The Rime of the Ancient Mariner Group

Question:

admc
admc
Student
High School - 9th Grade

In "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner", what does it mean that he blessed the snakes "unawares"?

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Posted by admc on Monday July 21, 2008 at 11:38 AM and tagged with characters, language, mariner, snakes, the rime of the ancient mariner.

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  1. dymatsuoka

    When the poet says that the Mariner blessed the snakes "unawares", he is indicating that the Mariner blessed the snakes "in his heart".  Coleridge's words appear to have been chosen to emphasize that the blessing was not something contrived, not an action done consciously for the purpose of achieving forgiveness.  The Mariner has experienced a true change of heart, and when this change is effected, as evidenced by his ability to appreciate the beauty of the natural world, the spell which binds him begins to break.  The Mariner discovers that he can now pray, whereas before, after he shot the albatross, he was unable to do so.  Reconciled once again with God and nature, the Mariner is released from his punishment, and the albatross, which has been suspended as a symbol of his transgression around the Mariner's neck, falls off from where it hangs and tumbles into the sea (Part 4).

    Sources:
    http://www.enotes.com/rime-ancient-text/the-rime-of-the-a...

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    Posted by dymatsuoka on Monday July 21, 2008 at 3:19 PM