Samuel Taylor Coleridge: The Rime of the Ancient Mariner
The Rime of the Ancient Mariner is a poem written by Samuel Taylor Coleridge in 1797. At first sight it may just seem like an epic sea voyage told by an old sailor to a wedding guest, but underlying this is a Christian allegory that teaches us about wrong-doing, suffering and redemption. He uses many different literary techniques to portray these three points. These literary techniques are displayed differently throughout the course of this long poem.
The first point that is hidden under this epic story is wrong-doing. Coleridge uses metaphors to tell of the wrong-doing in this poem. A metaphor is a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which …show more content…
He uses these to emphasise the underlying point of the mariner’s suffering. A hyperbole is a literary technique that authors use to create an effect that over emphasises a certain points of the story or poem using specific words and phrases. Although most hyperboles are not physically possible they aim to have an emotional effect on the reader. In the Rime of the Ancient Mariner, Coleridge particularly uses hyperboles to exaggerate the great suffering that the mariner is put through because he killed the albatross. One example of a hyperbole in the Rime of the Ancient Mariner is: ‘As idle as a painted Ship/Upon a painted Ocean.’ (Line 117-118) This hyperbole exaggerates the stillness of the ship and makes us feel like we are on the boat suffering with the mariner. Another example is: ‘Water, water, everywhere,/Nor any drop to drink.’ (Line 121-122) This hyperbole stresses the torture that is there is so much water all around him but nothing is drinkable. Both of these examples show the hardship and suffering that the mariner goes through while out on the sea after killing the albatross. Coleridge uses hyperboles very well in his poem and they help outline the suffering that the mariner is put
The Rime of the Ancient Mariner is a poem written by Samuel Taylor Coleridge in 1797. At first sight it may just seem like an epic sea voyage told by an old sailor to a wedding guest, but underlying this is a Christian allegory that teaches us about wrong-doing, suffering and redemption. He uses many different literary techniques to portray these three points. These literary techniques are displayed differently throughout the course of this long poem.
The first point that is hidden under this epic story is wrong-doing. Coleridge uses metaphors to tell of the wrong-doing in this poem. A metaphor is a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which …show more content…
He uses these to emphasise the underlying point of the mariner’s suffering. A hyperbole is a literary technique that authors use to create an effect that over emphasises a certain points of the story or poem using specific words and phrases. Although most hyperboles are not physically possible they aim to have an emotional effect on the reader. In the Rime of the Ancient Mariner, Coleridge particularly uses hyperboles to exaggerate the great suffering that the mariner is put through because he killed the albatross. One example of a hyperbole in the Rime of the Ancient Mariner is: ‘As idle as a painted Ship/Upon a painted Ocean.’ (Line 117-118) This hyperbole exaggerates the stillness of the ship and makes us feel like we are on the boat suffering with the mariner. Another example is: ‘Water, water, everywhere,/Nor any drop to drink.’ (Line 121-122) This hyperbole stresses the torture that is there is so much water all around him but nothing is drinkable. Both of these examples show the hardship and suffering that the mariner goes through while out on the sea after killing the albatross. Coleridge uses hyperboles very well in his poem and they help outline the suffering that the mariner is put