Rime of the Ancient Mariner

Interpret the following verse from the Coleridge s Rime of the Ancient Mariner. 

In the epic poem, Rime of the Ancient Mariner, a becalmed sailor laments Water, water, everywhere, nor any drop to drink. With regard to the element nitrogen, we might say N2,N2, everywhere, nor any N to eat. Even though the atmosphere of our planet is 80% molecular nitrogen, plants are unable to break the extremely strong NON triple bond. Instead, plants must rely on other sources for the nitrogen atoms that are essential for the synthesis of biomolecules such as amino acids and DNA. 

The exact quote from The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Coleridge (1798) is Water, water, everywhere, And all the boards did shrink Water, water, everywhere, Nor any drop to drink. ... 

Coleridge s Rime of the Ancient Mariner. Edited by Andrew J. George. Cloth. 96 pages. Illustrated. 20 cents. 

Davy, who wrote good poetry and was an avid fisherman, had a wide variety of friends and correspondents who sampled nitrous oxide these included Dr. Peter Mark Roget, future physician and author of the Thesaurus, but only 20 years old at the time, and Samuel Taylor Coleridge, one year after composing The Rime of the Ancient Mariner. Coleridge s description is the more poetic ... 

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