Week 2 - Romanticism

 Romanticism – concept
►The term romanticism refers to the writing of the late 18 th and early 19th century.
►It is a period term between an Enlightment worldview and a modern industrialized society.
►There are a lot of differences among Romantic poets, so we can talk about several
romanticisms, instead of using the singular noun to refer to this poetics.
►Although there are certain differences in the works of romantic poets, we can identify some
common beliefs. They are a group of poets who share a view of poetry, imagination, nature and
spirit, and also a poetic style, which includes the use of metaphor, symbolism and myth.
 Context
►Romantic poets support the revolution. The end of the monarchy in the 19 th century with the
French revolution.
►Romantic poets reject the ideas of the Enlighment, an European movement of the late 17 th
century and early 18 th century. They had certain ideas about God, reason, and humanity that
romantic poets rejected.
 Features of Romantic poetry
► Belief in a world that transcends what is perceived by the senses
► Imagination as the way to get the ultimate truth of that transcendental world
► Poet as a prophet
► Medievalism, recovery of the ballad (focus on emotion) and the folk-song
► References to nature and natural objects. Nature as a theme
►Direct expression of emotions.
►Instances of language used by simple rural folk.
►Concern with the experience and insights of childhood.
►Individuality. Man as an individual, not as a group.

►Transcendental world
Romantic poets believe in a world that transcends what is perceived by the senses. This world
reflects a union between man and nature and the presence of God.
►William Wordsworth refers to this as “the original union” and William Blake as “the world as
it is, infinite and holy”
►As a consequence of this belief in the transcendental world, they believe in the divine nature
of Man. They are not Christian but they are religious because they believe in the holiness of
reality.
►God is Man’s origin
►The bond with this transcendental world can be strengthened through imagination
► The concern with the union of Man, Nature and God stems from the fact that humanity has
become separated from nature
► Humanity has become separated from nature, which leads to a false characterization of
external nature as ‘fixed and dead´. The romantic poet seeks a way to reactivate the world by
discovering the creative perceptiveness, which will allow the writer to draw aside the veils
which modern living has laid across the senses. They will seek a perception where the false
separation of Nature (fixed, external objects) and nature (the living being of the perceiver) can
be reconciled: a new synthesizing vision. The romantic thinker often feels that such a faculty is
not an invention, but a rediscovery of the truth about the way we perceive and create which has
been lost in the development of more complicated social forms and the growth of rational and
self-conscious theories of human thought.

Imagination
Imagination is considered the way to get to the ultimate truth of that trascendental world.
Imagination envisions a sense of continuity between man, nature and the presence of God
According to Bowra, what sets apart Romantic poets is the importance they give to imagination.
For example, Blake sees imagination as a divine force within humans, while Coleridge thinks it
takes part in God’s creative power. Shelley believes that imagination is creative and that a poet’s
imagination helps understand reality.

The highest level of imagination involves seeing the world in a special way. Wordsworth
believed that the things we see help us connect with a deeper reality. For him, the sensory world
triggers our imagination, allowing us a to understand a greater truth. Keats, on the other hand,
though that beauty revealed the ultimate reality. Despite their differences, these poets agreed
that imagination helps to reconcile the inner vision (our inner thoughts) and the outer
experience (what we experience in the outside world). In simpler terms, they believed that
imagination allows us to understand the world beyond what we can see, and poets use it to find
deeper meanings in everyday things.
Romantic poets believe that imagination is closely connected with their theory of poetry, they
see imagination as a creative force.

The Poet
The poet achieves the highest level of imagination, which is central to the mind’s activity
Imagination varies in degree, not in nature
Poets have unrestrained imagination, they are seers
The value is placed on intuition, dreams and imaginative powers
The poet is seen as a prophet with the ability to bring change to society through creative
capacity.
Belief in the poet’s role of illuminating, revealing, and inciting change.

The Romantic poets believed that poetry should be simple and relatable. They thought poets
shouldn't act like they're better than others, but instead, they should speak like regular people
talking to each other. So, they used everyday language that simple folks in the countryside
would use. Unlike the poetry in the 18th century, which was fancy and complicated, Romantic
poets wanted their poems to be down-to-earth and easy for everyone to understand.

Nature
Romantic poets include references to nature since they believe that any object in nature Is “fit
material for a poet”, that is to say, they believed that anything in nature could inspire great
poetry. For them, nature wasn't just trees, rivers, and mountains; it was like a living being, much
like humans. They saw it as something holy and interconnected, rejecting the idea that nature
could be explained just by science and rules. In other words, they appreciated nature's beauty
and mystery beyond what science could explain.

Medievalism
People used to think of the Middle Ages (17 th and 18th century) as a time of ignorance and
superstition. But for Romantic poets and artists, that period represented something different.
They saw it as a time of faith, idealism, and exciting adventures. One of the things they liked
about medieval stories was the idea of quests romance, used to show an internal quest for self-
knowledge. In Romantic poetry, these quests often symbolize a person's inner journey to
understand themselves better.

There is also an interest in the ballad as a form. Ballads are like songs that tell stories, and they
used to be accompanied by dance music. What's interesting is that in the Romantic period, there
was a shift in focus. Traditional ballads focused on the story being told, but Romantic poets
started to focus more on the emotions behind the stories.
 One of the poems we'll be looking at, "La Belle Dame Sans Merci" by John Keats, is a ballad
from this period. It's a great example of how poets in that time combined storytelling with deep
emotions, giving their work a unique and powerful quality.

Emotions
In Romantic poetry, emotions play a crucial role. This idea is shown in the preface to Lyrical
Ballads by William Wordsworth, he describes poetry as “the spontaneous overflow of powerful
feelings”

This emphasis on strong emotion in Romantic poetry marks a significant departure from the
poetry of the 18th century.

