Despite their successful working partnership, and friendship, during the years of publishing Lyrical Ballads, Samuel Taylor Coleridge and William Wordsworth later became estranged from each other, especially as Wordsworth became more conservative in his later years. [1]
The Rime of the Ancient Mariner is one of Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s most famous and enduring works, first published in 1798. It was originally part of the collection Lyrical Ballads, co-written with William Wordsworth, which marked the beginning of the Romantic movement in English poetry. Coleridge’s poem, though it appears as a simple sea tale, is packed with layers of symbolism, spirituality, and psychological depth.
The poem’s inspiration came from various sources. Coleridge had been interested in the supernatural and the power of the natural world, both of which feature heavily in the Ancient Mariner. The idea of a mariner cursed for killing an albatross, a symbol of nature’s innocence, draws on Coleridge’s fascination with the sublime and the interplay between man and nature and appears to have been invented in the poem, as there is no precedent for it. He was also inspired by a conversation with Wordsworth, which sparked the idea of a narrative poem that combined both storytelling and deep, philosophical meaning.
The Rime of the Ancient Mariner is written in ballad form, which was popular in traditional British poetry. The poem follows the journey of a sailor who, after killing an albatross, brings misfortune upon himself and his crew. The mariner’s solitary guilt and supernatural punishment are central themes, exploring ideas of fate, redemption, and the relationship between humanity and the natural world.
When it was first published, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner received mixed reviews. Some critics were perplexed by its mysterious tone and symbolic imagery, while others praised its haunting quality. Coleridge’s ability to blend vivid imagery with philosophical musings was groundbreaking, and over time, the poem became recognised as a masterpiece of English literature.
The publication of The Rime of the Ancient Mariner marked Coleridge’s arrival as a major literary figure, and the poem’s impact on the Romantic movement was far-reaching, influencing poets, artists, and thinkers of the time. Its lasting appeal lies in its rich, mysterious narrative and its exploration of the human soul.
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Poetry Foundation: The Rime of the Ancient Mariner
Susannah Fullerton: Samuel Taylor Coleridge is born
Susannah Fullerton: Samuel Taylor Coleridge and Sarah Fricker marry
Susannah Fullerton: Samuel Taylor Coleridge dies
Susannah Fullerton: Literary Statue – Samuel Taylor Coleridge
The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Lyrical Ballads by William Wordsworth & Samuel Taylor Coleridge