Topic > The Mediative Allegorical Meaning of Dore's Illustrations for "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner"

The Rime of the Ancient Mariner is undoubtedly considered a lyrical masterpiece and a milestone in Coleridge's writing career. The seven-part epic poem was originally published in 1798 as part of the Lyrical Ballads of Wordsworth and Coleridge, with a collection of a few other poems. The Rime of the Ancient Mariner originally featured archaic language and was somewhat criticized for its ambiguous writing. This in turn led to the printing of a revised version of the poem in 1817. In his revisions Coleridge added marginal glosses to the poem which help guide the reader's interpretation of the work. Today it is the 1817 version of the poem that is most widespread, and it is for this version that Gustave Doré created illustrated plates in 1876. Doré created 38 plates depicting scenes from The Rime of the Ancient Mariner which were published in the 1876 edition. .Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Adding illustrations to poetry has introduced new intermediate modes. The poem itself is descriptive and paints iconic images through its flowery lyrics, making good use of the invocation of the reader's senses. Doré's illustrations further enhance, first, the sensorial and semiotic modalities already present in the poem by adding physical iconic signs. For this reason, the reader is given a clearer image of the narrative throughout the poem and, by viewing the iconic representation, creates new hermeneutic deductions from the tables presented alongside the text. This article will focus on the analysis of one of these tables, namely table no. 9 “I had done a hell of a thing” and how it relates to poetry. However, for this to happen, context is needed. The Rime of the Ancient Mariner is the story of a wizened old sailor who tells the story of his youth to a young wedding guest. As such, the retelling of the tale serves as a framing device for the main narrative; how the young sailor and his shipmates committed a heinous act against nature and how they sought redemption. During one voyage the sailor's ship was thrown far to the south where they were lost in a sea of ​​ice. Luckily for them, an albatross helped them out. But after escaping from the icy waters the sailor kills the albatross, thinking it is a bird of ill omen. At first his teammates condemn him, but as the weather actually improves they change their minds and applaud him instead. Not long after they realize their mistake and the ship is calmed as punishment for killing the albatross. The sailor is kept alive by unnatural forces while one by one the crew members die cursing him. While in the abyss of desperation and torment the sailor finds beauty in the creatures of the sea and by blessing them he also begins to redeem himself from his action. Benevolent spirits then help him return home, where he must now travel and share his story with those who deserve it. Table no. 9 "I Had Done a Hell of a Thing" depicts a scene shortly after the sailor killed the albatross and his crewmates condemned him for killing the bird “That made the breeze blow”. In this panel Doré depicts the sailor standing high on the mast, facing outwards with his arms suspended between a pair of rope ladders. The sailor's head is lowered, his face cast in shadow. His posture suggests deep introspection or remorse for the hellish thing he had done. In the background we see a sea of ​​tumultuous waves, whose. 19.