The supernatural in Coleridge's "The Rime of the Ancient mariner" & the uncanny in Hoffman's the "Sandman"

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(TMA 05)

Supernatural is often used interchangeably with preternatural or paranormal. It refers to conscious magical, religious or unknown forces that cannot ordinarily be perceived except through their effects. Unlike natural forces, these putative supernatural forces can not be shown to exist by the scientific method. Supernatural claims assert phenomena beyond the realm of current scientific understanding, which are often in direct conflict with current scientific theory.

This essay will discuss the supernatural and uncanny as they have been recurrent themes among the romantic writing. The discussion will start by Hoffman's: "The Sandman". Then it will focus on Coleridge: "The Ancient Mariner" to specify the supernatural  and  uncanny  elements in each of them. After that, there will be a comparison between the two, and how the different genres have a bearing on how the treatment of the topic differs.

In Coleridge’s poem “the Rime of the Ancient Mariner” the supernatural is obviously appeared. While the uncanny has appeared in Hoffman’s the “Sandman”. "Supernatural is an event consider as out of nature, something beyond human realization. Supernatural is Belonging or relating to or being phenomena that cannot be explained by the laws of nature or physics. Whereas Uncanny ’’ has to do with a sense of strangeness, mystery or eeriness. More particularly it concerns a sense of familiarity which appears at the very heart of the familiar, or else a sense of familiarity which appears at the very heart of the unfamiliar.’’ (An Introduction to literature, Criticism and Theory, 1995, p.33’).

The “Rime of  the Ancient Mariner”, discusses a story in how a Ship having passed the Line was driven by storms to the cold Country towards the South Pole ; and how from thence it made her course to the tropical Latitude of the Great Pacific Ocean ; and of the strange things that befell ; and in what manner the Ancient Mariner came back to his own Country.  The idea of the supernatural appears clearly in this poem. It examines ideas of crime and punishment. The mariner commits a crime against nature by killing the “Albatross”, the bird that causes the wind to blow. This crime brings punishment not only on him but also on his crewmen. The wind stops blowing and a spectral ship appears in the horizon with two supernatural figures onboard to apply the punishment. The mariner becomes alienated from his God and colleagues. The crewmen die one after the other. The spell is only left off the mariner when he learns to love his fellow creatures.

"The western wave was all a-flame, The day was well nigh done!, Almost upon the western wave, Rested the broad bright sun; When that strange shape drove suddenly, Betwixt us and the sun,". The supernatural entity is clearly appears in this stanza. Although, The ancient mariner’s ship has been stranded, due to the lack of breeze for its sails. But the other ship, moves without the assistance of any wind. This Using of supernatural elements in a poem is a highly charged significance, which suggests deeper levels of meaning. Another element appear when the mariner transfixes the wedding guest with his “glittering eye” despite of the fact that he was in a hurry. This action appears to be as a kind of hypnotism. Moreover, when the mariner kills the Albatross a huge shift in the weather takes place leaving the mariner’s ship stranded in the sea with no breeze. Despite this the spectral ship appears in the horizon moving without the wind assistance “see, see (I cried), hither to work us weal; without a breeze without a tide…” This ghostly ship is carrying onboard two supernatural figures; the male figure “death” “his bones were black with many a crack…” and the female figure “life-in-death” “her lips were red, her looks were free…. the nightmare life-in-death was she…”. Another supernatural event is when the seawater thickens and the mariner and his friends find no water to drink “water, water everywhere nor any drop to drink.” The supernatural figures play the game of dice and “life-in-death” wins the mariner and starts torturing him. All the crewmen who have been won by “death” die one after the other after cursing the mariner. The mariner remains alone in the wide sea, surrounded with dead bodies and alienated from his God. After passing seven days, the moon casts its silver light on the sea, enabling the mariner to see the beauty of the “water snakes” which helps him to love God creatures. His sin, resembled with the Albatross, falls down from around his neck “as lead”. Guardian spirits remove the dead corpses from the ship. And the mariner finds his way in the dark when creatures lightens their hands as tortures to show him his path “and a hundred fire-flags sheer, to and fro they were hurried about…”

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In fact, Coleridge usage of allegory; which is meant to say one thing while meaning another. It may seems that Coleridge was him self the mariner, often the poet is represented as someone who is specially gifted and who may be outside the everyday constrains of society, even outside the law. This allegorical poem has employed the supernatural elements to motivate human beings to love their nature and to give a moral lesson that a human is a part of nature, he should protect her, other wise it will strike back on him. The poem can also be seen as ...

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