Samuel Taylor Coleridge wrote The Rime of the Ancient Mariner during the Romantic Period where people were driven away from reason and driven toward the use of imagination. In accordance with the period, Coleridge sought to establish poetic faith in his writing, a willing suspension of disbelief (Tomko 244). Through the use of literary devices, Coleridge succeeds in using imagination and making his encounter with supernatural forces, namely the appearance of the Night-mare Life-in-Death and the angels, realistic for the reader. Upon first hearing about the “Night-mare Life-In-Death”, she seems irrational and imaginary. However, as the Woman approaches, Coleridge uses realistic, descriptive imagery to personify her. Furthermore, this imagery allows for her to be understood as a non-fictional character rather than a fictional one; The Night-mare Life in Death is described as:
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This descriptive language allows for the reader to more easily resonate with the experience of the Mariner because the woman is described with typical features. Coleridge continues to create an experience that is easily accepted by readers through his use of simile. Coleridge describes his experience of the spirits following the ship and allowing for the ship to be moving rather quickly. Through this use of simile, the reader is able to understand the situation of the mariner by imagining a real-life scenario of the cirumsctances on the ship. The Mariner speaks honestly of his humanely nature of feeling fear, allowing for readers to feel as he does forgetting that he is not-human. The comparison makes you feel as if you were with him. The Mariner presents the simile as:
“Like one, that on a lonesome road
Doth walk in fear and dread
And having once turned round walks on
And turns no more his head” (Coleridge
This descriptive language allows for the reader to more easily resonate with the experience of the Mariner because the woman is described with typical features. Coleridge continues to create an experience that is easily accepted by readers through his use of simile. Coleridge describes his experience of the spirits following the ship and allowing for the ship to be moving rather quickly. Through this use of simile, the reader is able to understand the situation of the mariner by imagining a real-life scenario of the cirumsctances on the ship. The Mariner speaks honestly of his humanely nature of feeling fear, allowing for readers to feel as he does forgetting that he is not-human. The comparison makes you feel as if you were with him. The Mariner presents the simile as:
“Like one, that on a lonesome road
Doth walk in fear and dread
And having once turned round walks on
And turns no more his head” (Coleridge