--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: 'The Rime of the Ancient Mariner' had a…" description: "\"'The Rime of the Ancient Mariner' had a formative effect on me. I think it's one of those works that if you encounter it very early you're doubly encha..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f5/ben-okri-3640_ancient_the-rime-of-the-ancient-mariner-had-a-fo_2555608.jpg" --- # 'The Rime of the Ancient Mariner' had a formative effect… ![“'The Rime of the Ancient Mariner' had a formative effect on me. I think it's one of those works that if you encounter it very early you're doubly enchanted by the beauty of the language and the strangeness of the vision. It stays with you.” quote by Ben Okri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f5/ben-okri-3640_ancient_the-rime-of-the-ancient-mariner-had-a-fo_2555608.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f5/ben-okri-3640_ancient_the-rime-of-the-ancient-mariner-had-a-fo_2555608.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f5/ben-okri-3640_ancient_the-rime-of-the-ancient-mariner-had-a-fo_2555608.jpg) > “'The Rime of the Ancient Mariner' had a formative effect on me. I think it's one of those works that if you encounter it very early you're doubly enchanted by the beauty of the language and the strangeness of the vision. It stays with you.” [Ben Okri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-okri/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Early exposure to poetic language and surreal imagery can leave a lasting, enchanting impression that shapes aesthetic sensibility. **In simple terms:** Early poetic experiences shape lasting taste. Key Takeaway Seek out evocative literature early. Themes literature imagination memory Mood reflective nostalgic Type literary inspirational When to use this quote - school curricula - personal reading - creative writing - art criticism Key Concepts poetry visionary art language beauty Questions to Reflect On - How did this poem influence your later creative choices? - What aspects of its language stay most vivid? A Different Perspective Impact may wane without active engagement later. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ancient](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ancient/) [Beauty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beauty/) [Dreams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dreams/) [Enchanted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enchanted/) [Encounter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/encounter/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Strangeness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strangeness/) [Vision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vision/) ## Related quotes > [“I thought of a line from The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, “As idle as a painted ship / Upon a painted ocean.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-ford/i-thought-of-a-line-from-the-rime-of-the-ancient-mariner-as-idle-as-a/) [Jeffrey Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-ford/) > [Sure, some tracks are not as good as others, but we've written some really strong, classic stuff, like 'The Number of the Beast,' 'Hallowed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-harris/sure-some-tracks-are-not-as-good-as-others-but-we-ve-written-some/) [Steve Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-harris/) > [He has not yet become an elder statesman, though his foreign policy credentials are considerable, but he is certainly our ancient mariner, forever tugging…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-steel/he-has-not-yet-become-an-elder-statesman-though-his-foreign-policy/) [Ronald Steel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-steel/) > [The Ancient Mariner seizes the guest at the wedding feast and will not let go until he has told all his story: the prototype…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/the-ancient-mariner-seizes-the-guest-at-the-wedding-feast-and-will/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [The Ancient Mariner would not have taken so well if it had been called The Old Sailor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-butler/the-ancient-mariner-would-not-have-taken-so-well-if-it-had-been/) [Samuel Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-butler/) > [“Even the ancient mariner, with his wonderful tale, succeeded in stopping only one of three! No book is for everybody.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-garfield/even-the-ancient-mariner-with-his-wonderful-tale-succeeded-in/) Leon Garfield > [The life of an actor is very hard irrespective of the continent you are in. It is doubly hard when you are only eligible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kabir-bedi/the-life-of-an-actor-is-very-hard-irrespective-of-the-continent-you/) [Kabir Bedi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kabir-bedi/) > [“...I want to live doubly - first with you and then afterwards in memory ...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-geddes/i-want-to-live-doubly-first-with-you-and-then-afterwards-in-memory/) [John Geddes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-geddes/) > [My own life has been doubly disconnected, as I've written books under two different names. As an author, your name almost becomes a brand;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophie-kinsella/my-own-life-has-been-doubly-disconnected-as-i-ve-written-books-under/) [Sophie Kinsella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophie-kinsella/) > [As you get older, you have to fix your insides, because your face naturally gets a little crabby-looking, so if you're thinking mean thoughts,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lea-thompson/as-you-get-older-you-have-to-fix-your-insides-because-your-face/) [Lea Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lea-thompson/) > [All truth is simple... is that not doubly a lie?