The plot of "The Rime Of Ancient Mariner"

The plot of "The Rime Of Ancient Mariner"

The Rime of the Ancient Mariner is a Romantic ballad and it is one of the most important work realized by Coleridge.

With strange mysterious power, an ancient mariner (old sailer) compels some poor man (the Wedding Guest) on his way to a fun wedding party to sit and listen to an incredible story about a horrifying sailing voyage. The wedding guest is unhappy about missing the fun party, but the mariner's "glittering eye" overpowers him and he sits mesmerized, listening to the whole creepy tale.  

The mariner tells of a nightmarish voyage. While rounding the "horn" in the Antarctic Ocean, the mariner's ship is surrounded by dangerous ice bergs. Things look bleak until a beautiful albatross flies in for a visit. The sailors feed it and the ice splits open. The albatross stays a while and seems to be leading the ship out of trouble, when for no good reason, the mariner kills it with a bolt from his trusty crossbow. I've known a few guys like that.  

So through this action Coleridge puts in evident first the irrationality of the crime and secondly the breaking of sacred law of life. 

At first the mariner's shipmates shun him for this crime against nature. They hang the albatross about the mariner's neck. But then, as the good breeze and good weather continue, the crew decide killing the bird must have been a good thing. Now the trouble really begins. No wind, no water, much suffering, until all the crew but the mariner drop dead. For seven days the bodies lay there staring at the poor mariner who, though in agony from thirst himself, can't die.

A later the crew see a phantom ship where on board there are two figures: death and life in death.

They cast dice and the former wins the Mariner's fellows, who die, and the latter wins the Mariner's life.

Finally there is soul's reveal; so the chip begins to move and some spirits get out the corpses of dead man. The Ancient Mariner tries to return home.