READING THE RIME OF THE ANCIENT MARINER

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ARGUEMENT

How a Ship having passed the Line was driven by Storms to the cold Country towards the South Pole; and how from thence she made her course to the tropical Latitude of the Great Pacific Ocean; and of the strange things that befell; and in what manner the Ancyent Marinere came back to his own Country.


THE RIME OF THE ANCYENT MARINERE


It is an ancyent Marinere

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,—

"May'st hear the merry din.


But still he holds the wedding-guest—

There was a Ship, quoth he—

"Nay, if thou'st got a laughsome tale,

"Marinere! 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 Marinere hath his will.


The wedding-guest sate on a stone,

He cannot chuse but hear:

And thus spake on that ancyent man.


The bright-eyed Marinere.

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;

Nodding their heads before her goes

The merry Minstralsy.


The wedding-guest he beat his breast,

Yet he cannot chuse but hear:

And thus spake on that ancyent Man,

The bright-eyed Marinere.


Listen, Stranger! Storm and Wind,

A Wind and Tempest strong!

For days and weeks it play'd us freaks—

Like Chaff we drove along.


Listen, Stranger! Mist and Snow,

And it grew wond'rous cauld:

And Ice mast-high came floating by

As green as Emerauld.


And thro' the drifts the snowy clifts

Did send a dismal sheen;

Ne shapes of men ne 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—

Like noises of a swound.






READERS COPY

Don't worry about the archaic pronunciation...just read e.g. Marinere as Mariner


THE ARGUMENT.

How a Ship having passed the Line was driven by Storms to the cold Country towards the South Pole; and how from thence she made her course to the tropical Latitude of the Great Pacific Ocean; and of the strange things that befell; and in what manner the Ancyent Marinere came back to his own Country.


THE RIME OF THE ANCYENT MARINERE


It is an ancyent Marinere,

And he stoppeth one of three:

"By thy long grey beard and thy glittering eye

"Now wherefore stoppest me?

ELIZABETH


"The Bridegroom's doors are open'd wide

"And I am next of kin;

"The Guests are met, the Feast is set,—

"May'st hear the merry din.

PAUL


But still he holds the wedding-guest—

There was a Ship, quoth he—

"Nay, if thou'st got a laughsome tale,

"Marinere! come with me."

BARBARA


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.

JANET


He holds him with his glittering eye—

The wedding guest stood still

And listens like a three year's child;

The Marinere hath his will.

KATE


The wedding-guest sate on a stone,

He cannot chuse but hear:

And thus spake on that ancyent man.

The bright-eyed Marinere.

MARY


The Ship was cheer'd, the Harbour clear'd—

Merrily did we drop

Below the Kirk, below the Hill,

Below the Light-house top.

ANGIE


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.

DAMIEN


Higher and higher every day,

Till over the mast at noon—

The wedding-guest here beat his breast,

For he heard the loud bassoon.

SUE


The Bride hath pac'd into the Hall,

Red as a rose is she;

Nodding their heads before her goes

The merry Minstralsy.

ANN


The wedding-guest he beat his breast,

Yet he cannot chuse but hear:

And thus spake on that ancyent Man,

The bright-eyed Marinere.

ROSEMARY


Listen, Stranger! Storm and Wind,

A Wind and Tempest strong!

For days and weeks it play'd us freaks—

Like Chaff we drove along.

LIZ


Listen, Stranger! Mist and Snow,

And it grew wond'rous cauld:

And Ice mast-high came floating by

As green as Emerauld.

CATHERINE


And thro' the drifts the snowy clifts

Did send a dismal sheen;

Ne shapes of men ne beasts we ken—

The Ice was all between.

PAUL


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—

Like noises of a swound.

ELIZABETH




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