![]() First, the poem never explains why the Mariner kills the albatross – does he kill it out of a hatred of nature, or out of a desire to master and control nature, or for some other reason entirely? Second, despite the Mariner’s penance and realization, the absolution he receives is only partial: he regains the ability to pray, but at the same time he finds himself compelled to tell his story to others, such as the Wedding Guest. And yet the Mariner’s story is also not quite as simple as all that. Put another way, the poem focuses first around the Mariner’s sin, and then his penance for that sin. The poem is largely the story of how, while sailing in Antarctic waters, the Mariner killed the albatross, and then how both nature and the supernatural rose up against him and his shipmates, until the Mariner comes to recognize that all of God’s creatures are beautiful and must be treated with reverence. ![]() ![]() The protagonist (and in many ways the antagonist) of the poem. ![]()
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