Introduction to Albatross in “The Albatross” and “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner”
Like the albatross in “The Albatross” and “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner”, symbols in literature go beyond their intended meanings. It is up to the reader to extract meanings of his own choice but with reference to the poem or comparative study of the other pieces published in the same genre or other genres. The symbol could be a bird, an object, or even an animal. Albatross – a bird has found its usage as a symbol in several poetic pieces. It is interpreted in several ways in English poetry but it is quite strange that the same symbol has been used by two different poets in the same sense and representing the same meanings. Whereas Baudelaire’s albatross is the poet himself, an odd man out, the albatross of Coleridge represents something that is good, an innocent bird and even faultless. Yet both poets have concluded the same. The albatross in “The Albatross” and “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” represents goodness whereas, in the first poem, its defiance invites divine wrath, in other its derision demonstrates human stupidity.
Albatross in Coleridge
Albatross of Coleridge is someone like Christ. It is a faultless, and “innocent bird” (Saeed) because Biblical studies have also supported two facts about birds; the first one is that the Spirit of God takes the form of a bird, and the second is that birds are spiritual beings. When Coleridge says that “As if it had been a Christian soul, /We hailed it in God’s name. (Coleridge ll. 63-66)”. This is the point where the sailors want to shoot the bird. And they did but they are also sure that it is a “Christian soul” (66) and have nothing to do with some evil spirit or bad omen. This is exactly similar to what happens to Christ. The message of the murder of the albatross in this poem is to convey that human beings have always shunned or killed the messengers of God (Saeed) for it happened with Christ and it is happening with the poet in “The Albatross” as well where Baudelaire compares himself with albatross, a bird which is “kings of the sky” (Baudelaire 5) with “great wings” (6), seems quite ugly and comic now, and the sailors after catching him are playing tricks and making fun of it. Baudelaire has actually the same philosophy that the Urdu poet Iqbal has about the poets. He states in Urdu “a poet is a second messenger of God” (Iqbal) which means that though he is not a prophet, he is JHis representative to spread goodness, but people often kill prophets and turn a blind eye to the poets and here Baudelaire equals himself with the bird saying “The poet resembles this prince of cloud and sky” (Baudelaire 13). It leads to what is called the victimization of the bird by the sailors and the poet by the society. It means the albatross in “The Albatross” and “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” could be different.
Albatross in “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner”
Society has always treated birds and poets both with derision and prophets with cruelty. In “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” they kill the bird. It means that they have killed the innocent, or the Christian soul (Saeed), and this killing of the bird was rather a stupidity of the worst kind as the Wedding-Guest had to say, “God save thee, ancient Marinere! / “From the fiends that plague thee thus.” (Coleridge I. 36-38). Michael Raiger compares this idea with several theological studies from Augustine’s doctrines to Milton’s Paradise Lost, saying this is an arbitrary action and it is a psychological issue that arbitrary action takes place when a person is either stupid or has lost sanity. The mariner involved in the killing of the bird himself says “…a saint took pity on / My soul in agony,” (Coleridge IV 11-12). This mental condition borders insanity and intense despair. Hence this is the point where a person knowingly or unknowingly commits mistakes and demonstrates his stupidity. Similarly, the mob has also the same psyche and Baudelaire is fully aware of this mob psyche of either killing the prophets like sailors or torturing the poets with their stupid derision and neglect whereas a poet becomes “the butt of hoots and jeers” (Baudelaire 15). It is due to the reason that he preaches goodness and does the job of prophets. However, the poets cannot walk with the crowds and stand apart. They cannot mix with them like Albatross which looks beautiful from far off but is quite clumsy and awkward when caught. Similarly, the poet seems to be prevented “from walking” (16) by his “giant wings) (16) which here mean his thoughts. Peter Curman, a Swedish poet has also said the same thing about the poet in his poem “The Monastery Madman” saying that “They say he’s mad. / Anyone who has inside his head / A macro- or microcosm / Must be mad” (Curman 9-13) to support the claim of Coleridge and Baudelaire in the albatross in “The Albatross” and “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” for which they have used the symbol.
Conclusion
Concluding the argument, it is fair to state that the major objective of both poets was to prove the innocence of the albatross like the prophets and poets through the albatross in “The Albatross” and “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner”. And they have used this symbol to bring home their readers in which they have proved highly successful. Both have used this symbol as a representation of goodness and innocence that often becomes a victim of mass cruelty and human stupidity. The divine wrath that human beings invite is often the result of this defiance of innocent and goodness and victimization of sane souls such as prophets and messengers. Hence, the albatross in in “The Albatross” and “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” is a spiritual bird that brings a message of goodness.
Works Cited
- Baudelaire, Charles. The Albatross. 2012. RPO. <http://rpo.library.utoronto.ca/poems/albatross>. Accessed 07 Dec. 2013.
- Coleridge, Sameul Taylor. “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner.” n.d. Poetry Foundation. <http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/173253>. Accessed 07 Dec. 2013.
- Curman, Peter. “The Monastery Madman.” n.d. TSWTC. <http://www.tswtc.org/documents/tsvetanka.htm>. Accessed 07 Dec. 2013.
- Iqbal, Muhammad. Gabriel’s Wings. Lahore, Pakistan: Sang-e-Meel Publications, 1984.
- Rogers, Michael. “I Shot the Albatross.” The Journal of the Friends of Coleridge 28 (2006): 73-82.
- Saeed, Dr. Ismael Mohammadfahim. “The Bird Symbol in English Romantic and Post-Romantic Poetry.” n.d. IRCO. <http://www.ircoedu.uobaghdad.edu.iq/uploads/42/The%20Bird%20Symbol-Amended-%20Final.pdf.>. Accessed 07 Dec. 2013.
Relevant Questions in Albatross in “The Albatross” and “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner”: Poet, Albatross, and Jesus
- How do the portrayals of the albatross in “The Albatross” and “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” by Samuel Taylor Coleridge and Charles Baudelaire respectively, serve to symbolize the poet’s message or the overarching themes in their respective works?
- In “The Albatross” by Charles Baudelaire and “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, how does the albatross hold significance within the context of the Christian allegory present in both poems, and how does it relate to the character of Jesus?
- Analyzing the killing of the albatross in both “The Albatross” by Charles Baudelaire and “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, how does this pivotal event shape the moral and spiritual journey of the characters in each poem, and what commentary do the poets offer on human actions and their consequences through this shared symbol?
