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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,

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But still he holds the wedding guest-
There was a Ship, quoth he-

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Nay, if thou'st got a laughsome tale, "Mariner! come with me.”

He holds him with his skinny hand,
Quoth he, there was a Ship-

"Now get thee hence, thou grey-beard Loon "Or my Staff shall make thee skip.

He holds him with his glittering eye-
The wedding guest stood still

And listens like a three year's child;

The Mariner hath his will.

The wedding-guest sate on a stone,
He cannot chuse but hear:

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 pac'd into the Hall,

Red as a rose is she

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Nodding their heads before her goes

The merry Minstralsy.

1

The wedding-guest he beat his breast,
Yet he cannot chuse but hear:

And thus spake on that ancient Man,
The bright-eyed Mariner.

But now the Northwind came more fierce,
There came a Tempest strong!

And Southward still for days and weeks
Like Chaff we drove along.

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,
Thorough the Fog it came;

As if it had been a Christian Soul,
We hail'd it in God's name.

The Mariners gave it biscuit-worms,
And round and round it flew :

The Ice did split with a Thunder-fit;
The Helmsman steer'd us thro'.

And a good south wind sprung up behind.
The Albatross did follow;

And every day for food or play

Came to the Mariner's hollo!

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