Life-In-Death // Taylor Vice

    As humans, we are not perfect and we often make poor choices in life, all of which have consequences that we must live with, whether it be good or bad. In “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner”, the Mariner makes the decision to shoot the albatross, a creature that causes the breeze to blow for the sailors. The albatross was a pure creation from God, and the death of the innocent creature could not go unpunished. The sailors were thrown off path and became stranded, and as they thought they were being saved by an upcoming ship, the occupants of the ship were actually Death and Life-In-Death. Death took all of the souls of the sailor with the exception of the Mariner, who was claimed by Life-In-Death, The Mariner would now spend the rest of his days searching for a way to be released from the weight of his sins, but he never asks God for forgiveness so he does not receive redemption.

    In life, we cannot continuously make unacceptable decisions and expect to receive redemption and zero consequences without asking God for forgiveness. We can recognize if we have made a poor choice and be regretful of it, but if we do not seek forgiveness from our Savior then our sin is not just forgotten. Our life could be consumed by Life-In-Death like the Mariner in the poem. The guilt of sin eats at us, and we cannot get rid of that nagging and uneasy feeling unless we confide in our Savior. It is never too late to ask for forgiveness unless we do not ask at all.


I commented on Breanna Poole's and Ian Blair's posts.

Comments

  1. Emily OttsOctober 18, 2021 at 8:50 PM

    Your point about the guilt of sin eating at us is very evident in the poem, since he has to continue telling the story to receive any sort of relief. Definitely a good parallel to salvation!

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  2. Abigale BellOctober 18, 2021 at 9:10 PM

    Hi Taylor! Interesting post! It is so clear in this story that every action, however small, has a consequence. It's great that you saw the contrast between the lack of redemption for the mariner and the redemption God offers us. What a stark picture of the consequences of sin.

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  3. Samantha TOctober 18, 2021 at 11:41 PM

    Taylor,
    I appreciate this view of the poem, I see often people pitying the Mariner but upon reading it this weekend I found myself upset and against his choices. His lack of repentance for the consequences of his actions is apparent as he unloads his story on an unsuspecting wedding guest instead of seeking to right his wrongs properly.

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