The Spiritual Aesthetic of Samuel Coleridge's The Rime of the Ancient Mariner

In the beginning of Coleridge's "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" readers are presented with an introductory statement regarding the metaphysical world. This preface, which discusses the multiple levels of existence, not only grounds the readers in their own private universes, it frames the spiritually superstitious paradigm that has become timeless. By establishing this perspective (and quoting theologian Thomas Burnet), Coleridge is able to draw out multiple themes that lie within the duality of the metaphysical realm with insightful respect toward that which is "the truth;" by "avoiding extremes…we may distinguish certain from uncertain" (preface). The preface of "The Rime" does just that-grounds spiritual truisms through objectivity.

Although the preface mentions the avoidance of extremes, Coleridge's devout upbringing stands out boldly throughout the poem. Yet it is a religious quality that is enforced by the debauched lifestyle that the author suffered through not long before he wrote the poem-a suffering that brings revival. Much like the Mariner, he is a dynamic being that must tell his story in hopes of delivering himself and those he's addressed into a new realm of understanding.