In Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s poem ‘The Rime of the Ancient Mariner,’ the curse is broken when the Mariner is able to appreciate and bless the beauty of the natural world around him. After suffering dire consequences for killing the albatross, which is considered a bad omen, the Mariner is initially filled with guilt and despair. The curse that he bears leaves him isolated and tormented.
However, at a critical moment, he sees the sea creatures swimming around his ship and realizes their intrinsic beauty. In that moment of recognition and appreciation, he is able to bless them, uttering words of gratitude. This act of loving the creatures and seeing them as part of God’s creation helps to lift the curse, symbolizing the importance of respect for all living things. The wedding guest, upon hearing the Mariner’s tale, learns from this experience, suggesting that the Mariner’s story carries an enduring moral lesson about respect for nature.