Romantic poets used fantasy to express emotions that were considered unconventional or not
approved by the society of their time. They turned to supernatural elements like ghosts, spirits,
and eerie atmospheres to convey these emotions. By embracing the supernatural, they went
beyond ordinary experiences and tapped into a realm that was beyond the understanding of the
senses, allowing them to express intense and complex emotions that couldn't be easily explained
or reasoned. This use of fantasy helped them convey their deep feelings and imaginative
thoughts in a way that traditional forms of expression couldn't capture.
Romantic poets were deeply intrigued by various aspects of human experience, and these
interests played a significant role in shaping their emotional expression

They are fascinated by altered states of consciousness and they claim that many of the greatest
works are the result of visions in dreams.

They are interested in the remote and the unfamiliar.

They are fascinated by myth and legends of the distant past.

They find the experience of the individual significant and their subjectivity is highly valued.

They are concerned with the experience and insight’s of childhood. We are going to expand on
this topic during the third week of our course.

Introduction to “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner”

Samuel Taylor Coleridge
 Leading figure in the British Romantic movement
 Co-autor of Lyrical Ballads with William Wordsworth
 Had a close relationship with Wordsworth and his sister Dorothy
 In his prolific years he wrote The Rime of The Ancient Mariner, Kubla Khan and Christabel
(1797-1798)
 Faced financial difficulties and health problems, including depression and opium addiction
Details of the publication
 Original publication: It was first published in 1798 in Lyrical Ballads.
 Revised edition: A gloss was added in 1817. The gloss provides explanations, expansions, and
rephrasings of the ideas. Sometimes, it also creates tension with the tone of the original verses.
 Illustrations by Gustave-Doré (1877): The poem was accompanied by illustrations of Gustave
Doré in an 1877 German edition.
 Illustrations by William Strang (1896, 1903): Scottish artist William Strang created illustrations
for different editions of the poem.
Genre
 Definition: “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” is a ballad, a narrative poem rooted in the folk
song tradition.
 Characteristics: Ballads originated in the Middle Ages, featuring strong, symmetrically
constructed stories in a simplified four-line stanza. They were initially sung by minstrels and
later by non-professionals at all levels of society.
 Romantic interest: The Romantics, including Coleridge, valued ballads as folk art and heroic
monuments from the past. The literary ballad, devoid of music, gained popularity in the late
18th and 19th centuries. Coleridge's "Ancient Mariner" and Keats's "La Belle Dame sans Merci"
are notable examples of literary ballads from this period.
Reading the Rime
Part 1
The Mariner stops a young man going to a wedding and starts telling him a story.
Pay attention to the structure of one story inserted within the other one. Connections? Effects?
How are the Mariner and the wedding guest characterized? What features prevail in each?
How does the wedding guest feel?
What words and images are used to convey all these ideas?
The Mariner’s story: describe the trip, the weather, the figure of the Albatross and the Mariner’s
shooting the Albatross.
The first thing we must pay attention to is the fact that the poem is framed: there are two planes: the
story of the wedding guest and the mariner (frame) and the central story (the story of the mariner
and his experience). Understanding this second story helps us to understand the frame. When we
read the first part there are some things we cannot understand, for example the fact that the Mariner
insists in telling his story, we believe he chose someone at random. We realize that the wedding
guest would prefer to be at the wedding and not listening to the mariner and yet we do not
understand why he cannot leave. So, these doubts are clarified by the second story. These we
understand at the end, we understand why the mariner must tell his story, why he insists so much,
also, why he did not choose the wedding guest at random, he sees something in his prospective
listener. The wedding guest is young and unexperienced, while the mariner is ancient and wears a
long grey beard. “The wedding guest cannot choose but hear” agony keeps the wedding guest there.
We also understand how the mariner keeps his attention, we realize the glittering eye is important
because is repeated. Later, there is also a connection between the glittering eye of the mariner as a
tool he has to keep the wedding guest attention and the eyes of the shipmates , when they cursed the
Mariner. The mariner could not stop seeing the eyes of the shipmates who have died and cursed
him. In certain parts of the poem, the frame comes to the foreground for some short stanzas. The
story works as a frame but it is meaningful, is not just a setting. There is a clear connection between
both stories. Turning to the Mariner’s story, in the first part we have the ship leaving Southwards,
and in this story the ship is chased by a storm, pay attention that the storm is personified, which is a
literary device and suggest the idea that nature is part of the same world of man, and this is an
important link with the Romantic poetics, in their belief that man and nature belong to what they
call the “transcendental world”, a world beyond our sensorial perception. When the ships is chased
and gets stuck in the Southpole, the description of that setting is keeping with the concept of the
sublime, a combination of delight and horror, a delighful horror. In the poem the vastness of the
ocean, the threatening tone of the eyes would suggest something fearful for the ship; but then we
have the wondrous cold and the ship floats green as emerald, we have a mixture of positive and
threatening images. This delighful horror is also seen in the oxymoron “dismal sheen” two contrary
ideas put together to represent this combination. As regards devices, the repetition of the eyes, eyes
are all around, this increasing presence of the eyes make seem the eyes more powerful, and also, the
fact that sounds are repeated and used to describe the eyes give the impression that the eyes are
alive, powerful, the eyes cracks but it also roars. The eyes are personified. The albatross is taken as
a good omen but for no apparent reason the mariner shoots it, this is described through
enjambement as a final single line in which the conflict is condensed, so it is very effective in terms
of narrative.
Part 2
As if cursed by the killing of the Albatross, the ship gets stuck in the ocean: there is no wind to
move the ship, and there is no water to drink. The Mariner sees slimy hellish creatures in the ocean.
The shipmates react agains the Mariner and finally hung the Albatross around the Mariner’s neck.
How do the shipmates react?
Describe the part of the journey (directions, conditions)
What are the creatures the Mariner sees like? Pay attention to the choice of words to describe them
Look at the stanza starting “And some in dreams assured were” and the accompanying gloss. What
do we learn?
Why do the shipmates hang the Albatross around the Mariner’s neck? What does this image relato
to and signify?
The first part ends with the killing of the Albatros and in the second part we have the shipmates
reactions: first, they react as the gloss says, they react against the Mariner for killing a bird of good
omen, but then, because the whether changes, the clouds clear and they are ready to go, they justify
what the Mariner did or support him in some way. The ship is ready to move and starts moving but
then the wind stops and so they get stuck now in the middle of the ocean, it is very hot and they
have no water, so they start suffering. To convey this suffering, there are simple devices: the
reference to the silence; the bloody sun at noon; the stanza Day after day, day after day, We stuck,
nor breath nor motion; As idle as a painted ship Upon a painted ocean, as if this was not real; the
repetition of water surrounding them and the irony that they cannot drink that water. And then, the
Mariner sees some creatures, these creatures appear as “slimy things upon the slimy sea ” and they
are hell-like creatures “death-fires” “witch’s oils” “burning green”, these descriptions suggest some
evil spirits. After that, immediately we have the appearance of a spirit that has driven them from the
south and we come again to an important idea of the Romantic poetic, this idea of the world that
transcends what the senses can perceive is associated with the platonic view of the world of ideas
from which this unearthly world is an expression. The fact that there are spirits moving the ships
suggest a connection between this earthly world and a world that transcends. The last stanza refers
to the evil looks that the shipmates have and this would be the connection with the glittering eye
that curses. But the most important part of the stanza is the final image, the Albatross hanging from
the neck of the Mariner, here we cannot avoid thinking of Jesus Christ, not meaning that the
