The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, is the longest major poem by the English poet, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, published in 1798. It is considered a signal shift to modern poetry, and the beginning of British romantic literature. The poem recounts the experiences of a sailor who has returned from a long sea voyage. He stops a man who is on his way to a wedding, and begins to tell his story. It's a fascinating piece of work as the mariner's story progresses, and has been interpreted in many ways.