Question- Comment on the use of some important symbols in the poem.

Answer -

Some important symbols that the poet S.T. Coleridge uses in his poem are:

(i) Albatross,
(ii) Sun,
(iii) Moon,
(iv) Images and Objects,
(v) The Sea.

Albatross - The poet has written this poem while giving the bird albatross a good significance. The incident that occurs in the sea with the ancient mariner is due to the bird. It is the bird that brings favourable winds to the ship. It is the albatross which causes sufferings in the life of the ancient mariner. The first entry of the bird is very dramatic. The poet writes the following introductory lines to show the importance of the bird.

The poet declares him a Christian soul. It is not a symbol rather it is a direct meaning that the poet gives to the bird. There are symbols that we may obtain from the word 'Christian Soul.' Perhaps, the bird symbolises an innocent Christian person who has done nothing wrong. It does good for the sailors. It brings a change in weather even when the ancient mariner kills him with his crossbow. Every sailor, except the ancient mariner, believes that the bird is a sign of good omen. So, the albatross in this way becomes a symbol of innocence.

The poet also refers to albatross at Christ. He came into the world to save humanity. He was innocent but the people crucified Him. It is also the case with the Albatross, it does good for the people but in return receives death from them. The bird becomes a symbol of an oppressed soul that increases hurdles for the ancient Mariner.

Albatross is also a symbol of change. It brings favourable winds; however, when the ancient mariner kills him, it brings destruction not only for him but also for other sailors. In the world, many sailors tell stories and myths about albatross. Some think that shooting and killing the bird brings bad lack whereas others think that its flesh gives energy to them. It is also a specialty of this, bird that it spend most of its time flying at the sea. It can cover nailes with a single flap due to the size of its wings. Thus, some sailors think that the albatross brings protection and security for them to cover a larger distance in less time.

Protection, security and good omens are symbols that are attached to the albatross in the poem.

Sun, Moon, Images and Objects - There are many images in the poem that symbolise something. At the start of the poem, everything goes well with the weather but soon the weather becomes unfriendly for the sailors. Albatross brings change and it again becomes clear. Weather in the poem. symbolises ups and downs in the life of a person. Life is the same for everyone even for the ancient mariner but at some point, the inner flaw of a person brings destruction to him.

Every object and each image of the poem symbolises something. Sun is a symbol of influence, heat, thirst, dryness and external force. It also represents the world of supernaturalism. Moon is for light and darkness in the life of the sailors. It also controls the tides of the ocean. Simultaneously, it controls the supernatural elements; it gives life to the dead: -

The dead represent the miserable life of the ancient mariner. The blood that the ancient mariner sucks from his body is the symbol of struggle to remain alive.

The eyes of the ancient mariner when the wedding guest stops to listen to his story is a symbol of attraction. Game of life and death and the mariner at stack symbolize insecurity of life.

In this way, all the objects that the poet creates in his poem 'The Rime of The Ancient Mariner' are symbolise and indicate something beyond their literal meanings.

The Sea - At the start of the poem when the ancient mariner starts telling his story to one of the three guests, he describes the sea in the following lines: -

The image of the wide wide sea symbolises vastness but it is not its only symbol. Power, strength, mystery, endlessness, calmness, hope and truth are symbols that the poet refers to through the sea in the poem.

The mysteriousness of the sea is very much evident from the following lines: -

See is a symbol that can be used in positive and negative meaning. It is used for life as well as death. It may destroy large ships but it also gives food to the sailors. It becomes a bridge between different countries. In this particular situation of the poem, there is a probability that the sea is a symbol of all these things. Ancient Mariner's story starts with the sea and ends with it. Most of the action of the poem takes place in the sea. In spite of so much destruction, the ship was sailing at sea; hence, the sea supports the ancient mariner. In other meanings, it gives life to him. Much action is associated with water, as a result, the sea is a symbol of an alive physical force in this poem.

No one other than the mariner knows what happened to him at the sea. He tells his story to people and they come to know about the incident that happened with the mariner at sea; hence, its mysteriousness and obscurity are two other symbols of the sea in the poem.

Conclusion - S.T. Coleridge uses some intentional and unintentional symbols in his poem. Every symbol has a unique meaning beyond its literal meaning. "The Rime of The Ancient Marnier' represents some unique ideas. Its symbols are aligned with the overall tone and theme of the poem. In short, the symbols evoke images of cold or dark objects in "The Rime of The Ancient Mariner.'

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