The Rime of the Ancient Mariner

By Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Herbert Cole, Lincoln R 1868-1943 Gibbs, et al.

Book Overview

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. "

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0785823409
• ISBN13: 9780785823407
• Release Date: August 2008
• Publisher: Chartwell Books
• Length: 112 Pages
• Weight: 1.61 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 9.6" x 11.7"

Customer Reviews

Similar to Dover edition

This review is just to point out that this edition is basically the same as the The Dover Edition with the following exceptions: 1. This edition is hardcover. 2. The Dore engravings are very slightly reduced in size in this edition. 3. This edition's introduction focuses mostly on Coleridge and the Dover edition's is all about Dore. 4. This edition has a few additional selections of Coleridge poetry at the end. These are nice and have engravings by a different artist. I bought this version just so I would have a hardcover copy but appreciate the additional material.

Rime of the Ancient Mariner

This book was very good, it arrived in good time and good condition. It has easy to read type and excellent illustrations.

Beautiful woodcuts bring vivid imagery to this great poem

I have to disagree with the bad rap this poem often gets. Sure, Coleridge's 4-3-4-3 meter is simple and easily imitable, but that does not change the fact that he used the meter masterfully, that his verse is beautiful and his imagery splendid (even without the woodcuts). The story is fairly simple, though its effect is somewhat chilling. Yes, I've even heard the Mariner compared to Popeye with a dead bird around his neck. But all joking aside, this is a beautiful poem.On the surface, this may just seem to be a simple poem by an English Romantic. But there is so much more. There is a lesson to be learned, one of respect for God's creatures and for all of creation. This is certainly a Romantic point of view, and Coleridge puts it forth very nicely in this poem.This is a great beginning poem for novices of poetry, for beginners and for people who dislike poetry if it doesn't rhyme and have a definite rhythm. This is definitely Coleridge's best poem, one that everyone should be familiar with. This version with the woodcuts makes for a very attractive package--the illustrations add nicely to the poems overall effect.

A Beautiful Bargain

This is an incredible book, a collaboration, really, featuring reproductions of the wood engravings that were created by Gustave Dore in 1875, inspired by this epic poem by Samuel Coleridge. (the editorial reviews are confusing, because they describe books by different artists) There are 42 magnificent illustrations, on 9 x 12 pages no less, for just six bucks and change. You won't find a better bargain here.

A Sensational Literary Experience Beyond Compare

The Rime of the Ancient Mariner is the single greatest piece of literature I have ever read. The morals it teaches are deeper than those of Aesop's fables and as far reaching as the Genesis account of the Bible. The language though somewhat archaic is magical and extremely lyrical. Poetry is meant to be heard rather than read and when one hears the words of this poem one cannot help but be moved and entirely engrossed by the pure essence of the poem. This poem exhibits many elements of horror and the supernatural and can be enjoyed along these lines as well. It is an ancient Mariner, And he stoppeth one of three. "By thy long grey beard and glittering eye, Now wherefore stopp'st thou me?As one begins to read or listen to "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner", one cannot help but become the wedding-guest. It is almost as though the reader or listener of the poem has been stopped by the ancient one's glittering eye. When the wedding guest replies: "Hold off! unhand me, grey-beard loon!"it is as if we are the one's making this reply, thus becoming the wedding guest and as such, we now become a part of the poem ourself and the poem becomes a part of us. We feel the ancient mariner's struggle as did the wedding guest and actually come away from the experience a sadder and a wiser person. The revelation of self and ones shortcomings is that which makes us sadder and the fact that we most likely had never contemplated such things prior to our encounter with this wizened sailor of yore makes us much wiser. This particular edition has been illustrated by 42 wood engravings of Gustave Dore. The lyrical quality of this masterpiece is only enhanced by the intricate artistry of Gustave Dore. Only a literary masterpiece of this caliber deserves such exquisite illustration. Truly, this is a volume to be treasured for a lifetime.