mariner is Jesus Christ, but a metaphor of the cross that the Mariner has to carry.
Part 3
The shipmates react agains the Mariner first, but the reaction softens with the change of weather
conditions. Nevertheless, by the end of this part, the shipmates will cast evil looks on the Mariner.
Why? Because of the suffering they face: there is no wind, it is hot, and they have no water to
drink. The drought makes their tongues “wither at the root”.
This happens day after day (the repetition increases the idea of a never ending hopeless situation)
The Mariner sees some hellish creatures “slimy things” crawling upon a “slimy sea”
The final image suggests that the Mariner must carry the Albatros as if a cross.
Even though there is no wind, the Mariner sees a strange ship arriving. Death and Life-in-Death
throw the dice. All the crew dies, except for the Mariner.
How is the arrival of the new ship described? And what is unusual about it? Pay attention to the
choice of words and images.
What is being decided in the game played by Life-in-Death? What happens as a result?
Look at the last three stanzas. What elements set a connection with previous parts in the Rime?
This part starts with an emphasis on the idea of tiredness (repetition of the weary time), a feeling
that is then attached to the eye (weary eye), as if the eye condensed the exhausting experience. The
way in which the Mariner describes the ship reflects the way in which the mariner perceives it: first
a something, then a speck, and a mist. The effect is that the scene is made more vivid to us readers.
We are not just told that the ship is coming, but the ship becomes clearer to us little by little,
exactly as it happens to the Mariner.
The ship is weird: it moves without wind, and it lets the sun go through. To these already strange
features a new supernatural element is added: on the ship we find Death and Life-in-Death playing
dice. They are deciding on the ship’s fate, in fact. And as a result of the game, the crew will die but
the Mariner will be punished with a life of agony.
The rest of the men die, one by one, their souls leaving their bodies and passing by the Mariner:
“Like the whizz of my cross-bow!” (as if re-enacting the moment that brought about all this
tragedy: the killing of the Albatross). But before dying, each man looks at the Mariner and curses
him with their eyes (which helps us understand the importance that the Mariner’s eye has had so
far: glittering eye, weary eye)
The first stanza opens with the phrase weary time. This suggests the idea of tiredness as a
consequence of the experience of the mariner. Weary is repeated 4 times, first in reference to time,
but the last reference is modifying I, “weary I”, this takes us back to the importance of the eye and
the glittering eye of the Mariner. Pay attention to the way in which this strange ship is described:
first, it is referred to as something in the sky, then a spect, then a mist, then a certain shape. This
suggest the Mariner is looking at the ship getting closer to him.
What is unusual about this ship? It moves without breeze, the sun can be seen across the ship. The
shape of the ship is more like the ribs, or as if it were the skeleton of the ship.
Who is in the ship? Death and life in death, playing dice. They are deciding the future of the ship,
life in death wins so, even though the rest of the crew dies, the Mariner is kept alive. Pay attention
to the moment when this happen in the last stanza “cross me with the eyes”. The Mariner is cursed
by his shipmates. The final image is that of the soul leaving the bodies, they make a sound similar
to the cross bow, similar to that of the Mariner killing the Albatross.
Part 4
The wedding guest feels fear. The Mariner continues his story. He is in agony, cursed and alone.
Eventually, he can pray and the Albatross falls of his neck.
What does the wedding guest fear? What words stress his suspicions?
What images and words are used to described the Mariner’s agony?
What references are made to the Mariner’s eye? Trace them and think about the meanings provided.
What does the Mariner see at night? Describe the water and the creatures, and compare them with
the previous appearance in the Rime.
What is suggested by the final stanza?
The frame story shows the wedding guest’s fears and suspicious (and probably the reader’s
suspicion as well): that the Mariner is a ghost (skinny hands; long, lank brown as sea sand)
The Mariner stresses the agony of his experience: loneliness (see repetition of alone), he cannot
pray, his heart is dry, and he is cursed by the look on the men’s eye. He would prefer to die, but he
cannot (in the same way as the wedding guest would prefer to leave the Mariner, but he cannot) The
heart dry as dust metaphorically points to a lack of faith or belief, it refers to the lack of belief in a
larger world. The Mariner has lost contact with the world of Nature. But then, the Mariner sees the
sea creatures in a different light. The same sea creatures that had been so disgusting and hellish
before, now appear as beautiful. And the moment he sees beauty in Nature, he is also able to pray,
as if he had recovered his spiritual faith. As a result, he is freed from part of his burden: the
Albatross falls of his neck.
Part 4 opens with the frame story. The wedding guest feels fear “I fear the Ancient Mariner, I fear
their skinny hand”, the mariner has told the wedding guest that all the crew had died so the wg
looks at the mariner with his glittering eye and with his skinny hand and believes that he is a ghost.
Turning to the story, the Mariner is in agony “my soul in agony” this is stressed by the repetition of
alone “alone, alone, all all alone” and the fact that the agony is increased by the fact that all men
had died except himself and the slimy things. Even though he closes his eyes he cannot stop
looking at nature, sea, sky, and the dead mates, everything is like a load in my weary eye. The
way in which the shipmates look at him, even though they are dead, means punishment “an
offense…” But at night the Mariner sees something, he sees the same creatures he saw earlier, that
slimy creatures that seem hellish. Those creatures are seen in a different light. The water snakes are
no longer call slimy creatures, but water snakes. The words used to describe this creatures: shining
white, reach a tire?, blue, glossy gleam, velvet black, golden fire. Positive description of happy
living things, they are beauty. Now that the Mariner can see the beauty of this creatures that
belong to nature, he can, for the first time, pray. He had tried to pray before but he couldn’t. The
last stanza refers to this, and from my neck the Albatross fell off. Now that he sees beauty in these
creatures from nature, he is re7ady to pray. And once he prays, the albatross falls of his neck.
Pay attention to the final comment:
The Albatross fell off, and sank
Like lead into the sea
Pay attention to the way it sinks because it is related to the way the ship sinks at the end of the
poem.
Part 5
It rains. The ship moves although there is no wind. As the wedding guest feels fear again, the
Mariner explains how that was possible.
• How is the Mariner's dream (second stanza) connected to what happens when he awakes?
• What is the rain's effect on the Mariner? Compare it with opposite images in previous sections.
Reflect upon the meanings (beyond the literal ones) that the drought and the rain suggest.
• How does the ship manage to move? What words are used to describe the shipmates?
• The Mariner hears some singing; what is it?
• The Mariner collapses; why? what happens to the ship?
EDITAR AUDIO 5 But before raining the Bloody Mary has a dream and he dreams are worth a
connection between the world of dreams and the external world of the Earthly world again
becoming visible becoming possible through dreams in our discussion of Romanticism we made a
point of what we call the truth sense of certain level of imagination but also dreams are intuitions
are ways of connecting with or are wasting which this is dresses this connection between the
Earthly world and it doesn't mental world did you in the dream the rainy day leave the monitor of
the control but the meaning of rain goes beyond that person's life because it is what makes it
possible for the body to survive but at a snowman but it also means metaphorically means life the
rain takes the rule of it is relationship between trout and rain and drought has often been used as a
metaphor for the lack of beautiful face faith while the rain or the rain comes the moment when he is
able to see Beauty in nature so when we speak about faith we're not refer to you weirdness of the
world in which nature is one with man with human person that is nature of the human person are
both United in the world their peers and this is the Revelation that is adjusted by the baptism of the
rain because it accompanies the movement is able to see you in nature and so praise well some
spirits come and get into the bodies of his Shipmates and so they seem to come alive of course
you're not alive comes the narrative but somebody never makes it clear that it was not that it bodies
came back to life because the bodies were used by spirits to make them move and help the s*** yet
references to music un
Part 5 (audio 5)

