Romanticism is in politics and the arts, an ideal world with freedom of imagination; a revolt against the 1700’s reasons and judgment. The Romantic Era received its inspiration from three revolutions. The three insurrections sparked rebellion throughout the arts especially the writings of poetry. An author of the revolutionary poems is Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Coleridge wrote an abundance of poetry, the longest major poem he wrote is The Rime of the Ancient Mariner. The Rime of the Ancient Mariner is about a Mariner who becomes alienated whilst going through a journey and must learn from unpleasant experiences to appreciate all creatures given by God. The poem contains numerous qualities of Romanticism which make it a representative of the

“Later Coleridge’s radicalism waned, and he became a conservative in politics- a highly philosophical one-and a staunch Anglican in religion” (Samuel Coleridge 437). Coleridge later in his life became addicted to opium, his addiction was what set forth his writing of The Rime of the Ancient Mariner. Stemmed from this, “Coleridge was also one of the important and influential literary theorists of the nineteenth century” (Samuel Coleridge 347). Throughout Coleridge’s life, he was alienated which transfers into The Rime of the Ancient Mariner. There are multiple examples within the poem of alienation, one of the most important examples being the Albatross. The Mariner is telling the wedding guest of the tale of the ship sailing through a storm with ice and fog when suddenly the crew upon the ship catches sight of a seabird that flies overhead out of the snow-fog. “At length did cross an Albatross, / Thorough the fog it came; / As it had been a Christian Soul, / We hailed it in God’s name” (63-66). Upon the Albatross’s appearance amongst the ship the sailors openly receive it with joy and hospitality. The Albatross feeds when desiring and plays with crew members, the sea-bird flies overhead