Sound Device
“The furrow followed free” (Coleridge 8).
“By thy long grey beard and glittering eye” (Coleridge 5).
The use of alliteration emphasizes onomatopoeic undertone of words Coleridge uses, and is helping to create the gloomy tone of what is to follow. It also adds to the darkly melodic quality of the poem, seeing that the human ear is fond of repeating sounds, in moderation.
“The sun came up upon the left, Out of the sea came he! And he shone bright, and on the right, Went down into the sea” (Coleridge 6).
Consonance captures the readers’ attention with a hypnotic rhythm, accentuating the sea imagery, since that is where the Mariner’s punishment comes from. It adds to the sinful connotation of his deed and that he shall be righteously punished.
“What loud uproar bursts from that door” (Coleridge 22).
No voice; but oh! The silence sank, Like music on my heart” (Coleridge 19).
Assonance is used to reinforce the mood, by repeating the vowels, and like other figures of speech, is utilized to accentuate the undertone of eternal punishment for a sin against nature.
Internal Rhyme
“The guests are met, the feast is set” (Coleridge 5).
“The ship drove fast, loud roared the blast” (Coleridge 7).
Internal rhyme provides the poem with a musical balance, with the repetition of clusters of sounds, changing only the one or two, emphasizing its ominous quality of the Mariner’s story, trying to capture the readers and force them to see the events from his point of view.
Works Cited:
Coleridge, Samuel Taylor. The Rime of the Ancient Mariner and Other Poems. New York: Dover Publications, 1992. Print.
