Ancient Mariner Part the Fifth.
In part the fifth the exclamation marks and irregular stanzas are an expression of the Mariners joy as he is finally reconnected to God. This is shown in the when the mariner praises God for his ‘gentle sleep’. This is symbolic as sleep is an expression for a tranquil state of grace which shows that the Mariner is slowly moving towards forgiveness. This is a dramatic moment in the movement of the poem as he moves from damnation to this state of spiritual grace. Coleridge uses symbols for events unfolding throughout the book; this is shown in the second stanza when he writes ‘I dreamt that they were filled with dew’. This is a continuation of the mariner state of grace, it symbolises that the mariner is returned to spiritual wholeness. In this part Coleridge writes ‘I dreamt they were filled with dew’ this highlights the mariners connection to nature which foreshadows that the natural order will be finally restored and the mariner will be forgiven. This shows the real awakening of spiritual grace. However despite this state of spiritual grace the narrative is still intersected with this gothic imagery ‘They groaned, they stirred, they all uprose’. This signifies this half connection just like the mariners life which shows that despite him being forgiven his punishment is not yet over. Additionally Coleridge uses this gothic hyperbole to raise the dramatic character of the poem and to appeal to the people of the time. In the ballad there is this psychological mechanism sin and crime which sets off this spiritual curse. The mariners are cursed, his shipmates are cursed, and the weather is cursed. This sets off this moral disease in the narrative. This is shown when the mariner describes himself as a ‘blessed ghost’ this portrays how he is in this state of grace however he reverts to horror. This is an artificial element in the narrative as despite him entering this state of grace he still has to deal with this ‘ghastly crew’ which shows that he is not entirely forgiven
Coleridge still reinforces this positive imagery despite the half connection with god. This is shown when he writes ‘I heard a skylark sing’. This is a symbol of spiritual health; this highlights the spiritual nature of music. This is shown in the gentle rhyme scheme of the narrative of ABAB. In this era music was