1. Rime of the Ancient Mariner Samuel Taylor Coleridge Samuel Taylor Coleridge

2. I. Introduction A. Coleridge was one of the great (seminal) minds of the 19 th century (creative genius, philosophical genius, critical genius) B. Great friends with Wordsworth –Lyrical Ballads—a new kind of –Lyrical Ballads—a new kind of poetry is codified poetry is codified

3. I.Introduction (con’t) C. STC’s rheumatism—use of laudanum --affected imagery (see especially “Kubla Khan”)

4. II. Rime of the Ancient Mariner (STC’s Purgatorio) 1. Coleridge is a moral philosopher a.Attempt to reconcile immediate end (pleasure) with ultimate end (moral) b.STC wished to show the relationship between the imagination and the moral sense (heart, emotion)

5. II. Rime of the Ancient Mariner 2. Frame Story—Sacramental (marriage) universe --the wedding guest = average insensitive person— needs his imagination awakened

6. II. Rime of the Ancient Mariner 3. Main Theme: Sin  Guilt  Redemption a.Mariner’s Sin—lack of imagination  does not appreciate the miracle not appreciate the miracle b.Separation of mariner from Nature= from Nature= c. Mariner seeks salvation through art through art

7. II. Rime of the Ancient Mariner 4. Archetypal Images (see symbol chart) a.Albatross—the human soul; (concept of the sacramental universe) b.The mysitcal journey heat storm heat storm home ice home ice death new ocean death new ocean calm calm

8. II. Rime of the Ancient Mariner 5. The supernatural—always (or almost always) symbolizes the psychological or universal element a.Death and Life in Death b.Seraph men c.Spirit from the Pole d.Living dead

9. II. Rime of the Ancient Mariner 8. Conclusion (part VII) a. Change in the Wedding Guest b. Imagination can be destructive force (the gale wind) but the calm can be worse c. The moral of the poem