The Rime of the ancient mariner Published in 1798 in ‘Lyrical Ballads’’ (Co-authored by William Wordsworth). The word ‘Lyrical’ stands for ‘expression of personal emotions or feelings spoken in first person’. Ballad is long narrative poem often about a single dramatic incident or story, in a form suitable for singing, simple language, repetition and regular rhyming scheme. The poem is a ballad as it fulfills the above criteria. Inspiration of the poem- Many say it was inspired by James Cook’s second voyage, some say it was inspired by Thomas James voyage into the Arctic, Wordsworth said it was inspired by a discussion among Wordsworth, Coleridge and Wordsworth’s sister Dorothy about the description of a voyage in 1719 during which a melancholy sailor named Simon Hatley killed a black Albatross The Rime of the Ancient Mariner is one of the most significant works in English Literature for its symbolism, complex allegory, lyrical language vivid imagery, supernatural elements and