The Ancient Mariner by Coleridge

Alone, alone, all, all alone, Alone on a wide wide sea! And never a saint took pity on My soul in agony.’

First published in 1798, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner is one of the greatest works of the celebrated English poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge. It was originally issued as part of the Lyrical Ballads, written in conjunction with William Wordsworth and credited by many as launching the Romantic movement in literature. Themes of moral redemption, abuse of the natural world, exploration, and supernatural elements reflect contemporary questions posed by the Industrial Revolution and the Age of Enlightenment.

The poem’s impact was lasting, as evidenced by this early 20th-century visualization executed by a schoolgirl named Lucy Chase Wright. A simple map of the Western Hemisphere tracks the mariner’s course as described in Coleridge’s rhyming verse, though some artistic liberties were taken in the interpretation of the route home. Seven different points are accompanied by hand-drawn vignettes along the outer border. Excerpts from the poem function as captions for the various illustrations.