The Use of the Supernatural in the Poems of Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Samuel Taylor Coleridge, one of the key figures of the English Romantic movement, is renowned for his imaginative and evocative poetry. A prominent feature of his work is his use of the supernatural, which pervades many of his most famous poems, such as The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, Kubla Khan, and Christabel. Coleridge's treatment of the supernatural is not merely for spectacle; it serves as a means of exploring human consciousness, the boundaries of reality, and the deeper aspects of existence. The supernatural in Coleridge's poetry is often intricately linked to psychological, moral, and philosophical themes, and through these elements, he delves into the mysterious, the sublime, and the unknown.
The Supernatural in "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner"
In The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, Coleridge uses supernatural elements to explore the consequences of human actions and the theme of guilt and redemption. The poem begins with an ancient mariner who tells a young man the story of his perilous sea voyage, during which he shot an albatross, a bird revered by sailors. The murder of the bird brings about a series of supernatural events: the crew suffers from thirst and the sun burns relentlessly, the ship is surrounded by ghostly spirits, and the mariner experiences an intense spiritual crisis.
The supernatural in The Ancient Mariner is not just for gothic effect; it serves as a vehicle for exploring the mariner’s inner torment. The albatross itself becomes a symbol of sin, and the supernatural events reflect the mariner’s guilt and the punishment he faces for violating nature. The ghostly figures and the appearance of the “Spirit that clings to the ship” are manifestations of the mariner's conscience, forcing him to reckon with the consequences of his thoughtless action. The mariner's ultimate redemption, achieved through his realization of the sanctity of all life, is also tied to the supernatural, as he is spiritually cleansed by the natural world he had previously disrespected.
The Supernatural in "Kubla Khan"
In Kubla Khan, Coleridge creates a mystical, dream-like atmosphere through his use of the supernatural. The poem is based on the figure of Kubla Khan, the Mongol emperor, and the palace he built in Shangdu, but the imagery in the poem is steeped in the fantastical and the surreal. The palace is described as a “sunny dome” surrounded by caves of ice, a juxtaposition of warmth and cold that defies the laws of nature. The river Alph, which flows through the palace, is said to “measure his chains,” suggesting a connection between the natural world and an otherworldly, supernatural force.
The supernatural elements in Kubla Khan reflect the power of imagination. Coleridge wrote that the poem came to him in an opium-induced dream, and this idea of the dream state is central to the poem's atmosphere. The supernatural, in this case, serves as a symbol of the unrestrained power of human creativity and the vision of an ideal, transcendent reality. The mention of a “shadowy, dreamlike” vision of the pleasure dome, and the unfinished nature of the poem, enhances the sense that the supernatural is tied to both the fleeting and the eternal. It is a space where reality and imagination merge, and where the boundaries of the real world can be bent.
The Supernatural in "Christabel"
In Christabel, Coleridge again explores the supernatural, but this time it is more directly linked to gothic elements and the theme of good versus evil. The poem tells the story of Christabel, a young woman who encounters a mysterious stranger named Geraldine. As the poem unfolds, it becomes clear that Geraldine is a supernatural being, an embodiment of evil, whose presence casts an eerie, oppressive atmosphere over the narrative. The poem is filled with supernatural imagery, such as the moonlit forest, the “unearthly” beauty of Geraldine, and the dark, unexplained powers that Geraldine seems to possess.
The supernatural elements in Christabel contribute to the poem's exploration of innocence, corruption, and the unknown. The unsettling atmosphere created by the supernatural in this poem reflects the internal conflicts of the characters, especially Christabel, whose vulnerability allows her to be influenced by the malevolent forces represented by Geraldine. The poem raises questions about the nature of evil and the ways in which it can infiltrate and distort the natural world.
The Role of the Supernatural in Coleridge's Work
In Coleridge’s poetry, the supernatural is not merely used for sensational or eerie effect but serves as a way to explore deeper philosophical and psychological themes. It is often a tool for examining the boundaries between the known and the unknown, the natural and the supernatural, the rational and the irrational. The supernatural is frequently linked with the workings of the human mind—whether it is the mariner’s guilt and subsequent redemption, the imagination that gives birth to the vision of the palace in Kubla Khan, or the mysterious forces of evil in Christabel.
Moreover, the supernatural in Coleridge’s poetry can also be seen as a manifestation of the sublime, a central concept in Romanticism. The sublime refers to experiences that evoke awe, terror, or wonder—experiences that lie beyond human comprehension and are often associated with the supernatural. Coleridge, like other Romantic poets, was drawn to the idea that there were mysteries beyond the reach of human understanding, and the supernatural elements in his poems reflect this fascination with the unknown and the unknowable.
Conclusion
The use of the supernatural in Coleridge’s poetry is integral to his exploration of deep psychological, moral, and philosophical questions. It allows him to engage with themes of guilt, redemption, creativity, and the tension between reality and imagination. Rather than simply serving as a means to evoke fear or wonder, the supernatural in Coleridge's poems is used to probe the complexities of the human soul and the mysterious forces that govern both the natural and supernatural worlds. Through his supernatural visions, Coleridge creates a space where reality and imagination merge, inviting the reader to contemplate the boundaries of the known and the unknown.
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