46 pages • 1 hour read
The Rime of the Ancient Mariner
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Overview
“The Rime of the Ancient Mariner,” first published in 1798, is a poem by Samuel Taylor Coleridge and is the first poem in Lyrical Ballads, a collaborative effort of Coleridge and fellow poet William Wordsworth. Lyrical Ballads is widely considered to be the first collection of Romantic English poetry, and “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” is a classic example of English Romanticism, with its vivid imagery and inclusion of the supernatural.
The poem is a tale of crime, punishment, and redemption: a Mariner shoots an Albatross (a bird of good fortune) and is gravely punished by an extraneous force for this act. However, by learning to love, the Mariner is partially absolved. As his punishment continues, and he is unable to die, he must travel the globe, telling his story to strangers and teaching to them the lessons he has learned.
The poem opens as the Ancient Mariner, unnaturally old and with a “glittering eye,” stops a man in the street (1). The man is with two companions; the group is on its way to a wedding party. The Wedding Guest tries to get away from the Ancient Mariner, and continue on his way with his friends, but he finds himself drawn to the old man’s Unlock all 46 pages of this Study Guide Plus, gain access to 8,900+ more expert-written Study Guides. Including features:
