Violating the Sacred Order: Sin, Punishment, and Ecological Consciousness in Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s The Rime of the Ancient Mariner

Abstract

The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge explores themes of sin, guilt, retribution, and salvation. According to the research, the Mariner’s killing of the Albatross violates the sacred bond among humans, nature, and the divine and is a moral transgression. The study examines how Coleridge portrays punishment as a psychological and spiritual process rather than a consequence, drawing on the poem’s symbolism, supernatural imagery, and religious themes. The Mariner's pain, loneliness, incapacity to pray, and recounting of his tale serve as phases of moral development and repentance. The study examines the symbolic meaning of the Albatross, the Hermit, and the Pilot, emphasizing their roles in the Mariner's quest for redemption. Finally, the study believes that Coleridge portrays pain as spiritual education, instilling reverence for nature, humility before heavenly power, and understanding of the interdependence of all living things.