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/all-truth-is-simple-is-that-not-doubly-a-lie/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [I see no intrinsic reason why a doubly talented artist might not arise and create a comic-strip novel masterpiece.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/i-see-no-intrinsic-reason-why-a-doubly-talented-artist-might-not/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [I tried to get a job as a TV cameraman and they basically told me, 'You're mad, everyone wants these jobs - and if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-campbell/i-tried-to-get-a-job-as-a-tv-cameraman-and-they-basically-told-me-you/) [Martin Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-campbell/) ## More by Ben Okri > [We never think that our mothers will die. It was like suddenly an abyss opened at my feet - I was standing on nothing.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-okri/we-never-think-that-our-mothers-will-die-it-was-like-suddenly-an/) [Ben Okri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-okri/) > [“In a fractured age, when cynicism is god, here is a possible heresy: we live by stories, we also live in them. One way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-okri/in-a-fractured-age-when-cynicism-is-god-here-is-a-possible-heresy-we/) [Ben Okri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-okri/) > [The best writing is not about the writer, the best writing is absolutely not about the writer, it's about us, it's about the reader.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-okri/the-best-writing-is-not-about-the-writer-the-best-writing-is/) [Ben Okri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-okri/) > [Maybe there are only three kinds of stories: those we live, those we tell, and those that help our souls fly upwards to a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-okri/maybe-there-are-only-three-kinds-of-stories-those-we-live-those-we/) [Ben Okri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-okri/) > [The earliest storytellers were magi, seers, bards, griots, shamans. They were, it would seem, old as time, and as terrifying to gaze upon as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-okri/the-earliest-storytellers-were-magi-seers-bards-griots-shamans-they/) [Ben Okri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-okri/) > [An inner darkness is darker than an outer darkness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-okri/an-inner-darkness-is-darker-than-an-outer-darkness/) [Ben Okri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-okri/) > [The strange thing about Africa is how past, present and future come together in a kind of rough jazz, if you like.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-okri/the-strange-thing-about-africa-is-how-past-present-and-future-come/) [Ben Okri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-okri/) > [Our time here is magic! It's the only space you have to realize whatever it is that is beautiful, whatever is true, whatever is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-okri/our-time-here-is-magic-it-s-the-only-space-you-have-to-realize/) [Ben Okri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-okri/) > [Fire is one of my temperaments. It is behind all my work... Fire is a chemical presence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-okri/fire-is-one-of-my-temperaments-it-is-behind-all-my-work-fire-is-a/) [Ben Okri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-okri/) > [I lived rough, by my wits, was homeless, lived on the streets, lived on friends' floors, was happy, was miserable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-okri/i-lived-rough-by-my-wits-was-homeless-lived-on-the-streets-lived-on/) [Ben Okri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-okri/) > [If we could be pure dancers in spirit we would never be afraid to love, and we would love with strength and wisdom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-okri/if-we-could-be-pure-dancers-in-spirit-we-would-never-be-afraid-to/) [Ben Okri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-okri/) > [Without stories we would go mad. Life would lose its moorings or lose its orientations. even in silence we are living our stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-okri/without-stories-we-would-go-mad-life-would-lose-its-moorings-or-lose/) [Ben Okri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-okri/) > [Literature doesn't have a country. Shakespeare is an African writer. His Falstaff, for example, is very African in his appetite for life, his largeness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-okri/literature-doesn-t-have-a-country-shakespeare-is-an-african-writer/) [Ben Okri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-okri/) > [“So long as a canvas is empty its potential is infinite… The empty canvas can become a gateway into the landscape of nightmares or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-okri/so-long-as-a-canvas-is-empty-its-potential-is-infinite-the-empty/) [Ben Okri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-okri/) > [I went to London because, for me, it was the home of literature. I went there because of Dickens and Shakespeare.