There is a lot that can be learned from the past. The past is like a book on a library shelf. At first, it may not look very interesting. But, as soon as you open that book, it will tell the secrets of the world. Samuel Taylor Coleridge was a very popular transcendentalist writer who pushed the envelope on many ideas. One of Coleridge's most famous piece of work is “Rime of the Ancient Mariner”. In this poetic narrative, Coleridge explains the ideas of guilt and repentance. Three main messages from Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s “Rime of the Ancient Mariner” are young versus old, the albatross, and respect for nature.
The first message in Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s “Rime of the Ancient Mariner” is young versus old. As humans grow older, they start to realise more things. The joys of the world seem to shine a little dimmer because the wonder and awe has left their life. As Coleridge says on page 845, “And now the wedding guest turned from the bridegroom’s door. He went like one that hath been stunned and is of sense of forlorn: a sadder and wiser man, he rose the morrow morn.” After hearing the Ancient Mariner’s story the young wedding guest no longer wanted to go to the party. He realised that there was more to life.
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In this story, Coleridge has many metaphors. The most important metaphor is that of the albatross. The albatross stands for good luck at the beginning of the story. The, after it is shot, it stands for guilt and regret. Coleridge says on page 832, “The selfsame moment I could pray; and from my neck so free the albatross fell off, and sank like lead into the sea.” Coleridge is showing how repenting can help with the pain of the guilt. He is showing a person shall go on from