Research On The Theme Of Coleridge's Supernatural Poem The Rime Of The Ancient Mariner

With the acknowledgement of S.T.Coleridge's thought in recent decades,The Rime of the Ancient Mariner,one of his three famous and influential supernatural poems,has obtained enough attention both in China and abroad.Nevertheless due to the complexity and profundity of Coleridge himself,there are always disputes and arguments about its setting,theme,symbol or style.The focuses and concerns are mainly on its imagination application,religious theme,symbolic language or the ethical relationship from the perspectives of aesthetics,theology,psychology and etc..The supernatural images and the mysterious storyline in The Rime of the Ancient Mariner are often believed as the symbol of Coleridge's highest achievement in practicing his poetic imagination,the best representative of religious concern of sin and punishment,or an allegory of destructed relationship between man and nature.These previous studies have undoubtedly contributed much to a better understanding of British Romantic literature,especially the poetry of Coleridge.Yet Coleridge's thought of “oneness” is seldom mentioned and even misunderstood.His broad vision and profound wisdom have not drawn enough attention and objective evaluation.Coleridge's purpose of creating supernatural poems,the essence of his imagination theory and the connection between his theory and its historical background have not been well studied.This paper here,taking “oneness” as its focus,aims to re-discuss and re-evaluate the theme and profundity of this controversial poem The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by way of observing the close connection and interaction between history and literature,theory and text.The paper holds three main points.Firstly,Coleridge's imagination theory has its rich and profound historical origin.The French Revolution and the Industrial Revolution not only break the traditional social orders but also disrupt the primitive laws of nature.The emphasis on science and reason during the Enlightenment period disturbs the peace and balance of public beliefs and social values as well.Coleridge,one of the most important poets in this particular age,sees these problems more clearly.He feels anxious and persistently finds ways to reconstruct a more harmonious state and society.He advocates the power of imagination.It could exert man's subjective strength to unite and create,which surpasses the cold and dead mechanical rationality.Coleridge profoundly expounds fancy,primary imagination and secondary imagination.The essence of imagination,according to Coleridge,is the features of comprehensiveness,inclusiveness and reconciliation which make it possible to reconstruct the order of social ecology,natural rules and man's inner world in a new age.Secondly,Coleridge's purpose of creating supernatural poetry is to realize his idea of “oneness”,and that is to construct harmony and unity where opposites unite and coexist.Coleridge employs imagination best in his three supernatural poems,but only takes it as a method of his artistic creation.The Rime of the Ancient Mariner begins with a wedding scene which often symbolizes unity and harmony.However,in a second,disagreement,division and destruction prevail the whole poem.There are opposites between vague characters and specific animals,the irrational shooting and a general navigation expectation,the physical existence and the lost soul,man's inner struggle and his final sobriety.These opposites take readers to an anxious,mysterious and disordered world.The poem seems to be just a marvelous work of imagination or a religious story of sin and punishment with disorders and contradictions.But it can be seen a final inclusive reconciliation in these complex conflicts,which suggests the idea of “oneness”Thirdly,Coleridge's idea of “oneness” is rooted in his philosophical thinking that all beings in the universe have the same origin though they are different in form.The universal law is the mutual dependence and co-existence of all opposites and contradictions.For Coleridge,the essence of “oneness” is to “see one as many,and many as one”.Coleridge,on the one hand,sees clearly the truth of the universe,and on the other hand feels anxious about the disorders and disagreements in both individuals and the society.With imagination,he purposefully places chaos and disorders in his artistic creation.But at the same time he begins and ends it with harmony and reconciliation.“Oneness” is expressed in united opposites and it is Coleridge's most important appeal and purpose.The relationship between body and soul,subject and object,sin and punishment helps us see more clearly the poet's profound concern for the social environment,the universal law and the essence of human nature.He expresses this core idea in The Rime of the Ancient Mariner.Besides introduction and conclusion,the main body of the paper is composed of four chapters.Chapter One is about the literature review,including the studies on Coleridge and The Rime of the Ancient Mariner both in China and abroad.Chapter Two explains in details Coleridge's imagination theory,its historical background,the main points of his primary imagination and secondary imagination,and most importantly the essence of his imagination theory: comprehensiveness,inclusiveness and reconciliation.Chapter Three goes to a deep analysis of and discussion about the paradoxical figures and conflicts in The Rime of the Ancient Mariner: the inconsistency and unification between body and soul,subject and object,sin and punishment,order and chaos,one and many,revealing the profound philosophical thought of “oneness”.Chapter Four gives a careful and a more comprehensive research on the social background of Coleridge's thought of “oneness”,especially the social crisis and the crisis of faith and humanity.And it offers readers a keen insight into the poet's expectation of reconciliation between opposites and his appeal for reconstruction of harmony and unity.