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-okri/i-went-to-london-because-for-me-it-was-the-home-of-literature-i-went/) [Ben Okri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-okri/) [Explore all 124 Ben Okri quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-okri/) ## More Ancient quotes > [“We ought to know the history of our ancient ancestors.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/we-ought-to-know-the-history-of-our-ancient-ancestors/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [In ancient times, those who wished to illuminate the world with virtue first brought order to their nations. Wishing to order well their nations,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/in-ancient-times-those-who-wished-to-illuminate-the-world-with-virtue/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [Ancient eyes had stared at me, filled with ancient grief. And something more. Something so alien and unexpected that I'd almost burst into tears.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-marie-moning/ancient-eyes-had-stared-at-me-filled-with-ancient-grief-and-something/) [Karen Marie Moning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-marie-moning/) > [“Whenever I think about ancient cultures nostalgia seizes me. Perhaps this is nothing but envy of the sweet slowness of the history of that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/whenever-i-think-about-ancient-cultures-nostalgia-seizes-me-perhaps/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [I don't know if I've come of age, but I'm certainly older now. I feel shrunken, as if there's a tiny ancient Oliver Tate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-dunthorne/i-don-t-know-if-i-ve-come-of-age-but-i-m-certainly-older-now-i-feel/) [Joe Dunthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-dunthorne/) > [Tentatively I stood a great lump of wood on the chopping block and bought the axe down on it. It flew into two perfect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-garner/tentatively-i-stood-a-great-lump-of-wood-on-the-chopping-block-and/) [Helen Garner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-garner/) > [Men must speak English who can write Sanskrit; they must speak a modern language who write, perchance, an ancient and universal one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/men-must-speak-english-who-can-write-sanskrit-they-must-speak-a/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [The Tao is the center of the universe, the good man's treasure, the bad man's refuge. Honors can be bought with fine words, respect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laozi/the-tao-is-the-center-of-the-universe-the-good-man-s-treasure-the-bad/) [Laozi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laozi/) > [So too, monks, I saw the ancient path, the ancient road traveled by the Perfectly Enlightened Ones of the past. And what is that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/so-too-monks-i-saw-the-ancient-path-the-ancient-road-traveled-by-the/) [Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/) > [Ancient societies had anthropomorphic gods: a huge pantheon expanding into centuries of dynastic drama; fathers and sons, martyred heroes, star-crossed lovers, the deaths of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hiddleston/ancient-societies-had-anthropomorphic-gods-a-huge-pantheon-expanding/) [Tom Hiddleston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hiddleston/) > [My life shall be free and broad and great, and I will not be the slave to the sense delights which chained my ancient…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-london/my-life-shall-be-free-and-broad-and-great-and-i-will-not-be-the-slave/) [Jack London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-london/) > [Those of us with this ancient compulsion to tell stories sometimes start with a single kernel of something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-p-jones/those-of-us-with-this-ancient-compulsion-to-tell-stories-sometimes/) [Edward P. Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-p-jones/) > [All the stories I have told you are finally as useless as all ancient knowledge is to man and to us. Its images and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-rice/all-the-stories-i-have-told-you-are-finally-as-useless-as-all-ancient/) [Anne Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-rice/) > [So what if I'm ninety-three? So what if I'm ancient and cranky and my body's a wreck? If they're willing to accept me and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-gruen/so-what-if-i-m-ninety-three-so-what-if-i-m-ancient-and-cranky-and-my/) [Sara Gruen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-gruen/) > [Science has revealed a universe that is vast, ancient, violent, strange, and beautiful, a universe of almost infinite variety and possibility one in which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-mlodinow/science-has-revealed-a-universe-that-is-vast-ancient-violent-strange/) [Leonard Mlodinow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-mlodinow/) [Browse all 2,415 Ancient quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ancient/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "'The Rime of the Ancient Mariner' had a formative effect on me. I think it's one of those works that if you encounter it very early you're doubly enchanted by the beauty of the language and the strangeness of the vision. 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