THE KILLING OF THE ALBATROSS
The Albatross of the Ancient Mariner is a poem made by Coleridge edited in 1798.
This poem is subdivided in 7 different parts and it's introduced by a summary of the entire plot.
7. DID THE WEDDING GUEST CHOOSE TO CONTINUE TO LISTEN TO THE MARINER?
The wedding guest hasn’t a real choice because the ancient mariner wanted him to listen and he “cannot but hear the Mariner”.
8. WHAT HAPPENED ALL OF A SUDDEN TO THE SHIP?
If at first the ship sails from the harbour with the sun and a cheerful environment, afterwards it encountered a storm-blast, judged tyrannous and strong. This is the first personification of the nature Coleridge spoke about and this is very important for the entire story.
9. WHAT WAS THE DIRECTION OF THE SHIP DURING THE STORM?
The direction of the ship is southwards, basically they wanted to reach the south pole through the sea.
2. WHAT DOEAS THE MARINER LOOK LIKE?
He was an ancient mariner with a gray beard and glittering eyes.
11. WHAT MYSTERIOUSLY APPEARED FORM NOWHERE?
An Albatross appeared form nowhere.
10. WHERE DID THE SHIP REACH? WHAT SURROUNDED IT?
The ship reached a snowy and dismal cliffs, there were no humans, no animals and beasts only ice all around and this is the truly second personification of the entire story told by the Marines.
3. HOW DOES HE STOP THE WEDDING GUEST?
While the guest was going to the wedding party he suddenly grab him with his skinny hand and started telling his mysterious story.
1. WHO STOPS ONE OF THE THREE WEDDING GUESTS?
An old mariner appeared from nowhere and stopped one of three wedding guests.
12. HOW DID THE MARINERS REACT?
The mariners reacted positively and they cheered at his blame his presence as a god one.
The plot consists in an Ancient Mariner that is condemned to stop people to telle'em the story of his misadventures.
This is a story inside the story; the ancient Mariner with his crew found themselves in a strange place in the Antarctic.
Among the terror and the dreadful scenery an albatross appear but inexplicably the Ancient Mariner killed him. From now-on different phantom infest the crew playing dice killing everybody on the ship.
Afterwards blessed the water snakes he is blessed and then saved..
THE SUBLIME NATURE
The environment of the story is characterised by the combination of a supernatural and nightmarish elements. The nature is the biggest personification of the whole poem.
When the Mariner killed the Albatross nature punished him. The wind dies down, the sun get hotter and hotter and at last the sea became revolting and full of monsters. Only at the end the mariner got blessed.
5. HOW DOES THE VOYAGE OF THE MARINER'S SHIP START?
As soon as they left the harbor The ship sailed with fair and clear weather, moreover everyone was excited going southwards.
6. WHAT ATTRACTED THE WEDDING GUEST 'S ATTENTION?
While the mariner was telling his story the wedding guest got distracted hearing the bridal music.
4. WHAT DOES THE MARINER START TO DO? IS THE WEDDING GUEST OBLIGED TO LISTEN TO HIM?
The mariner started telling his story, his glittering eye hypnotized the wedding guest, due to the condemnation of the ancient mariner he was obliged to listen carefully to his words.
THE RIME VS TRADITIONAL BALLADS
INTERPRETATION
Features that this poem and traditional ballads have in common:
combination of dialogue and narration, four-line stanzas, anchaic language, alliteration, repetition, onomatopea, travel theme, supernatural elements.
The moral ending makes this poem a romantic ballad.
the Killing of the albatross has various interpretations: dream, allegory of a spiritual journey of the soul and the more revelant: a description of the poetic jorney of Romanticism.