Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s Rime of the Ancient Mariner is a piece of literature that has been pored over by the average English major in a caffeinated stupor for many years. The poem follows the narrative of said “ancient Mariner” as it is told by him to a young wedding guest.The Mariner recalls starting out on his voyage with good fortune. However, things soon took a turn for the worst due to inclement weather conditions. When things were beginning to look bleak, the crew was then joined by an albatross, a large sea bird. The bird’s presence seemed bring good luck and brought a wind that delivered the crew to safer waters. Unfortunately for the sailors, their run of bad luck was not yet over. The Mariner telling this tale decided to shoot the Albatross down with his crossbow for no reason at all, and by doing so, brought a cruel fate down on his fellow crewmen.

There is a reason that this narrative has persevered in the world of literature, and it can be inferred that it has a lot to do with the timeless lessons taught by the Mariner’s tale that can still be applied to our own society. When modern day readers pick up this work, they are internalizing morals that, no matter how dated they are, are still valuable to them, that they can still apply to their own daily lives. These include, but are not limited to, too much pride being harmful to an individual and those around them, there are consequences to every action that you make, and sometimes these consequences cannot be avoided, and that anyone can change if they are given the chance and they repent for all they have done.

Not only do these messages resonate in the minds of readers, but they have also leaked out into the world in other forms of media as well. The 1876 edition of the poem was accompanied by illustrations by Gustave Dore, a French artist. Prints of these works are now being sold by the website “Artsy Craftsy” for the art enthusiasts of the world.

(“Watched the water-snakes”, Gustave Dore)

Another modern day appearance of Rime of the Ancient Mariner, and, admittedly, the inspiration for this post, is in the song Weight of Living Part 1 (Albatross) by Bastille, an English rock band.

The first verse of the song is as follows:

There’s an albatross around your neck,
All the things you’ve said,
and the things you’ve done,
Can you carry it with no regrets,
Can you stand the person you’ve become,
Ooh there’s a light [x2]

 

This verse is followed by the chorus:

Your Albatross, let it go, let it go,
Your Albatross shoot it down, shoot it down
When you just can’t shake
The heavy weight of living

 

The lyrics continue in this manner throughout the duration of the song. Clearly, the band has drawn inspiration from Coleridge’s work, and has created something equally as beautiful and influential for their audience.

The question we should be asking ourselves now is: Where will we see Coleridge’s poetry pop up next?