glittering eye

Image of The Ancient Mariner by Mervyn Peak, 1943.

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In The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, Samuel Taylor Coleridge appears to suggest that one?s eyes serve as a gateway to the human soul and psyche. The Ancient Mariner?s ?glittering eye? initially captures the wedding guest: ?The wedding guest stood still, / And listens like a three years child.? Here the glitter conveys a sense of importance and urgency; the Mariner reveals the significance of his tale through his eyes which captivates the wedding guest?it becomes impossible for him to leave. Strangely, later in the poem, the same glitter that once attracted the wedding guest instills fear within him. The duality of the term ?glitter? is best described as a supernatural captivation; the Mariners eye?s are eerie, but attract nonetheless. With his dual use of the term ?glitter,? Coleridge highlights the human fascination of the unknown.