defects

With his half hearted endorsement of the poem, William Wordsworth disconnects himself from Rime of the Ancient Mariner. Wordsworth lists four key flaws with the poem before asserting that Coleridge?s ?passion? is the sole element giving the poem legitimacy. Ironically one of Wordsworth?s alleged defects?the Mariner?s lack of distinct character?actually enhances the poem.

Coleridge purposely included this ?flawed element? with the intention of urging the reader to question the poem?s true meaning and message. The Mariner?s lack of distinct character, he is not entirely ?human? or ?supernatural,? gives him dual qualities. On one hand, the Mariner has many flaws; he often makes mistakes, he sins, he repents, and learns from his misdoings. These elements humanize the Mariner making him a character that the reader is able to relate to. On the other hand, the Ancient Mariner has magical qualities; his supernatural experiences at sea, his ?glittering eyes,? and his daunting task of traveling from land to land, give him a timelessness that spans generations?he seems everlasting. His qualities, both human and not, allow the reader to question the relationship between an individual, mother-nature, and a higher power.