The Mariner dreams of dew and when he wakes up it rains. This makes a point of the connection
between the world (we could say earthly world, not in opposition to heavenly, but in the sense of
the world perceived by the senses) and the world of dreams. "Sure I had drunken in my dreams/And
still my body drank. In our discussion of Romanticism, we developed t he concept of a
transcendental world, beyond our sensual perception, and how imagination, dreams, guesses,
intuition, were all ways of reaching that world or ways in which the transcendental world
manifested.
Also, as in the previous section we referred to drought in terms of lack of spiritual faith, now the
rain means the recovery of that faith, the rain plays the role of a baptism, bringing life in a sense
that exceeds the literal meaning, it brings spiritual life.
After the rain, the wind is heard. But there is no wind; it is the spirits that will get into the bodies of
the dead men so that they make the ship work; "We were a ghastly crew. And all this is
accompanied with references to sweetness, singing, pleasant noises.
Apart from the spirits in the dead bodies, another spirit had been pushing the ship, but now this
spirit leaves and in a stirring movement, the ship makes a sudden bound and the Mariner falls
down. Lying unconscious, he can hear two voices (two spirits) discussing what is going on. These
voices anticipate that in spite of the rain and the apparent expiation of the curse, the Mariner's
punishment has not concluded
Part 6
Part 6
The two voices relate what is going on. The Mariner wakes up from his trance. The curse expiated,
the Mariner can return to his native land. The Pilot, the Pilot's boy and the Hermit see the ship
arriving.
• When the Mariner awakes, the dead men stand together. In what way are they described? Compare
this description with the Mariner and the wedding guest in part 1.
The gloss tells us the curse is expiated, how is this shown in the poem?
How does the ship finally arrive home?
How do we know that it arrives home? Compare the stanza describing the arrival with that in part 1
describing the departure.
What is the Mariner's reaction when he sees his home land? How does he describe the setting that
night? Who are the "seraph-band"?
What is a hermit? What role does the Hermit in the poem play?
When the Mariner awakes, he sees the men standing together "all fixed on me their ston eyes" (in
the same way the Mariner fixes his glittering eye on the wedding guest) and "I could not draw my
eyes from theirs (the same happens to the wedding guest). But the arrival to his native country
dissipates the Mariner's fears, and he prays.
Pay attention to the stanza "Oh" dream of joy..." and how it is constructed in a similar way to the
stanza describing the departure in Part 1. The difference lies in the order of the places described
(clearly showing the reversed movement): the light-house top, the hill and the church now; the
church, the hill and the light-house top in Part 1.
Silence and light are stressed in the description of that night, as if preparing the introduction of the
Hermit. But before that, the spirits ("the seraph-band") leave the bodies of the dead men. It is now
that the Mariner can hear the arrival of a boat, with the Pilot, the Pilot's boy and the Hermit on it.
The presence of the Hermit fills the Mariner wit hope: "He'll shrieve my soul, he'll wash away/The
Albatross's blood."
AUDIO 6 TRANSCRIBIR
Part 7
The ship sinks and the Mariner is saved by the Pilot, the Pilot's boy and the Hermit. The Mariner
asks the Hermit to save him. The Mariner will experience agony until he tells his tale, but the agony
will come back The sounds from the wedding are heard. The Mariner leaves and the wedding guest
is left "sadder and There is a final teaching about Man and Nature

