The Rime Of The Ancient Mariner - Softcover

"Astonishingly, the poem's spell doesn't seem to weaken over the years... The scenery remains thrillingly hellish, while laced with photographically realistic meteorological effects, and the narrative drive is irresistible" (Guardian)

"Some of his [Coleridge's] poems are indisputably great, and the greatest is probably 'The Rime of the Ancient Mariner'" (Daily Telegraph)

"The greatest sea poem in the language" (Jonathan Raban)

"The Poem contains many delicate touches of passion, and indeed the passion is every where true to nature, a great number of the stanzas present beautiful images, and are expressed with unusual felicity of language; and the versification, though the metre is itself unfit for long poems, is harmonious and artfully varied, exhibiting the utmost powers of that metre, and every variety of which it is capable" (William Wordsworth)

WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY MARINA WARNER AND ILLUSTRATIONS BY MERVYN PEAKE

‘The greatest sea poem in the language’ Jonathan Raban

Coleridge's celebrated poem was written at the suggestion of William Wordsworth in the early days of their friendship, and published for the first time in 1798. It is the story of a nightmare voyage to the South Pole told by the sole survivor, the bright-eyed ancient mariner whose wanton killing of an albatross, a bird of good omen, brought misfortune on the ship and all its crew.

The poem is brilliantly illustrated by Mervyn Peake. His powerful, arresting images perfectly express the qualities of the text, its gothic atmosphere and supernatural terrors, ultimately softened by pity and the hope of redemption.

COVER DESIGN BY HELEN LINDON, SUNDAY TIMES WATERCOLOUR COMPETITION PRIZE-WINNER

See also: Poems by William Blake