THE RIME OF THE ANCIENT MARINER. IN SEVEN PARTS. It is an ancient Mariner, And he stoppeth one of three. By the long grey beard and glittering eye, "Now wherefore stopp'st thou me? "The Bridegroom's doors are opened wide, "And I am next of kin; "The guests are met, the feast is set: May'st hear the merry din." He holds him with his skinny hand', "There was a ship," quoth he. "Hold off! unhand me, grey-beard loon !" Eftsoons his hand dropt he. An ancient Mariner meeteth three Gallants bidden te a weddingfeast, and detaineth one. The wedding. He holds him with his glittering eye— guest is spell bound by the eye of the old sea-faring man, and constrained to hear his tale. The wedding-guest stood still, And listens like a three years child: The Mariner hath his will. The wedding-guest sat on a stone: He cannot chuse but hear; And thus spake on that ancient man, The bright-eyed mariner. The ship was cheered, the harbour cleared, Merrily did we drop Below the kirk, below the hill, Below the light house top. The Mariner The Sun came up upon the left, tells how the ship sailed southward with a good wind and fair weather, till Out of the sea came he! And he shone bright, and on the right it reached the Went down into the sea. line. 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 thus spake on that ancient man, And now the STORM-BLAST came, and he Was tyrannous and strong: He struck with his o'ertaking wings, And chased us south along. With sloping masts and dipping prow, And forward bends his head, The ship drove fast, loud roared the blast, And southward aye we fled. And now there came both mist and snow And it grew wondrous cold: And ice, mast-high, came floating by, The weddingguest heareth the bridal music; but the mariner continueth his tale. The ship drawn by a storm toward the south pole. |