-What do we learn about the Hermit?

-How does the Plot react to the Mariner? What about the Harmit?
-What happens to the ship? How is the Mariner saved?
-Why does the Pilot's boy “go crazy”?
-The Mariner asks the Hermit for redemption. Is he redeemed? How?
-What does the poem suggest by the reference to the wedding guest having become wiser? Before
leaving, the Mariner puts into words his lesson to the wedding guest. What is it? what Romantic
idea does it express?
Part 7 (audio 7)
Why is the Hermit so relevant? A hermit is someone who leads a simple life, often in isolation. In
this case, although he is not isolated, the Hermit lives in the woods and is seen as a sacred person.
For this reason, o first level of interpretation, the Mariner expects to get redemption from him. But
on a second level, the Herr represents a sacred relation with Nature (once more, within the frame of
Romantic beliefs).
The storyline at this time gets a faster rhythm and a somewhat confusing chain of events. As the
Pilot's boa approaches the ship, the latter sinks "like lead" (remember the same expression was used
to describe the Albatross falling off the Mariner's neck). The Mariner's body is floating and is
rescued by the boat. But the bo is so close to the ship that it starts spinning round dangerously.
When the Mariner then takes the oars, the f felt by the Pilot and the boy increase: the Pilot's boy
calls the Mariner "the Devil".

The Hermit listens to the Mariner, but the latter is not fully redeemed. He must tell his story over
and over to partially dominate his agony; an agony that returns and forces him to find someone to
listen to his tale.
The poem ends in the frame, in which the wedding guest, after listening to the story, is no longer
the young. inexperienced man of the beginning: he has become sadder and wiser.
The poem has a moral teaching (moral within the Romantic beliefs); man and nature are both
creatures of Go no matter how big or small, every creature in Nature is a peer to man. This is
clearly expressing the belief in world that transcends the one perceived
AUDIO 7 TRANSCRIBIR
Romantic features in the poem
The belief in a world beyond what the senses can perceive, a world in which Man and Nature are
united. This is why Nature is given so much importance, we have the personification of many
natural elements, the weight of the punishment for killing the albatross.
The use of the sublime reinforces the force of nature, as in the image of the ship belittled by the
vast ocean
An interest in Medievalism, as shown by the genre chosen. The Romantic poets take the quest from
the Medieval ballad and transform it into an instrospective and interior quest. In Coleridge’s poem,
there is a journey, but that physical displacement can also be read figuratively as an interior
journey, in which the Mariner explores his own self and learns about his place in the world, the
gravity of his act, the importance of Nature, etc. The wedding guest eventually becomes “sadder
and wiser” as well.
The language used
The use of simple language and simple poetic diction. The poem does not use complex vocabulary.
The poem is difficult to read because we are not acquainted to poetry, but the language and the
devices are not complex. For instance, some devices used are repetition, onomatopoeia, anaphora,
personification, enjambment.
The real and the supernatural
According to Bowra, the success of “The Rime” is that is presents a series of incredible events in
such a way that they are not only made convincing and exciting, but in some degree they are a
criticism of life. In the use of horror, Coleridge transcends the mere effective resources. He uses
these, but they become an instrument for the development of ideas or concepts.
The poet shows features of the dream. Coleridge appeals to our experience of dreams. He uses the
atmosphere of dreams to accustom us to his special world.
Although the events are unnatural, they are formed with natural elements, so this makes them
believable for us. There is a realistic treatment of the setting, nature remains quiet at times and it is
violent at others.
The same happens with the handling of human emotions. Bowra says that Coleridge captures the
relief experienced when rain comes after a long drought with economical language.
Bowra also highlights how genuine mental states are. The Mariner’s anguish is authentic, and also
the hope he feels when reaching the shore at the end.
Through the slimy creatures, whether they exist or not, we see a man in the last agonies and in
hallucination.
It doesn’t matter whether the things depicted in the poem exists. What makes the poem interesting
is its realistic portrayal of the setting, characters, emotions and mental states. These realistic
qualities enable readers to accept the events of the poem as real. Coleridge aimed to achieve “a
willing suspension of disbelief”, a state where readers temporarily set aside their doubts and fully
engage with the poem.
Coleridge uses horror and gothic elements to support a Romantic belief. He thinks the everyday
world is just part of a bigger, hidden reality. This hidden world goes beyond what we normally see
and understand. Poets can reach this deeper truth through their imagination.
Imagination
The most important way to access the transcendental world. Apart from imagination, dreams are
also connected with that world. When the Mariner dreams or falls unconscious, he can hear voices
which do not belong to his “earthly” world (the one perceived by the senses). As regards the dream,
apart from the dream as part of the narrative line, Bowra states that “The Rime” has elements of the
dream in itself: the poem: the visual impressions, the emotional impacts, and the fact that it clings
to the memory with a peculiar tenacity.
Literary devices
The best way to understand a literary device is in relation to the content and effect produced; they
are an instrument to convey meaning.
Repetition
The weariness: weary time, weary eye
Incremented repetition
Each corse lay flat, lifeless and flat (VI)
Anaphora (repeating the same word when starting a new line)
Alone, alone, all, all alone,
Alone on a wide wide sea!
Parallel construction (when the poet use similar wording across several sentences)
I looked upon the rotting sea,
And drew my eyes away;
I looked upon the rotting deck,
And there the dead men lay.
Onomatopeia (A figure of speech in which the sound of a word imitates its sense)
And every soul, it passed me by,
Like the whizz of my cross-bow!
Simile (a comparison in the form of a metaphor)
 A noise like of a hidden brook
In the leafy month of June,
That to the sleeping woods all night
Singeth a quiet tune. (V)
Personification
The ice was all around:
It cracked and growled, and roared and howled,

