When the Mariner kills the albatross , the other sailors see this as a sign of bad luck and fear, rightfully, that their dangerous voyage will be cursed and run into trouble. Coleridge uses personification throughout the poem to explore the relationship and struggle of power between humankind and nature.
The purpose of this is to express the frailty of man's ego and the fact that humans cannot control all aspects of life, as much as it might be their natural inclination to do so. Scientists believe they have finally worked out how the mighty albatross — a seabird capable of travelling 10, miles in a single journey and circumnavigating the globe in 46 days — manages to fly without expending almost any energy.
It is considered very unlucky to kill an albatross ; in Coleridge's poem, the narrator killed the bird and his fellow sailors eventually force him to wear the dead bird around his neck.
Albatross are fish-eaters and so are unlikely to pick at the bait or the poisoned mice. But scavenger species like the lesser sheathbill, which will be overwintering on the island during the drop, just might. Thirst and heat torments them. The sailors meet death but the Ancient Mariner is gift of Life-in-Death. He is given the punishment because of his ghastly act and bears the curse.
A common myth once held that albatrosses could fly for years at a time, eating and drinking and mating on the wing, landing only to lay their eggs. On their wandering flights, frigatebirds can stay aloft for up to two months without touching down on land or water.
The albatross eats cephalopods, fish, crustaceans and offal. Sometimes, they may also eat carrion and or other kinds of zooplankton. However, the importance of each food is different according to each species. Some may like to eat only squids, or others might eat more krill or fish. The wandering albatross has the longest wingspan of any living bird, typically ranging from 2. Life at sea is hard, but never so hard as for the murderer of a creature blessed in Christian allegory.
According to Fowke, Hatley shot a black albatross , was lost at sea, and, after being rescued, was taken to Lima, where he was greeted by the Peruvian Inquisition. The albatross is an exceedingly large seabird, having a wingspan as much as 11 feet across. It is a magnificent glider, capable of staying aloft for hours at a time without flapping its wings, and tends to remain almost entirely at sea, typically coming ashore only to breed.
Last Name. Email Address. Opt-in to important GradeSaver updates! Have an Account? He comes out of this trance and the ship goes back to its normal speed. As he looks ahead, the Mariner spots the hill, the lighthouse, the church, and other things that he recognizes.
He realizes that he is back in his own country. As the spirits leave their bodies, the Mariner notices that there is a boat coming towards him. In it are the Pilot, his boy, and the Hermit.
He hopes that the Hermit can redeem his soul of this terrible sin that has haunted him. The seventh part of the poem goes on to tell how the Pilot, his boy, and the Hermit rescued the Mariner when his ship sank.
When they reach the shore, the Mariner asks the Hermit to redeem him of his sins. What he does not understand is that the sin cannot be completely erased from his soul.
He will forever have to deal with penance because of his killing of the albatross. While this part of the poem does not directly refer to the Albatross, it still has spiritual significance. Because the Mariner is forever condemned, he must travel around and relieve his soul by telling his story to others.
This narration is a symbol of preaching. While the Mariner tells his story in order to help his own feelings, he also does it in order to spread the ideas of love and respect to others. The Albatross transforms from a symbol of the cross, to sin, to Christ, and to Christianity as a whole. When one first reads this poem, it is an intriguing story of the struggles that a Mariner faces while he is out at sea.
But when one reads deeper into the story, the use of symbolism and imagery creates a whole new meaning. This poem is a story of sin, agony, realization, redemption, and salvation.
This material is available only on Freebooksummary. We use cookies to give you the best experience possible. Sorry, but only registered users have full access.
0コメント