Samuel Taylor Coleridge's poem "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner", written in 1797, has been widely discussed throughout the history of literature. Although critics have provided many different interpretations of this poem, one idea that has remained prevalent in these discussions is the apparent religious symbolism present throughout this poem. "The Ancient Mariner" contains natural, gothic and biblical symbolism; however, religious and natural symbolism, which coincide with each other, play the most important role in this poem (Piper 43). It is the apocalyptic and natural symbolism that dominates the core of this poem (43). The biblical symbolism found in this poem primarily reflects the apocalypse, as it deals with the sailor's revelation that good will triumph over evil and his acceptance of all nature as God's work of creation. It is impossible to believe that Coleridge was not thinking of the mysterious wind blowing on the Mariner, without any awareness of the wind as a biblical symbol of the Holy Spirit. Coleridge could not even associate the murder of the albatross with the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. The reader is told that the Polar Spirit "loved the bird who loved the man who shot him with a bow." It is doubtful that anyone with Coleridge's Christian background and faith could fail to see an analogy here with God loving his son loving the men who killed him. Another example of symbolism is the fact that the albatross hangs around the sailor's neck like a crucifix. The "cross" in "crossbow" also alludes to the murder of Jesus, which logically makes the albatross a symbol of Christ. It is thought that Coleridge deliberately created these symbols and images with Christian meaning in mind. The apocalypse... middle of paper... "Mariner" is not a direct religious sermon, but there are many strong references to the Christian religion throughout the poem, which stem from Coleridge's religious beliefs. Coleridge did not take the religious imagery in this poem directly from the Bible, although much of his inspiration for the poem appeared to be based on religious ideas, particularly that of the Apocalypse. Coleridge integrates natural symbols, which are associated with religious symbols. in this poem to further emphasize his belief that God is present everywhere in nature and that one can be sent to this state of heaven when one discovers this love for God. Using imagery of the apocalypse and religious symbolism in nature, Coleridge created an incredible poem that expresses how the realization of divine love within oneself has the power to heal pain and suffering.