Iron Maiden’s “Rime of the Ancient Mariner” as a Doorway into Coleridge’s Poem

The primary – perhaps the only – purpose of poetry is for us, as readers or listeners, to form a relationship with it. Not to know what it means, but to know what it means to us. Coleridge has a tale to tell about a man (the Ancient Mariner) who has a tale to tell. To tell his tale, though, he must first enthrall his audience (the Wedding Guest). The challenge lies in that enthralment, that engagement. Without it, the poem – this poem, any poem – is meaningless.

In 1984, Steve Harris, bass guitarist of the British heavy metal band Iron Maiden, wrote a 13-minute adaptation of Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s poem “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” (1798). It was released as the last track on Powerslave, the band’s fifth album, and, through record sales and live performances, it has introduced the poem to millions of listeners worldwide.

It’s a simple fact that Iron Maiden have enthralled audiences with “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” for over forty years. OK, it’s mostly an adaptation, with only a couple of short passages taken directly from Coleridge, and it’s mostly not even based on the poem but on Coleridge’s 1817 gloss on the poem. But it’s a hook. It’s a way into the poem. How many comments have I seen on videos of this track, or in heavy metal discussion forums, from people for whom Iron Maiden’s was their first introduction to Coleridge’s poem, people who went on to read and enjoy the original text and, from there, go on to read and enjoy other classic literature!

If, as a professor of literature, I have been able to do a fraction of what Iron Maiden have done for Coleridge, I am privileged to be in their company.

I’ve used Gustav Doré’s engravings to illustrate this guide. In many ways, what Iron Maiden have done is similar to what Doré did; they both build on Coleridge’s poem to create something in another medium – something both unique to themselves and indebted to their source – something that resonates with and informs Coleridge’s original. This is how a living tradition works; it is remoulded, reworked, made into the basis for new creations. This is what it’s all about; getting literature down from the library shelf, shaking out the dust and cobwebs, and making it a vital and essential part of our daily lives.

How to Use This Guide

This guide works through Harris’s adaptation section by section, in close comparison with Coleridge’s original poem. I’ve put together a chart detailing the relationship between Harris’s lyrics and Coleridge’s poem and gloss here, which will help you as you work through this guide.

It doesn’t hurt if you are already familiar with Coleridge’s poem, but if not, you don’t need to read it before using this guide; by the end, you will be familiar with the mariner’s tale, with the main themes and symbolism of the poem, and with Coleridge’s poetic techniques. If you want to read it, though, you can find it, complete with Coleridge’s 1817 gloss, here.

The main focus of this guide is on the light Harris’s adaptation throws on Coleridge’s original text so, rather than Coleridge’s poem, let’s look at that:

If you want to focus on Harris’s words, without the music, you can find the full lyrics here.

I’ve also written a guide to prosody (that is, the stress patterns of poetry) based on Coleridge’s poem, which you can find here.

Finally, here is a video that covers some of the same ground as the study guide:

OK. Let’s get started!