In this seven-part poem, the Ancient Mariner waylays a young man on his way to a wedding and tells of his life at sea. He and his crew, icebound near the South Pole, are visited by an albatross, consider a good omen. When the mariner shoots the bird, his ship and shipmates are lost. Although he is eventually rescued, he is doomed to wander the world telling his story. Included in The Top 500 Poems.