He is an ancient sailor,
And he stops one of three,
‘By your long gray beard and bright eye,
Now why are you stopping?
The groom’s doors are opened wide,
And I am the closest relative;
Guests are met, the banquet is set:
You may hear the joyful din. ‘
He holds it with his thin hand,
‘There was a ship,’ he said.
‘Hold on! hand me, loon gray beard! ‘
Eftsoons his hand dropt him.
He catches it with his glittering eye –
The Wedding-Guest stood still,
And listen like a three year old
The Sailor has his will.
The Wedding Hotels sat on stone;
He can only choose to hear;
And so he spake unto that ancient man,
The bright-eyed Sailor.
‘The ship was shouted, the harbor cleared,
Merrily we dropped out
Beneath the kirk, below the hill,
Beneath the lighthouse.
The sun came up on the left,
Out of the sea he came!
And it shone bright and to the right
Going down to the sea.
Higher and higher every day,
Return over the mast at noon – ‘
This wedding guest beat her,
Because he heard the loud bassoon.
The bride has wandered into the hall,
It’s red like a rose;
Nail their heads before it is gone
The joyful minstrelsy.
The Wedding Guest he beat his breast,
Yet he can only choose to hear;
And so he spake unto that ancient man,
The bright-eyed Sailor.
‘and now came the Storm-Blast, and he
Oppressive and strong:
He struck with his o’ertaking wings,
And go after us south along. […]
And now came fog and snow,
And it grew amazingly cold:
And ice, mast-high, came floating,
As green as emerald. […]
Long crossed Albatross,
Thoroughly came the fog;
As if he had been a Christian soul,
We called him in the name of God.
He ate the food he hadn’t eaten,
And around and around he flew,
The ice split with thunder fit;
The steer steered us through!
And a good southern wind that grew behind;
The Albatross followed,
And every day for food or play,
Gone are the sailor’s holly! […]
‘God save you, ancient Seafarer!
Oh the fiends, plague you so! –
Why look ‘are you so?’ – With my crossbow
I shot the Albatross.
Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” remains one of the treasures of English Literature. It is among the well-known long poems. It is a gem of literature as much for its captivating rhythm and memorable qualities as for the terrifying story it tells and its meaning to the existence of humanity and its critical place in poetry.