Doré and Strang

Doré and Strang, both renowned illustrators of the 19th and early 20th centuries, created illustrations
for later editions of Coleridge's poem.
In Doré's pictures for "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner," the colors make it look mysterious and
dramatic. The main thing you see is the Albatross, a big bird, with an arrow pointing at it. The bird is
white, so it stands out in the dark picture. But the person who shot the bird, the Mariner, is not in the
picture. This makes us confused because we don't know why he did it. The picture and the poem don't
give us any clues.
Tasks:
Based on your reading of the poem, the lessons uploaded and the article assigned for this week, analyze
the role of nature in the poem. Contact the rest of your group members and write your answer in about
200 words.
Based on your reading of the poem, the lessons uploaded and the article assigned for this week, analyze
the role of the supernatural in the poem. Contact the rest of your group members and write your answer
in about 200 words.

https://campus.fahce.unlp.edu.ar/pluginfile.php?file=%2F530925%2Fmod_resource%2Fcontent
%2F1%2FThe%20Ancient%20Mariner.pdf
The gothic
Movement before romanticism  Romanticism takes some elements from the gothic. Coleridge most
uses the gothic, not Wordsworth.
Gothic  movement against rational. Ghosts, dreams, danger, chaos. Setting made of castles. Can be
thought as contraposed with Enlightment. The setting of Coleridge is not the castle.
Elements of gothic in Coleridge  darkness, mysterious incidents, supernatural beings, haunting
images, desolate landscapes, violence, the sublime.
The sublime  not beautiful, not ugly. “Delightful horror”. It provokes strong emotions. The sublime
comes from terror, obscurity. The sublime suggest delight at the side of terror. Can we see the sublime
in the frame story and in the story?
Gothic elements
Castles (in Coleridge the sea represents the gothic)
Ghosts and phantoms (spirits in Coleridge)
Fear (guilt and remorse in Coleridge)
Coleridge relies on dreams “a dreamlike story”
A willing suspension of disbelief
The poem follows a logic, it’s coherent
Familiar feelings: guilt, remorse
One can feel identified with these emotions. Emotions are representatives.
Treatment of universal feelings, mental states.
Bowra – “The Ancient Mariner”
The triumph of "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" lies in its ability to present incredible events in a
convincing and exciting manner, while also serving as a criticism of life.
Coleridge moves beyond commonplace horror thrills and explores a wide range of emotions, such as
guilt, remorse, suffering, relief, hate, forgiveness, grief, and joy.
The poem's setting on a boundless sea with vivid descriptions of days of pitiless sun and soft moonlit
nights, along with its new characters, gives the supernatural a fresh and human character.
Coleridge's Approach to the Supernatural:

Coleridge goes beyond the traditional Gothic setting of medieval castles, opting for a boundless sea as
the backdrop for his supernatural tale.
Instead of relying solely on the fear of specters and phantoms, Coleridge explores a broad spectrum of
emotions, creating a rich and human narrative.
The supernatural elements in the poem are not misty or vague but vividly imagined with sharp vision.
Utilization of Dream Characteristics:

Coleridge connects the supernatural to familiar experiences by exploiting dream-like qualities.

Dreams offer concentrated, vivid experiences with powerful and haunting effects, and Coleridge
incorporates these qualities into "The Ancient Mariner."
The poem moves in abrupt stages with dominating characteristics, brilliant visual impressions, and
rapidly changing yet emotionally impactful scenes, reminiscent of dream experiences.
Response to Wordsworth's Criticism:

Wordsworth's criticism about the events lacking necessary connection is dismissed, as Coleridge
establishes the poem's own coherence, rules, and logic.
The events in the poem, while mysterious, have connecting relations that may be considered causal
within the poem's own system.
The imaginary world of the poem has its own rules, different from ours but convincing, with events
that follow a logical progression once certain assumptions are accepted.
Coherence and Validity of Coleridge's Imaginary World:

The poem's imaginary world has its own rules that touch a familiar chord in readers, making it more
convincing than most events in dreams.
Readers do not question the validity of the poem's rules and events, accepting them as appropriate and
coherent within the created world.
Coleridge's events, guided by inner coherence and exploiting readers' familiarity with dreams, form a
valid and intelligible whole, not just a disconnected series of supernatural occurrences.

