The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge and The Sound of Water’s Footsteps by Sohrab Sepehri both represent inner human experience in relation to nature and transcendence, yet they are shaped within different cultural frameworks. This study draws on M. H. Abrams’ theory of expressive Romanticism to conduct a comparative analysis of the two works. The research adopts a descriptive-analytical method with a comparative approach based on the American school of comparative literature. Data are examined through qualitative coding of thematic units.The originality of this study lies in moving beyond the identification of structural similarities. It demonstrates that shared elements of expressive Romanticism are realized differently at the level of function and meaning in each poetic tradition. In this way, Abrams’ model is used not as a fixed framework but as an interpretive tool for revealing internal differences.The findings show that in both works, nature is elevated beyond its literal dimension and functions as a domain of meaning shaped by mental activity. However, the experience of the sacred, the role of suffering, and the relationship between human and world are constructed differently. These results indicate that expressive Romanticism takes distinct formal and functional forms across cultural contexts.