In "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner," Coleridge explores themes of sin and redemption. How does the mariner’s encounter with the Hermit function symbolically within the poem?
1
The Hermit represents the rational man's scientific curiosity
2
The Hermit symbolizes divine forgiveness and spiritual rebirth
3
The Hermit stands for the mariner's lost innocence and need for confession
4
The Hermit embodies the natural world's indifference to human suffering