উদ্ধৃতিতে বলা হয়েছে—“We shall have a deadly storm।” অর্থাৎ প্রকৃতিতে এক ভয়ঙ্কর ঝড় আসছে। এটি শুধু বাহ্যিক ঝড় নয়, বরং কবির অন্তরের ঝড় বা মানসিক অশান্তির প্রতীক। Coleridge ঝড়ের চিত্র দিয়ে দেখিয়েছেন, প্রকৃতির আবহাওয়া ও মানুষের অন্তরের অবস্থা একে অপরের প্রতিফলন হতে পারে।

Meaning of Suspension of Disbelief

Suspension of disbelief refers to the reader’s temporary acceptance of implausible or impossible elements in a story. In this process, readers willingly set aside their skepticism in order to immerse themselves in the narrative. This enables poets and authors to explore imaginative, fantastical, or supernatural themes while still evoking genuine emotional responses.

Application in Literature

Suspension of disbelief plays a central role in genres such as fantasy, Gothic fiction, or supernatural tales, where readers encounter ghosts, magic, mythical beings, or other extraordinary events. According to Coleridge, these elements do not need to be realistic, but they must be presented with consistency and internal logic so that readers can accept them as part of the story’s world.

For example, in The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, readers accept the supernatural events—such as the curse of the albatross and the ghostly crew—because Coleridge presents them within a coherent imaginative framework.

Conclusion

In short, suspension of disbelief allows readers to emotionally and imaginatively engage with a narrative, even when it defies the rules of ordinary reality.

Mariner’s Sin, Realization, and Penance

1. The Sin:

   • Mariner kills an albatross, a symbol of good luck.

   • Crime against nature and God, bringing a supernatural curse upon the ship.

2. The Realization:

   • In torment, he notices the sea snakes and blesses them.

   • Act of spontaneous reverence breaks the curse; albatross falls from his neck.

3. The Penance:

   • Must wander and retell his tale to teach others.

   • Moral lesson:
     “He prayeth best, who loveth best
     All things both great and small…”