The Rime of the Ancient Mariner

Samuel Taylor Coleridge

⏱ 8 minEpic & myth

A grizzled sailor holds a wedding-guest with his glittering eye and tells how he shot the Albatross -- and of the curse that followed: the ship becalmed on a rotting sea, his shipmates dropping dead, and the long penance that teaches love for all living things. The supreme English ballad of guilt and grace.

Listen to the whole of The Rime of the Ancient Mariner in about 8 minutes — professionally narrated, with Apple-Music-style synced subtitles. One book free every day; Folio Premium unlocks the entire library.