The Rime of The Ancient Mariner

The Rime of The Ancient Mariner -During a voyage to the South Pole, an albatross appears and guides the ship through dangerous ice. In an act of thoughtless cruelty, the Mariner shoots the bird with his crossbow. The wind dies, and the ship becomes stranded in a “silent sea” under a blistering sun. The crew, dying of thirst, hangs the dead albatross around the Mariner’s neck as a symbol of his guilt.