Compulsive repetition and "The ancient mariner": Coleridge's romantic "uncanny" David Bunyan

Abstract

In a discussion which focuses on the poem ''The ancient mariner", this essay attempts speculatively to reconstruct some of the ideas that might have appeared in Coleridge's celebrated unwritten essay on the supernatural, had he ever completed it. This task is managed with the somewhat unexpected help of Freud, on the grounds that Freud's theories of dream-symbolism, and of neurotic symptoms as a "sign-system", are them­selves the later beneficiaries of the theory of symbolism established by Coleridge and his romantic contemporaries. Freud's "uncanny" is compared with Coleridge's "supernatural", both to point out likenesses and to supplement Coleridge with Freud where appropriate. In particular, the central importance of early childhood and its experiences for both men is explored, in such a way as, hopefully, to shed new light on romantic notions of the sublime. Some of the goals of romantic poetry as such may become correspondingly clearer, as should also certain of the processes of signification typically employed, at least by Coleridge himself and those he influenced.

Opsomming
In 'n bespreking wat op die gedig ''The ancient mariner" fokus, word in hierdie artikel spekulerend gepoog om sommige van die idees te rekonstrueer wat, indien hy dit voltooi het, sou kon verskyn het in Coleridge se gevierde ongeskrewe essay oor die bonatuurlike. Hierdie taak word haalbaar met die ietwat onverwagse hulp van Freud, met die onder­liggende veronderstelling dat Freud se teoriee van droomsimbolisme en van neurotiese simptome as 'n "tekensisteem", self later kon profiteer van die formulering van simbolisme soos daargestel deur Coleridge en sy romantiese tydgenote. Freud se "uncanny" word vergelyk met Coleridge se "supernatural", sowel om ooreenkomste uit te wys as om Coleridge met Freud aan te vul waar dit toepaslik is. In besonder word die sentrale belangrikheid van albei se ervarings tydens hulle vroee kinderjare op so 'n wyse ondersoek dat dit hopelik nuwe lig sal werp op die romantiese begrip van die sublime. Hierdeur sou sommige van die oogmerke van romantiese poesie as sodanig ooreenkomstig duideliker kon word; asook sekere van die prosesse van betekenisgewing wat op tipiese wyse aangewend word deur ten minste Coleridge self en diegene wat hy bernvloed het.