Romanticism is defined as a movement in the arts and literature that originated in the late 18th century, emphasizing inspiration, subjectivity, and the primacy of the individual. Coleridge, one of the founding fathers of romanticism, incorporated romantic ideals into many of his literary works. One of his famous ballads includes Rime of the Ancient Mariner. An analysis of this poem reveals Coleridge 's incorporated romantic ideals.
Coleridge 's supernatural ideals reinforces his approval of romanticism, as the supernatural is a common romantic theme. Life-in-death and Death are both supernatural beings that come to the mariner 's ship in order to decide his fate for killing the Albatross. “The Nightmare Life-in-Death”(Line 193) won the
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As a part of the Mariners punishment, he becomes stuck in a drought, in the middle of the ocean. There’s “water, water, everywhere, nor any drop to drink”. The irony reveals an almost cruel punishment towards the Mariner and his Crewmen, as the water all around them is tempting but they can’t drink any of it due to it being salt water. Since the Mariner disrespected nature, the supernatural punishes him with nature as a way of revealing the importance of it to him. The Mariner didn’t think highly of nature, so this punishment was a way of revealing how if the Mariner won’t respect nature, then it wont respect him back. The Mariner receiving a punishment for not respecting nature ties to romanticism due to maintaining a respect for nature representing a romantic ideal.
After the Mariner spends time at sea all alone he learns to respect life. When he sees snakes, which were previously described as slimy, “A spring of love gush[es] from [his] heart, and [he] bless[es] them unaware”. Since the Mariner finally shows respect for nature he breaks the curse and is finally able to pray. The simile of the Mariner’s emotions compares the love he felt towards the snakes to a spring of love. This comparison reveals the magnitude of the joy that the Mariner had felt when he saw the snakes and that the punishment that was given to the Mariner was