Value Points :
The Ancient Mariner killed the Albatross which had helped the sailors./had to suffer for the sin he had committed/ Each and every life is important./Man has no right to consider other lives as inferior. /Ship was in difficulty./pushed to the South Pole/stuck in ice/Albatross hung around his neck./It was a heinous crime hence the punishment was justified.
Detailed Answer :
Religion functions on the basis of man committing a crime or sin, repenting for it and then gaining subsequent pardon from a higher spiritual authority in lieu of his repentance. However, in the poem there is no such eventual pardon in sight as the Mariner is doomed to recount the story of his wrong deed for the eternity to come. The poem explores the horror emanating from the unmindful destruction of nature and its creatures. It teaches us to respect all forms of life otherwise no matter how much one repents, pardon cannot be expected as no higher spiritual authority will ever condone a wanton act of cruelty. In ‘The Rime of the Ancient Mariner’, the Ancient Mariner killed the Albatross which had helped the sailors. After this they started facing problems at the sea. The ship entered the silent sea where they had great difficulties. Other Mariners held him responsible for this and hung the dead Albatross around his neck, making him realize the sin he had committed. It was an act of reminding him that he had committed a heinous crime.
