The Rime of the Ancient Mariner

Suberbly illustrated by Gustave Dore, this lovely hardcover edition of the classic poem is a wonderful addition to any reader's library. Samuel Taylor Coleridge produced nearly all of his best poetry in a two year period, 1797-1798, including The Rime of the Ancient Mariner and Kubla Khan. After writing Ode to Dejection (1802), his farewell to the Muse of Poetry, he wrote few poems and concentrated almost exclusively on literary criticism and political, philosophical, and theological essays.

The Rime of the Ancient Mariner relates a nightmarish voyage experienced by a sailor abard a ship beset by supernatural events. The sailor siezes a man who is on his way to a wedding and begins to narrate his epic tale. The wedding guest is at first indignant, but his displeasure soon turns to fascination as he becomes transfixed by the sailor's extraordinary story.

After inexplicably slaying an albatross that guides his ship to safety during a horrific storm, the Mariner incites the fury of vengeful spirits who inflict terrible suffering on the crew. An errie vessel appears bearing the ghostly spectors of Death and Life-in-Death. Death wins the souls of the shipmates and the Mariner is cursed with Life-in-Death. After days of suffering, the Mariner has an epiphany and sees the spirits as beautiful. While his kinship with nature is restored, he is forced to continue roaming the earth, spreading his message of love for God's Creation.