of the poem is extraordinary, with Coleridge using the ballad form to bring the terrible events to life, with the sense of guilt and distress evident. Yet we see the mariner begin to appreciate the beauty of nature – he watches water snakes ‘ Blue, glossy green, and velvet black ’, and realises the magnificence of nature and so the folly of his crime in those creatures usually considered slimy and menacing.‘ A spring of love gushed from my heart, And I blessed them unaware: ’The mariner has begun to be healed, and the worst of his penance is over. The final stanza of part IV and the first of part V capture the punishment sinking away and the wonder and beauty of such simple things as sleep, water and coolness.‘ The Albatross fell off, and sank Like lead into the sea. ’‘ … gentle sleep from Heaven, That slid into my soul. ’Healing and redemption are stressed as the mariner begins to wonder at the marvels of nature. In book VI the mariner at last anticipates with intense joy final redemption and purification. The mariner is destined to wander the land telling his tale to who he must.In The Ancient Mariner, Coleridge has reworked typical ballad form to make manifest the values of the Romantic Movement. ‘Suspension of disbelief ’ is requested from the reader, for you must lose be able to lose yourself in the entirety of the mariner’s tale to fully appreciate the issues being dealt with within. The ballad explores the mysteries of nature, life and human consciousness. The sacredness and wonder of God’s creation is highlighted, as is the value and goodness of God shown in nature. The prominence of the belief that God reveals himself in nature was common to the Romantic era, and is an emphasis that wasn’t found nearly as much in the traditional ballads.The Rime of the Ancient Mariner is a wonderful ballad, which uses truly beautiful and captivating la...
