The Rime of the Ancient Mariner
Samuel Taylor Coleridge's Eerie and Haunting Poem of the Sea
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Publisher Description
The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge: A classic narrative poem that tells the haunting tale of a mariner's harrowing journey at sea. This epic poem delves into themes of guilt, redemption, and the supernatural, as the mariner faces the consequences of killing an albatross, a bird considered to be an omen of good fortune. Coleridge's vivid imagery and lyrical language create an enduring masterpiece that continues to captivate readers with its eerie and moralistic atmosphere.
Key Aspects of the Book "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner":
Supernatural Elements: The poem incorporates supernatural elements, including ghosts, spirits, and a ghostly ship, adding an air of mystery and the unknown to the mariner's journey.
Moral Allegory: Coleridge weaves a moral lesson throughout the poem, exploring the consequences of actions and the importance of respecting nature and all living beings.
Symbolism of Birds: The killing of the albatross and its symbolic significance as a harbinger of doom and the mariner's journey to seek redemption form a central part of the narrative.
Meta Biography: Samuel Taylor Coleridge was an English poet, literary critic, and philosopher born in 1772. He was a key figure in the Romantic movement and a close friend of William Wordsworth. Coleridge's notable works include poems such as "Kubla Khan," "Christabel," and "Frost at Midnight." As a leading intellectual of his time, he contributed significantly to the fields of literature, philosophy, and literary criticism. "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" stands as one of his most famous and enduring works, showcasing his mastery of language and exploration of profound themes.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
"It is an ancient Mariner, and he stoppeth one of thee...." Although these ominous lines perennially instill fear of final exams and term papers in the minds of high school students and Romantic English majors, they're not often remembered by adults. Mason's reading of Coleridge's 1796 epic poem is at once hypnotic and stirring. The Academy Award nominated actor reads the chilling tale involving clashes with sea monsters, a boat swarming with zombies and a dice game with Death in an authoritative English accent. Like the ocean surrounding the Mariner's ship, his voice ebbs and flows with the imaginative poem's various heights. He quickly rattles off, "water, water, every where, and all the boards did shrink; Water, water, everywhere, nor any drop to drink" but gently whispers "And I had done an hellish thing, and it would work 'em woe: For all averred, I had killed the bird that made the breeze to blow." Coleridge (1772 1834), uses words to make the fantastical believable, and here, Mason brings those words vividly to life. A bonus track features Mason's animated reading of The Hunting of the Snark, an eight-canto poem by Lewis Carroll.
