The Ancient Mariner. PART I. It is an ancient Mariner, And he stoppeth one of three. "By thy long gray-beard and glittering eye, Now wherefore stopp'st thou me ? "The bridegroom's doors are open wide, The guests are met, the feast is set: He holds him with his skinny hand, He holds him with his glittering eye— The Wedding-Guest sat on a stone: And thus spake on that ancient man, The bright-eyed Mariner. "The ship was cheer'd, the harbour clear'd, Merrily did we drop Below 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. "Higher and higher every day, Till over the mast at noon The Wedding-Guest here beat his breast, For he heard the loud bassoon. The bride hath paced into the hall, Nodding their heads, before her goes The Wedding-Guest he beat his breast, "And now the storm-blast came, and he "With sloping masts, and dipping prow, The ship drove fast, loud roar'd the blast, "And now there came both mist and snow, And ice mast-high came floating by, "And through the drifts the snowy clifts Did send a dismal sheen: Nor shapes of men nor beasts we ken- "The ice was here, the ice was there, The ice was all around: It crack'd and growl'd, and roar'd and howl'd, Like noises in a swound! "At length did cross an Albatross, "It ate the food it ne'er had eat, "And a good south wind sprung up behind; And every day, for food or play, "In mist or cloud, on mast or shroud, Whiles all the night, through fog-smoke white, Glimmer'd the white moon-shine." "God save thee, ancient Mariner, From the fiends that plague thee thus! Why look'st thou so!" "With my cross-bow I shot the Albatross." PART II. "THE sun now rose upon the right: Out of the sea came he, Still hid in mist, and on the left Went down into the sea. "And the good south wind still blew behind, But no sweet bird did follow, Nor any day for food or play, Came to the mariners' hollo! "And I had done a hellish thing, "Nor dim nor red, like God's own head, Then all averr'd, I had kill'd the bird 'Twas right, said they, such birds to slay, That bring the fog and mist. "The fair breeze blew, the white foam flew, The furrow follow'd free; We were the first that ever burst Into that silent sea. "Down dropt the breeze, the sails dropp'd down, 'Twas sad as sad could be; And we did speak only to break The silence of the sea! “All in a hot and copper sky, "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, Water, water, everywhere, Nor any drop to drink. "The very deep did rot: O Christ! Yea, slimy things did crawl with legs "About, about, in reel and rout The death-fires danced at night; The water, like a witch's oils, Burnt green, and blue, and white. "And some in dreams assured were "And every tongue, through utter drought, We could not speak, no more than if "Ah! well-a-day! what evil looks = PART III. “THERE pass'd a weary time. Each throat “At first it seem'd a little speck, "A speck, a mist, a shape, I wist! And still it near'd and near’d: As if it dodged a water-sprite, It plunged and tack'd and veer'd. “With throats unslaked, with black lips baked, And cried, A sail! a sail! "With throats unslaked, with black lips baked, Agape they heard me call: Gramerey! they for joy did grin, And all at once their breath drew in, "See! see! (I cried) she tacks no more! "The western wave was all a-flame, When that strange shape drove suddenly "And straight the Sun was fleck'd with bars, (Heaven's Mother send us grace!) As if through a dungeon-grate he peer'd |