The Enlightenment of the Mariner
What is truly the most important aspect to life? In the romantic poem, Rime of the Ancient
Mariner, by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, the simple, subtle things in life are the most important. The main character, the Mariner, begins his unforgiving journey that eventually unravels into a disaster. As the poem progresses, he learns many life lessons that help reshape who he is. From the day he killed the albatross to his final days, he lost valuable things that meant a lot to him including his crew, his ship, and his comfort. The Mariner transforms from a hopeless, blind person to a grateful, hopeful storyteller, proving Coleridge's lesson that the simple things in life are often the most critical things in life.
The
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The Mariner has gotten quite use to the aspects of nature and begins to note the subtle things in life that add to his lifestyle. The Hermit, who lives a very simple life, often perches and makes the most out of his life. After watching the Hermit, the Mariner thinks, "This Hermit good lives in that wood/ Which slopes down to the sea./ How loudly his sweet voice he rears!" (514-516). The Mariner complements the Hermit's simple, yet spiritual life. The Mariner, once blind to the greatness of simplicity, now sees life as a gift and a sign of hope. Once the Mariner's journey is complete, he still feels the slightest evidence of regret from his sins. The Hermit then advises the Mariner to share his once-in-a-life experience with others. The Mariner completely agrees and, "since then, at an uncertain hour,/ That agony returns:/ And till my ghastly tale is told,/ This heart within me burns" (582-585). The Mariner turns this life-changing agony into a proactive way of forgiving himself. Not only does the Mariner relieve himself from the regrets he had on his journey, but he also shares his important message of simplicity and gratitude to others. The Mariner's world has turned completely upside down, once a ungrateful, hopeless man into a grateful, hopeful