ATROSS.”
This act represents a crime against God’s creation, and, by extension, a crime against nature. The Mariner himself realizes the gravity of his actions when he says “I had done a hellish thing.” The killing of the Albatross symbolizes human sin. It is a sin of disrespect for the beauty and innocence of nature.
Punishment—Suffering and Isolation: After the Mariner kills the Albatross, he and the crew are immediately punished. The wind stops, and the ship is stuck in the middle of the sea. The Mariner and the crew members suffer from thirst and heat. The poem describes their suffering with the famous lines:
“Water, water, every where,
Nor any drop to drink.” (Part 2)
This punishment is not just physical but also spiritual. The crew hangs the Albatross around the Mariner’s neck. It symbolizes the weight of his guilt. The Mariner says:
“Instead of the cross, the Albatross
About my neck was hung” (Part 2).
His crewmates die and the Mariner is surrounded by his dead crewmates. He becomes isolated. The curse of the dead sailors’ eyes adds to his torment.
Punishment by Supernatural Forces: The punishment for the Mariner’s crime is not just from nature but also from supernatural forces. After the Mariner kills the Albatross, ghostly figures like Death and Life-in-Death appear. They gamble (play dice) for the lives of the crew. The crew dies, but the Mariner is left alive under the control of Life-in-Death. The Mariner is condemned to suffer in a state of living death. The Mariner describes Life-in-Death:
“The Night-mare Life-in-Death was she,
Who thicks man's blood with cold” (Part 3).
This supernatural force adds horror to the story. It deepens the Mariner’s punishment.
Salvation—Loving God’s Creature: The Mariner’s salvation begins when he starts to appreciate the beauty of nature. He realizes that all living creatures are part of God's creation, no matter how small or big. This realization happens when he sees the water snakes and describes their beauty. He says:
“O happy living things! no tongue
Their beauty might declare” (Part 4).
At this moment, the Mariner can pray again, and the Albatross falls from his neck. This symbolizes the lifting of his guilt. The Mariner’s spiritual salvation begins.
Allegorical Learning: We can find the allegorical learning of the poem in the last part. The Mariner now knows that a religious/pious person loves all of God’s creatures, no matter how big or small. God is the creator of all and He loves all creatures. The Mariner says:
“He prayeth best, who loveth best
All things both great and small;”
To wrap up, Coleridge uses the Mariner’s journey to create an allegory of crime, punishment, and salvation in the poem. The Mariner’s sin against nature/God’s creature leads to severe physical and spiritual punishment. The poem teaches redemption is possible through respect for nature and sincere repentance.
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