This paper presents that humans' dominion over nature in The Rime of the Ancient Mariner is an ecological crime that results in eternal punishment rather than complete redemption. This study examines the Mariner’s act of killing the Albatross as an example of anthropogenic violence where nature is being treated as an object to be controlled by human beings rather than treated with respect. Written from an ecological perspective, the paper deals with the disruption of the moral and ecological balance of the poem, due to this act and its suffering that continues throughout the life of the Mariner. Through detailed reading, the study shows how nature in the poem performs as an alternative and has moral weight and power.

The paper argues that the punishment of Mariner in the poem is not temporary, which is easily resolved through repentance, but continues for his whole life. The Mariner must go and move around the world from place to place and continue retelling his story as a punishment. The poem also connects to the ongoing modern-day ecological crisis, such as climate change, deforestation, pollution, and exhaustion of natural resources. This study connects Coleridge’s ecological perspective with environmental ethics. The paper adds ethical, eco-critical, and narrative elements to enhance eco-critical scholarship. Just as the Mariner’s continuous punishment after killing the bird, the paper presents that the after-effects of the environmental violence can never be completely erased.