Significance of Christian Symbolism within RoTAM✝️

What are some examples of Christian Symbols within the poem?

-Biting of the arm

-Hermit as a 'man of God' in nature

-Prayers

-Cross/crucifixtion

-7 parts, 7 days

-Boat/water

-Wedding Ceremony

Biting of the arm

In order to save the Mariners from their thirst-stricken deaths, the Mariner bites his arm and 'suck[s] the blood' in order to wet his throat and cry 'a sail, a sail!'

This action is Eucharistic in its symbolism, evoking an image of transubstantiation and thus demonstrating how estranged the Mariners are from God, as they have to enact their own communion to receive a salvation that is ultimately false.

Hermit

The Hermit acts to represent Coleridge's Romantic beliefs of Pantheism and being at one with nature. However, the Mariner places all of his faith in this 'man' by asking him to 'shrieve' him entirely, thus having him conform once again to anthropocentric ideals which cause his attempted absolution to fail.

Prayers

Overt - The Albatross takes part in the mariners' 'vespers nine' so when it is arbitrarily killed they face the punishment of not being able to pray, and therefore commune with God.

Cross

'With my cross-bow, I shot the Albatross'

The Mariner uses religion as an excuse to kill the Mariner, going against the Bible's teachings and therefore committing a transgression against nature.

'Cross' comes up many times throughout the poem.

7 parts

The poem is structured into 7 distinct parts, perhaps referencing the creation story in which God created the world in 7 days.

Boat

The boat travels across the water, creating a baptismal image in which the Mariners are so close to redemption by merely accepting nature and metaphorically entering the water, but they remain on the man-made boat.

Similar to Jonah and the whale, in which the whale acted as a vessel for redemption, whereas Jonah was directly communing with nature, here the Mariner keeps himself constricted within the confines of the ship.

Genesis 1v2: ''[...] and the spirit of God moved over the water'' - within the poem the water-snakes represent God, and the Mariner is only redeemed when he 'blesses them unaware.'

Jesus calms the storm. storm in poem represents distance from God, Noah's ark (cleansing and saving), etc.