“London revisited” by Kathleen Raine (1908-2008)

In Raine’s poem, modern civilization is criticized, there are many references to nature (and in “London
revisited”, it plays a central role), as well as the notion of sensibility, emotions and nostalgia about the
past. These characteristics are similar to the ones in the romantic poems. We can establish a link
between Raine’s and Blake’s poem. “London revisited was published in 1943, in a collection of poems,
and it was written before and during WW2, which is why the war is present somehow in her poetry.
One of the elements in which we can notice the notion of war is in the view of dehumanized
civilization.
The poem is brief, and it has a free verse structure (there is no fixed pattern), which reflects her
conception of the world. She relates rhyme with the world of certainty, but she doesn’t use them, in
order to present a world of uncertainty.
The syntax is ambiguous, which results in a multiplicity of meanings.
Her conception of the city: the city, she says, being man’s creation, is a more a reflection of the
spiritual condition of a civilization rather than nature. This way, the city is like a mirror of humanity.
Her conception of t he country: for those who moved from city to country at the beginning of the war,
as Kathleen did, the change was only of location, but for her it was a change of identity, and even a
return to her real identity. She felt she belong there, she finds herself and her own voice in the country.
She also felt that the war was happening far away, she only read what was happening in the
newspapers, but she felt these events were distant. After some years living in the countryside, she
returned to the city.
The poem – from Stone and Flower, (1943)
Haunting these shattered walls, hung with our past
That no electron and no sun can pierce,
We visit rooms in dreams
Where we ourselves are ghosts.
There is no foothold for our solid world,
No hanging Babylon for the certain mind
In rooms tattered by wind, wept on by rain.
Wild as the tomb, wild as the mountainside
A storm of hours has shaken the finespun world
Tearing away our palaces, our faces, and our days.
The Ancient Mariner – Bowra
In the 18th century, when the Romantic spirit started, people got really interested in supernatural
stories. However, instead of telling these stories in a way that gives genuine chills and fear, writers
went overboard with ghosts and goblins, especially in German poetry and English Gothic novels. This
approach didn't work well because it ignored how past great writers, like Homer and Shakespeare,
effectively used the supernatural as part of a bigger story. These writers focused too much on scary
stuff, making it less effective. Moreover, they didn't truly believe in the supernatural; it was more like a
weird and spooky exercise for them. By the time Romanticism fully developed, this trend had lost
credibility. Some traces of it remained in later works, but important figures like Blake and Wordsworth
didn't take it seriously. Coleridge, however, still had some influence from this fascination with the
supernatural.
In 1797, at the age of twenty-five, Coleridge experienced a surge in his creative abilities, producing
remarkable works like "Christabel," "The Ancient Mariner," and "Kubla Khan" over two years. Despite
writing good poetry before and after this period, these three poems stood out as unique and unmatched
in his body of work. During this time, Coleridge tapped into his innermost thoughts and dreams,
expressing them vividly. Contrary to the belief that his genius decline was linked to opium use, which
had started but wasn't yet a habit, it doesn't explain the extraordinary burst of creativity seen in these
poems. Instead, his newfound connection with the Wordsworths likely played a role in unlocking his
hidden talents. Coleridge, often plagued by doubts, found encouragement and focus through his
association with Wordsworth, who supported him in staying dedicated to his artistic pursuits. Despite
his sensitivity to nature, it was the subtle observations during his time with the Wordsworths that
enriched this aspect of Coleridge's work.
Coleridge's genius is evident in his three poems - "Christabel," "The Ancient Mariner," and "Kubla
Khan," which stand out as highly unusual and romantic masterpieces in English Romantic literature.
While "Kubla Khan" may be less directly focused on the supernatural, it contains elements like a
"woman wailing for her demon-lover" and "ancestral voices prophesying war," infusing a sense of the
supernatural into its wild magnificence. "Christabel" is entirely based on the supernatural, depicting an
evil spirit within Geraldine that aims to destroy the innocent happiness of Christabel. Coleridge
successfully instills a mysterious dread in Geraldine, embodying evil powers from another world and
highlighting the vulnerability of ordinary humans against such forces. Both "Kubla Khan" and
"Christabel" remain fragments, leaving us to imagine their full potential. On the other hand, "The
Ancient Mariner" is a complete work that showcases Coleridge's intended purpose and the extent of his
powers, dealing with the supernatural on a grand scale. While the origins of "The Ancient Mariner" are
detailed in John Livingston Lowes' "The Road to Xanadu," our focus should be on understanding the
poem itself and its significance. Coleridge had initially planned to accompany "The Ancient Mariner"
with an essay on the supernatural, but this idea was never realized. n 1818, Coleridge discussed literary
matters without providing specific details or expressing his views. To understand his theory, we must
examine his actual practice. The inspiration for his first idea came from Mr. John Cruikshank's dream
about a person cursed for a crime and a skeleton ship. Wordsworth recognized this as suitable for
Coleridge's talent, aligning with their plan for the Lyrical Ballads, where Wordsworth focused on
ordinary life, and Coleridge on the supernatural. The aim was to evoke genuine emotions in readers by
portraying supernatural situations with dramatic truth. The plan for "The Ancient Mariner" took shape
during a walk in the Quantock Hills in 1797, with Wordsworth contributing some phrases and concepts.
Coleridge faced initial prejudice for choosing the supernatural as his subject, as it was considered
outdated. "The Ancient Mariner" fell into a category of poetry that received criticism, even though
Hazlitt acknowledged it as Coleridge's most remarkable work, albeit with some reservations. Charles
Lamb responded more sympathetically to the poem.
Coleridge faced doubts about using the supernatural in "The Ancient Mariner," expressing skepticism
about the miraculous elements. Despite this, he aimed to create a poetry of the supernatural that was as
