The ANCIENT MARINER. A POET's REVERIE. I. It is an ancient Mariner, And he stoppeth one of three: "By thy long grey beard and thy glittering eye "Now wherefore stoppest me? "The Bridegroom's doors are open'd wide "And I am next of kin ; "The Guests are met, the Feast is set, But still he holds the wedding guest- Nay, if thou'st got a laughsome tale, "Mariner! come with me.” He holds him with his skinny hand, "Now get thee hence, thou grey-beard Loon "Or my Staff shall make thee skip. He holds him with his glittering eye- And listens like a three year's child; The Mariner hath his will. The wedding-guest sate on a stone, And thus spake on that ancient man, 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, And he shone bright, and on the right Higher and higher every day, Till over the mast at noon The wedding-guest here beat his breast, The Bride hath pac'd into the Hall, Red as a rose is she Nodding their heads before her goes The merry Minstralsy. 1 The wedding-guest he beat his breast, And thus spake on that ancient Man, But now the Northwind came more fierce, And Southward still for days and weeks And now there came both Mist and Snow, And it grew wond'rous cold; And Ice mast-high came floating by As green as Emerald. And thro' the drifts the snowy clifts Did send a dismal sheen; Nor shapes of men nor beasts we ken The Ice was all between. 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→ A wild and ceaseless sound. At length did cross an Albatross, As if it had been a Christian Soul, The Mariners gave it biscuit-worms, The Ice did split with a Thunder-fit; And a good south wind sprung up behind. And every day for food or play Came to the Mariner's hollo! |