2

Coleridge's famous poem "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" has its constituent parts titled differently in different editions / online sources. For example:

What is the original version here? How were the parts titled when the poem was first published?

4
  • One can actually see the original formatting in the original publication by looking on Google books. The sections were labelled I, II, etc. Project Gutenberg probably would not have changed their title formats capriciously.
    – Peter Shor
    Jan 21, 2018 at 17:19
  • @PeterShor I found a few Google Books hits, but I don't know how to distinguish the original version from the hundreds of others floating around the internet. That said, it sounds like you have enough info/knowledge for an answer here ...
    – Rand al'Thor
    Jan 21, 2018 at 17:26
  • Shor's edition is the same 1798 London edition my belated post mentions. In general, with google books, if you click on the "about this book" button you get some bibliographic info. Jan 21, 2018 at 18:16
  • @Rand al'Thor: Wikipedia says it was first published in 1798, and published in a revised version in 1817. (Coleridge was still alive then.) The revised version uses "Part the second," etc., and has changed some of the even-then-archaic spelling. I don't know whether there were any more substantial changes.
    – Peter Shor
    Jan 21, 2018 at 21:03

1 Answer 1

2

This is not an exact answer to the original question.

TROTAM was first published in Bristol in 1798 in a collection by Coleridge and Wordsworth, Lyrical Ballads. As one might expect, the very first edition is rare, and subsequent editions numerous. The earliest version I have found on-line is of a 1798 London edition. It titles the poem as ""THE RIME OF THE ANCYENT MARINERE,/ IN SEVEN PARTS." The parts are labelled simply "I." , "II.", on up through "VII.", (without the word part) each starting on a fresh page, with fancy rules above and below the numbers.

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge that you have read and understand our privacy policy and code of conduct.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.