The Dark Imagery In The Rime Of The Ancient Mariner

Romanticism emerged at the end of the late 18th century as a form of opposition against the Enlightenment period and set out to emphasize ideas that surrounded family, government, and monarchy, amongst several others, whilst also breaking away from the realms of tradition. Romanticism was said to have a “religious response to nature” as many of the works created within this period placed high importance on how the “dark side of nature such as storms and fire could.

Similarly, Gothic literature was said to emerge a few years prior to the start of the Romantic era in 1764, with the publication of Horace Walpole’s foreboding novel The Castle of Otranto. Gothic literature is now commonly known as a literary movement “that employs dark and picturesque scenery, startling and melodramatic narrative devices, and an overall atmosphere of exoticism, mystery, fear and dread”. Most often, gothic texts will include “supernatural elements, touches of romance…” whilst also exploring “the dark side of human nature”.

Frankenstein written by Mary Shelley in 1798 is acknowledged as one of the greatest gothic novels within the Romantic period. Shelley’s incorporation of the isolation of individuals, as well as the prominent use of setting incorporates gothic elements portraying a sense of horror and intensity within the novel.

Samuel Taylor Coleridge and William Wordsworth’s poem The Rime of the Ancient Mariner (1818) is recognized as one of the most famous gothic poems in romance literature, as it tells the tale of an old sailor who kills an albatross, resulting in destruction of the ship and the happenings of supernatural events. This essay seeks to look at both Romanticism texts and the way in which they use gothic conventions, in particular, the use of settings, the sublime and the supernatural to convey a feeling of fear and discomfort within the reader. Setting is an important literary feature utilised by Shelley to elicit the gothic convention of fear upon the reader, as well as indicate the psychological imbalance of the characters.

,As previously mentioned, nature is an important aspect of the Romantic era, and Shelley incorporates this into her novel through various different settings. Victor Frankenstein, the protagonist within Frankenstein, alongside his creation is a key indication to illustrate how the world we inhabit imitates us in our daily life. Although the novel contains different backdrops, the Arctic setting described highlights the feeling of isolation within Frankenstein’s character within the isolated environment. “Unlike its inventor, the creature does not choose to be alienated. Rather it is, in fact, others who isolate it because of its hideous appearance…People are appalled and frightened of the creature and attempt to drive the creature away”. This scene is set out to the reader after Frankenstein has been rejected and escapes to the Arctic in solidarity. We are given the description of the Arctic to be “covered with ice, it was only to be distinguished from land by its superior wildness and ruggedness”. Hence, the Arctic is used to demonstrate Frankenstein’s internal feelings as both are bare and empty, linking to the Arctic surrounding he has escaped to.

As Frankenstein was not only set at the backdrop of Gothic literature, but also the Romantic era it is important to note that whilst Frankenstein saw the Arctic to be a place of isolation, Robert Walton viewed the setting to be something beautiful, “it ever presents itself to my imagination as the region of beauty and delight”, Walton describes, indicating more closely that a person’s psychological state of mind can impersonate into.

In addition, not only does Shelley use setting to portray the emotions of her characters, but also to foreshadow the gothic conventions of doom and horror that the tale entails. This is illustrated through the imagery of the dark mountains The Rime of the Ancient Mariner begins with the mariner at a wedding; however, the tale of his story is predominantly set on a ship with sailors at sea. After the death of the albatross, the sea transgresses as it becomes violent and unsteady, which can also be a metaphor for the mariner’s psychological state as he begins to regret his actions and accept the repercussions for his actions. Thus, the use of setting used in gothic texts proves useful to Romantic authors as it conveys the phycological of the characters, whilst also creating a sense of fear within the readers.

The sublime is another literary feature used by authors during the Romantic era and occurs “when natural grandeur overwhelms and individual to the point of causing fright or a feeling of helpless insignificance”, thus taking place when something delightful and naturalistic takes place. However, this Romantic idea is not only correlated with beauty, as it is “characterized by or inspiring awe”, and is commonly linked to nature, which was an important aspect of Romanticism. Coleridge and Wordsworth’s poem presents the world to be beautiful, however the reader is exposed to horrible events which occur, such as the sudden weather shift as fog and mist begin to appear. The Romantic era believed in gothic convention of the supernatural, such as ghosts, spirits and angels to build a sense of anticipation for the reader. Shelley’s novella contains this convention as it creates a sense of suspense for the reader through the exploration of raising between the as Frankenstein intrepidly brings the “lifeless clay” alive, thus virtualising a supernatural power to the world. Now, not only is the monster Frankenstein a supernatural being, he also holds supernatural power, creating an essence of taboo within society.