The rotten remains of the ship sink in a whirlpool, leaving only the mariner behind. A hermit on the mainland who has spotted the approaching ship comes to meet it in a boat, rowed by a pilot and his boy. When they pull the mariner from the water, they think he is dead, but when he opens his mouth, the pilot shrieks with fright. The hermit prays, and the mariner picks up the oars to row. The pilot's boy laughs, thinking the mariner is the devil, and cries, "The Devil knows how to row". Back on land, the mariner is compelled by "a woful agony" to tell the hermit his story.
the rotten remains of the ship sink in a whirlpool leaving only the mariner behind a hermit on the mainland who has spotted the approaching ship comes to meet it in a boat rowed by a pilot and his boy when they pull the mariner from the water they think he is dead but when he opens his mouth the pilot shrieks with fright the hermit prays and the mariner picks up the oars to row the pilot's boy laughs thinking the mariner is the devil and cries "the devil knows how to row" back on land the mariner is compelled by "a woful agony" to tell the hermit his story