The Rime of the Ancient Mariner stage of the mariner's curse is lifted after he appreciates the sea creatures swimming in the water. Despite his cursing them as "slimy things" earlier in the poem, he suddenly sees their true beauty and blesses them ("a spring of love gush'd from my heart, and I bless'd them unaware"); suddenly, as he manages to pray, the albatross falls from his neck and his guilt is partially expiated. The bodies of the crew, possessed by good spirits, rise again and help steer the ship. In a trance, the mariner hears two spirits discussing his voyage and penance, and learns that
The Destiny of Nations later expanded in his "Opus Maximum" project and was contained in other poems including "The Eolian Harp". Other connections to his works include the Greenland Wizard, which serves as a legendary precursor to Coleridge's mythical "Rime of the Ancient Mariner". The poem provides insight into what works Coleridge was relying on and would rely on again when he wrote "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner". He makes these works clear in his footnotes, such as one from Crantz's "History of Greenland" Vol. I. Other footnotes refer to Lemius's "De Lapponibus" and the Book of Revelation. Other sources are the works