The Wedding-Guest sat on a stone: He cannot choose but hear; And thus spake on that ancient man, The bright-eyed Mariner
There was a ship...
The Mariner tells the story of his journey to a guess at a wedding.
Zdrs: 2
The ship was cheered, the harbor cleared, Merrily did we dropBelow the kirk, below the hill, Below the light-house top. The Sun came up upon the left, Out of the sea came he! And he shone bright, and on the right Went down into the sea.
The journey begins as the Ancient Mariner boards his ship with other sailors and set sail into the sea.
Zdrs: 3
'And now the Storm-blast came, and he Was tyrannous and strong: He struck with his o'ertaking wings, And chased us south along... And now there came both mist and snow, And it grew wondrous cold: And ice, mast-high, came floating by, As green as emerald.
This is amazing!
A powerful storm brings the ship into the South Pole. The Mariner and his sailors are amazed by what they see.
Zdrs: 4
At length did cross an Albatross, Thorough the fog it came; As if it had been a Christian soul... We hail'd it in God's name. And a good south wind sprung up behind; The Albatross did follow, And every day, for food or play, Came to the mariners' hollo! In mist or cloud, on mast or shroud, It perch'd for vespers nine; Whiles all the night, through fog-smoke white, Glimmer'd the white moonshine.
Oh, did my Lord send you to us?
This is Christ!
An Albatross appears and companies the sailors for several days. They believe that it was sent by God.
Zdrs: 5
God save thee, ancient Mariner! From the fiends, that plague thee thus!— Why look'st thou so?'—'With my crossbow I shot the Albatross. Nor dim nor red, like God's own head, The glorious Sun uprist: Then all averr'd, I had kill'd the bird That brought the fog and mist. 'Twas right, said they, such birds to slay, That bring the fog and mist.
WHAT IN THE WORLD ARE YOU DOING??
I had to kill the bird that brought the mist and fog.
The Ancient Mariner decides to kill the Albatross because he thinks that the bird had brought the snow and fog. His sailors criticize him but later come to the conclusion that he is right.
Zdrs: 6
Day after day, day after day, We stuck, nor breath nor motion; As idle as a painted ship Upon a painted ocean. Water, water, everywhere, And all the boards did shrink; Water, water, everywhere, Nor any drop to drink. And every tongue, through utter drought, Was wither'd at the root; We could not speak, no more than if We had been choked with soot. Ah! well a-day! what evil looks Had I from old and young! Instead of the cross, the Albatross About my neck was hung.
I need water..... I can't survive any longer....
The breezes then blow the men into the vast, empty ocean and they become very thirsty. The sailors blame the Mariner for what has happened and hangs the dead bird around his neck.