The Rime of the Ancient Mariner

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

151

Title

The Rime of the Ancient Mariner

Language

en

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

Samuel Taylor Coleridge's masterpiece follows a sailor haunted by the sin of killing an albatross, transforming a wedding guest into a witness of supernatural terror, spiritual redemption, and the sacred bond between humanity and nature.

Summary up to 500 words

In Samuel Taylor Coleridge's *The Rime of the Ancient Mariner*, a wedding guest is compelled by the ancient Mariner's glittering eye to abandon a festive celebration and listen to a harrowing tale of a maritime voyage. Initially sailing under a fair breeze guided by an albatross, the crew kills the bird, an act that immediately halts the wind and plunges the ship into a scorching, silent torment. The sun becomes a bloody orb, and the sea turns slimy and rotting as the crew dies one by one, leaving the Mariner alone on the drifting hulk surrounded by death-fires and spectral creatures. As the Mariner wanders in agony, he encounters water-snakes glowing with golden fire. In a moment of profound awe at their beauty, he blesses them unaware, and the albatross falls from his neck, signifying the end of his penance. Following this, the spirits of the dead rise to work the ship's ropes, while voices from the land of mist and snow explain that the Mariner must suffer for his sin. Eventually, the dead men vanish, and the ship is destroyed by a whirlpool, washing the Mariner ashore. Returning to the wedding feast, the Mariner is compelled to recount his story to teach the guest a vital lesson. He explains that true prayer and love must extend to all creatures, for the dear God who made them all loves them equally. The tale concludes with the Mariner departing, leaving the wedding guest transformed into a sadder and wiser man, forever changed by the realization of the interconnectedness of all living things and the necessity of reverence for nature.

LLM editorial rating

4.2/5

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Categories

• Poetry