PART THE FIRST.
It is an ancient Mariner, And he stoppeth one of three. "By thy 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.
He holds him with his glittering eye-- 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 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, Red as a rose is she; Nodding their
heads before her goes The merry minstrelsy.
The Wedding-Guest he beat his breast, Yet he cannot chuse but hear;
And thus spake on that ancient man, The bright-eyed Mariner.
And now the STORM-BLAST came, and he Was tyrannous and strong:
He struck with his o\'ertaking wings, And chased south along.
With sloping masts and dipping prow, As who pursued with yell and
blow Still treads the shadow of his foe 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, As green as emerald.
And through the drifts the snowy clifts Did send a dismal sheen: Nor
shapes of men nor beasts we ken-- The ice was all between.