Treatment of supernatural element of Coleridge in “the rime of the Ancient Mariner.”

Ans :- Before bringing out the supernatural elements from Coleridge’s “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner”, it will be wise for us to be acquainted with supernaturalism. Supernaturalism means that which cannot be known or understood by the familiar law of nature. In other words, supernatural is that which we see or hear but the source of which remains unknown to us. ( a short story ) In our study of the poem “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner”, we get some happenings and incidents which are not believable to us because the source or origin of them is not known to us. Coleridge has very skillfully handled the supernatural elements and incidents and they appear to be natural.( a short story )  Now we shall bring out the supernatural elements from the poem “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner.”

Among the romantics, Coleridge is the master artist of handling supernatural elements. ( a short story ) While Wordsworth chose nature, Coleridge chose supernatural. ( a short story ) “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” is written basing upon a series of supernatural events. ( a short story ) The Ancient Mariner and his fellow mariners start their journey from the harbor of human habitation. For the first few days their journey was enjoyable and comfortable but subsequently they became in hazards and obstacles.( a short story )  Mist and fog surrounded their voyaging ship. ( a short story ) Then one day the Ancient Mariner saw an Albatross. The bird had some super natural association with it. ( a short story ) They got the favorable wind and nice weather at the coming of the bird. But out of whim, the Ancient Mariner one day killed the Albatross and this killing was followed by untold sufferings inflicted upon the mariners through many a supernatural way and event.( a short story )

                            Coleridge has used the technique the willing suspension of disbelief. He has tack his reader to the south sea which is far away from human habitation. ( a short story ) The action of the story takes place in that dreary and desolate sea. We don’t know whether the Ancient Mariner killed the Albatross or not. ( a short story ) Again we do not know whether his killing of the Albatross was followed by untold sufferings of the mariners.( a short story )  But the way in which he has narrated the story comprising the events and incidents are believable to us. At first we hesitate to believe in them. But we shake off our disbelief and put faith in the story. ( a short story ) We think that these happenings and incidents might have taken place in the desolate sea. So skilful is Coleridge’s art o handling the story framed upon a supernatural basis.( a short story )

                                                                                                        Coleridge has very closely blended natural and supernatural and it is a distinctive feature of his poetry. Indeed, the two are so indistinguishably fused with each other that it becomes difficult to locate where the one ends and where the other begins. The phrasal words the bloody sun, the copper shy, the death fires, the witch’s oils, constitute natural or supernatural phenomena. Indeed, Coleridge had the magical sagacity to create a supernatural atmosphere by means of natural object.( a short story )  The very familiar objects of nature have so artistically been conveyed to us that they seem to be quite supernatural. ( a short story ) The poet has said-

                                     “Her lips were red, her looks were free, 

                                       Her locks were yellow as gold,

                                       Her skin was as white as leprosy.”

Though these lines Coleridge has exposed the natural thinks in a supernatural way.

                Supernatural spell gradually reaches its climatic phase. The fellow mariners died one after another and their dead bodies lay flat upon the Ancient Mariner. The strange thing here is that, the dead bodies did not rot or stink even in a long period of seven days. ( a short story ) It is quite supernatural that the dead bodies did not rot that were to rot during that period. Again the deck and they began to work with living Ancient Mariner. ( a short story ) It is also supernatural in tone. Coleridge has rightly expressed-

                                      “The body of my brother’s son,

                                        Stood by me, knee to knee,  

                                         The body and I pulled at one rope.

                                       But he said naught to me.”

It is quite absurd that a dead person will get back his life and work with a living person. But it has been made possible because of Coleridge’s unique artistic skill of creating supernatural atmosphere. The final charm of creating supernatural spell comes to the reader when the dead body of the Ancient Mariner floated and he as a living human being jumped into the boat of the pilot. Being astonished the pilot Shrieked and fell down in a fit.( a short story )  The Hermit too was highly afraid. But it creates a high supernatural spell when the Ancient Mariner began to row. Coleridge has described thus-

                                         I took the oars: the Pilot’s boy,

                                             Who now doth crazy go,

                                        Laughed loud and long and all the while

                                             His eyes went to and fro.

                                       “Ha, ha!” quoth he, “full plain I see,

                                              The Devil knows how to row.”

                                                               Suggestiveness is the hall mark of Coleridge’s treatment of the supernatural. He has only suggested it without much descriptive detail. And concretization of the supernatural as a tangible reality is bound to damage its effectiveness. Mystery unraveled ceases to be mysterious. ( a short story ) That’s why Coleridge has not made any effort to unravel the mystery. He passes on with a subtle suggestion, leaving it to the readers imagination to fill in the necessary details. ( a short story ) The following lines express the idea in full-

                   ‘The Night-mare, Life-in-Death was she,

                            Who thicks man’s blood with cold”

Indeed, the suggestive note has added much more charms to the supernatural atmosphere created by the subtle texture of the poet’s imagination.

                                                    From the long discussion over the poem we come to an end that “the Rime of the Ancient Mariner,” is replete with supernatural elements.( a short story )  Coleridge has used the supernatural machinery to impart a good lesson to his readers. Indeed, we not only get pleasure from our reading of the story but also filled with lofty moral lessons.