human and compelling as Wordsworth's everyday themes. Coleridge courageously addressed the
challenges, focusing on more than just horror thrills. "The Ancient Mariner" stands out as a triumph,
presenting incredible events through a narrative that is not only convincing and exciting but also serves
as a criticism of life. Coleridge goes beyond the usual horror themes, evoking a horrified fear initially
but expanding the poem's scope to create something richer and more human. The Mariner's strange
adventures unfold on a boundless sea, avoiding the clichéd Gothic settings. The characters, like
Geraldine in "Christabel," belong to another realm and are governed by cosmic powers overseeing
human actions with appropriate rewards and punishments. Coleridge skillfully shapes a narrative that
transcends common horror tropes.
In "The Ancient Mariner," Coleridge breathes new life into the supernatural by moving beyond
traditional fears of ghosts and phantoms. Instead of sticking to a narrow range of emotions, he explores
a wide spectrum, including guilt, remorse, suffering, relief, hate, forgiveness, grief, and joy. He avoids
the clichéd and misty atmosphere typically associated with the supernatural, offering vivid and sharp
visions that captivate readers. One major challenge for a poet dealing with the supernatural is
connecting it to familiar experiences. Unlike earlier times when people readily accepted the
supernatural, Coleridge had to make his readers relate to it. He achieved this by delving into the
characteristics of dreams, something familiar to everyone. Dreams, with their concentrated and vivid
nature, allowed Coleridge to lead readers into appreciating the deeper mysteries he had in store. The
poet recognized the power of dreams to evoke strong, elemental emotions like fear and desire in a
direct way, even if their content might seem absurd when analyzed rationally. Coleridge drew
inspiration from Mr. Cruikshank's dream, using it as a foundation to shape the poem accordingly.
"The Ancient Mariner" by Coleridge is a dream-like poem with vivid imagery and emotional impact.
The events in the poem may seem disconnected, but they follow their own logic within the imaginary
world created by Coleridge. The poem's supernatural elements are made convincing through a mix of
dream-like coherence and human emotions. Coleridge aims to transfer human interest and a semblance
of truth from our inward nature to create a poetic faith that suspends disbelief. The events, though
unnatural, are presented with concrete details familiar to common experience, making them believable.
Coleridge uses the atmosphere of dreams to introduce his special world and then builds a coherent and
emotionally resonant narrative within that framework. The poem's natural background, despite its
strangeness, remains rooted in the familiar, enhancing its realism. Nature, described with detail and
beauty, serves as a backdrop even in the midst of supernatural occurrences. The characters lack
dramatic depth but evoke emotions, contributing to the overall realism of the poem. Coleridge's
realistic treatment of both setting and characters makes "The Ancient Mariner" a captivating and
emotionally engaging work.
In "The Ancient Mariner," Samuel Taylor Coleridge skillfully conveys the universal humanity of
suffering by depicting the crew's agonizing thirst during a becalmed sea. Coleridge employs vivid and
economical language to describe the crew's desperate state, effectively evoking the physical sensations
of thirst.
When rain finally comes to quench the Mariner's thirst, Coleridge continues to appeal to basic human
experiences, describing the refreshing feeling with striking simplicity. The poet captures the relief and
joy of the moment, emphasizing the tangible physical sensations the Mariner experiences.
Coleridge extends this approach to mental states, portraying the Mariner's intense emotions during his
harrowing ordeal. The sense of utter helplessness and solitude is vividly expressed as the Mariner finds
himself alone on a wide sea, abandoned by both God and man. Conversely, the arrival at land brings a
sense of hope and joy, symbolized by the silent presence of angels.
The poem navigates between extremes of despair and joy, creating a sense of spaciousness and
grandeur. Coleridge's artistry lies in his ability to make supernatural elements seem natural by
grounding them in familiar human experiences. The Mariner's voyage from the known to the unknown
is depicted with a delightful and magical surprise, maintaining a balance between the ordinary and the
extraordinary.
Coleridge's realism goes beyond mere circumstantial details; it reflects his deep connection with the
natural world and his sensitivity to its nuances. His description of nature emphasizes subtle charms and
less obvious appeals, revealing a unique perspective that aligns with the Romantic affinity for the
beauty of the sensible world.
In summary, Coleridge's "The Ancient Mariner" masterfully combines physical and mental sensations,
employing vivid and economical language to evoke universal human experiences amidst the
supernatural elements of the narrative.
"The Ancient Mariner" by Coleridge is a complex and multifaceted poem that combines supernatural
elements with a deep exploration of guilt, redemption, and the human condition. The poem follows the
journey of the Mariner, who commits a seemingly trivial crime by killing an albatross. However, the
consequences of this act unfold in a series of supernatural events that serve as a metaphor for the
Mariner's guilt and redemption.

Coleridge, despite later expressing dissatisfaction with the poem's moral clarity, weaves a symbolic
narrative that delves into universal truths about right and wrong. The albatross's killing represents a
crime against nature and sacred bonds, highlighting the irrationality of many crimes. The subsequent
punishment manifests in the decay of the physical world, emphasizing the interconnectedness of guilt
and environmental degradation.
The Mariner's journey becomes a myth of guilt and redemption, progressing through stages of
isolation, realization, and eventual forgiveness. Coleridge employs vivid imagery and supernatural
elements to symbolize the inner turmoil and ultimate spiritual renewal of the Mariner. The poem
culminates in a haunting confession, revealing the enduring impact of guilt on the human soul.

Coleridge's use of myth in "The Ancient Mariner" serves to concentrate on the core issues of guilt and
redemption, presenting them in a way that transcends literal interpretation. The supernatural elements
heighten the poem's enchantment, offering a profound exploration of the human experience. Ultimately,
the poem is a blend of dark and bright themes, capturing the essence of Coleridge's vision of life's
complexities and the power of the imagination.