The importance of directions in THE RIME OF THE ANCIENT MARINER

One of the most underlying symbol of the classic, 'the Rime of the Ancient Mariner' is the directions used by Samuel Taylor Coleridge in its parts. This is a symbol used by the poet to discuss and showcase the effect of happenings in our lives, that change the essence of living.

Explanation:

This poem starts abruptly on a happy note of 'wedding' guests being stopped by an old, grey haired sailor who starts telling us the story that happened in his voyage.

In part 1, there is a line that tells readers that the ship is moving towards south. The direction, Southward, in this voyage is difficult. The movement is disturbed by various forces, real and imaginative. Further in the voyage, the sailor meets an albatross and towards the end of part 1, meets with obstacles that seem to be happening because of the killing of the albatross - a symbol that assumed to be of Christs'.

In part 2, there is a line from the poem that says that the ship is now moving north. But without any wind that is mentioned in the lines before it.

This change of direction shows how the times have changed for the people in the voyage. There is a line that tells readers that the ship stops at the equator at and then starts moving towards north - indicating that the movement of ship has been because of the times faced by sailors.

The lines -

the words "slavery," "devils," and "murderer" evoke a sense of disgust.