The Rime of the Ancient Mariner Group

Question:

coko23
coko23
Student
College - Freshman

How is the Wind presented in the poem?

I am having a hard time explaining this. Could I please get some feedback. thanks!

Does the wind serve as an image of the soul?

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Posted by coko23 on Tuesday April 28, 2009 at 10:46 AM and tagged with the rime of the ancient mariner, wind.

Answers:


  1. troutmiller Teacher
    High School - 12th Grade

    eNotes Editor

    The Wind is extremely important to the Mariner, or any sailor for that matter.  Without the wind, his crew was stuck "as idle as a painted ship upon a painted ocean."  Without it, the men would have died of thirst.  However, because the mariner shot the Albatross, the men were doomed anyway. 

    They needed the wind to sail, that's the bottom line for its importance.  As far as seeing it as an image of the soul, there are some parallels.  The men never actually see the wind; however, they know when it is present and how important it is.  Coleridge used Christianity in this piece to show the importance of the soul and of penance/forgiveness.  Perhaps the wind serves as an image of the soul. Man can only exist with the presence of a soul.  There are different ways to tie these two together.  You can play with those to make it fit.  The wind is also essential to those at sea.  However, in both instances, the wind and soul must be "good" or gentle.  The wind can be harsh and cause major problems for sailors.  A person can also not be pure and will not be given the "second chance" that the mariner had.  That's a difficult parallel, so you'll have to work with it.  Good luck!

    Sources:
    http://www.enotes.com/rime-ancient-qn/themes-characters

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    Posted by troutmiller on Wednesday April 29, 2009 at 5:46 AM