He prayeth well, who loveth well Both man and bird and beast. He prayeth best, who loveth best All things both great and small.
These timeless words come from the English poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge. They offer a profound message about spirituality, empathy, and nature. However, these lines are not a standalone proverb. They are the powerful conclusion to one of the most famous narrative poems in English literature. To truly understand their weight, we must journey back to a harrowing tale of a cursed sailor and his long road to redemption.
The Source: A Mariner’s Haunting Tale
The quote is the closing moral of Coleridge’s masterpiece, “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner.” First published in 1798 in the collection Lyrical Ballads, the poem tells a supernatural story of a sailor’s crime against nature. The mariner recounts his tale to a man on his way to a wedding. He describes a long voyage that takes a dark turn after he commits a senseless act.
Specifically, the mariner shoots and kills an albatross. This bird had been a good omen for the ship and its crew. Following its death, a terrible curse befalls the ship. The winds die, leaving the vessel stranded in the sweltering, stagnant ocean. The crew, dying of thirst, hangs the dead albatross around the mariner’s neck as a symbol of his sin. This brutal imagery highlights the weight of his transgression against a creature of nature.
Redemption Through Unconditional Love
The mariner endures unimaginable suffering. He watches his entire crew die, and he is left alone, surrounded by the supernatural horrors of the cursed sea. His change of heart comes at his lowest moment. While observing sea snakes in the water, he is suddenly struck by their beauty. Without thinking, he blesses them. This spontaneous act of love for fellow creatures breaks the curse.
In that moment, the albatross falls from his neck and sinks into the sea. The mariner’s ability to appreciate and love “all things both great and small” is his salvation. Therefore, the poem’s final stanza serves as the central lesson learned from his ordeal. It is a warning and a piece of wisdom he is doomed to share with others for the rest of his life. True prayer and spirituality, he learns, are not about empty rituals. Instead, they are found in a deep, abiding love for all of God’s creation, from humans to the smallest animals.
A Core Tenet of Romanticism
This quote perfectly encapsulates key themes of the Romantic literary movement. Source Romantic poets and artists celebrated nature, emotion, and the individual’s experience. Coleridge, along with his contemporary William Wordsworth, was a pioneer of this movement in England.
“The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” uses the supernatural to explore deep psychological and moral truths. The idea that nature is not merely a resource but a sacred entity is a core Romantic belief. The mariner’s sin is not just killing a bird; it is a violation of this sacred bond. Consequently, his punishment is spiritual isolation, and his redemption is a return to a state of connection with the world around him. The quote argues that loving nature is a form of worship. This perspective was a powerful counter to the industrialization and rationalism of the era.
Enduring Message and Modern Relevance
The poem’s closing lines have resonated for over two centuries. Their message of universal love and respect for life remains incredibly potent today. Furthermore, many see the quote as an early expression of ecological consciousness. It reminds us that our actions toward the natural world have profound consequences. The mariner’s journey from thoughtless cruelty to profound empathy is a timeless parable.
In summary, Coleridge’s famous lines are much more than a simple rhyming couplet. They are the hard-won wisdom from a soul who faced damnation and found grace. The message is clear and direct. To connect with the divine, one must first connect with creation. True piety is found in compassion for every living thing, no matter its size or perceived importance. It is a call to see the world with a loving heart, a lesson as vital now as it was in 1798.