Question:
Which is tthe longest poem of the world and what is it about??
patty
2006-07-21 04:18:04 UTC
Is it the Illiad or the Mahabharata
Eleven answers:
2006-07-22 08:18:50 UTC
Mahabharata is 8 times longer than the oddyssey and iliad combined.Mahabharata was about two rivalry kingdoms and their fight.Iliad.........well dunno.
Clauds
2006-07-21 11:22:59 UTC
The mahabharata is a lot longer than Illiad. The Mahabharata is 8x longer than the Odyssey and the Illiadcombined.
Sid
2006-07-21 17:18:41 UTC
The longest poem was a poem written by Alfred Lord Tennyson.The poem's name was 'In memory of'.I am not sure if that was the name.He had written it in memory of his dead friend.It was a whole book long which was 1 and a half inches tall.I can't sit down and write the poem now like the others did.because it is looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooong!!!!!!!
pyr0maniac
2006-07-21 11:21:31 UTC
...But, epics tend to run a bit longer. OK, a lot longer. If fact one Tibetan epic, 'King Gesser', written over 1,000 years ago tells the story of a Tibetan king who conquered the devils of other Tibetan tribes and made Tibet stable.



China is in the process of trying to document 'King Gesser' as the entire epic only exists in parts memorized by Tibetan folk story tellers and folk singers. Samzhub is considered the master with over 65 of the 200 parts, totaling 20 million words, memorized.



yea...
H
2006-07-21 12:47:19 UTC
Theres a book called "Paradise Lost". Its pages and pages, all one long poem about the falling of heaven and the rise of hell. Its a true classic.



Long regarded as one of the most powerful and influential poems in the English language, Paradise Lost still inspires intense debate about whether it manages "to justify the ways of God to men" or exposes the cruelty of Christianity or the Christian God. John Leonard's illuminating introduction is fully alive to such controversies; it also contains full notes on language and many allusions to other works.
Sri Ram t
2006-07-21 15:00:17 UTC
Shrimad Bhagavatam - sanskrit

has 18 cantos

180000 verses

Iskcon has the english translation
cristiano
2006-07-21 11:32:46 UTC
'IF' by rudyard kipling



[IF]



If you can keep your head when all about you

Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,

If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you

But make allowance for their doubting too,

If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,

Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,

Or being hated, don't give way to hating,

And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream--and not make dreams your master,

If you can think--and not make thoughts your aim;

If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster

And treat those two impostors just the same;

If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken

Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,

Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,

And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:



If you can make one heap of all your winnings

And risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss,

And lose, and start again at your beginnings

And never breath a word about your loss;

If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew

To serve your turn long after they are gone,

And so hold on when there is nothing in you

Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"



If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,

Or walk with kings--nor lose the common touch,

If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;

If all men count with you, but none too much,

If you can fill the unforgiving minute

With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,

Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,

And--which is more--you'll be a Man, my son!





--Rudyard Kipling
dr_kant
2006-07-21 17:57:10 UTC
I dont think either of those are longer than the Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri.
elle yong
2006-07-21 11:27:03 UTC
the poem which will never end...........about the history of the world
2006-07-21 11:22:46 UTC
Only in Life

Nikhil Parekh



Every star in the wonderfully resplendent cosmos; may

or may not enthrallingly shine,

And every thing on this Universe that flamboyantly

shines; could not be irrefutably termed; only as a

STAR..



Every flower sprouting from fathomless kilometers of

land; may or may not diffuse rhapsodic fragrance,

And every thing on this Universe that is seductively

fragrant; could not be irrefutably termed; only as a

FLOWER...



Every cloud in the voluptuously crimson sky; may or

may not pelt tantalizing droplets of golden rain,

And every thing on this Universe that is enigmatically

misty; could not be irrefutably termed; only as a

CLOUD...



Every tree on bountifully fertile soil; may or may not

blossom into an astounding flurry of succulent fruit,

And every thing on this Universe that spawns into

countless of its kind; could not be irrefutably

termed; only as a TREE...



Every battlefield on vindictively belligerent mud; may

or may not metamorphose into the ultimate victory of

mankind,

And every thing on this Universe that massacres and

indiscriminately sucks blood; could not be irrefutably

termed; only as a BATTLEFIELD...



Every clock that incessantly functions for centuries

immemorial; may or may not transit you into

incredulously ravishing waves of untamed nostalgia,

And every thing on this Universe that monotonously

ticks; could not be irrefutably termed; only as a

CLOCK...



Every lion philandering rampantly through the

profusely robust jungles; may or may not be a

man-eater,

And every thing on this Universe; that was

vociferously ferocious; could not be irrefutably

termed; only as LION...



Every hive sandwiched amidst the magnificently royal

foliage; may or may not be boisterously buzzing,

And every thing on this Universe; that was melodiously

chattering and sweet; could not be irrefutably termed

as; only a HIVE...



Every eye majestically embossed in the sockets of the

charismatically alluring face; may or may not be

emphatic,

And every thing on this Universe with poignantly

gushing tears; could not be irrefutably termed; only

as an EYE...



Every salubrious coconut suspended from the branches;

may or may not harbor ingratiatingly sweet water in

its belly,

And every thing on this Universe that was obdurately

hard; could not be irrefutably termed; only as a

COCONUT..





Every dungeon countless kilometers beneath soil; may

or may not harbor an unfathomable conglomerate of

snakes,

And every thing on this Universe as dark as the

ghastly night; could not be irrefutably termed; only

as a DUNGEON...



Every stream voluptuously cascading through the

mountains; may or may not be culminating into ecstatic

froth,

And every bit of water wandering freely on this

Universe; could not be irrefutably termed; only as a

STREAM...



Every song captivatingly floating through the

surreally mesmerizing atmosphere; may or may not

convey the message profoundly imbibed within,

And every voice that emanated on this Universe; could

not be irrefutably termed; only as a SONG...



Every thorn surreptitiously creeping from nimble

covers of soil; may or may not acrimoniously

infiltrate into innocuous skin,

And every thing on this Universe that was piquantly

sharp; could not be irrefutably termed; only as a

THORN...



Every wind exuberantly blowing across the gorgeous

valley; may or may not strike the rocks,

And every draught of euphoric air on this Universe;

could not be irrefutably termed; only as WIND...



Every chili tangily extruding from immaculate layers

of soil; may or may not turbulently sting the tongue,

And every thing on this Universe that was thunderously

spicy; could not be irrefutably termed; only as

CHILI...



Every spider fabulously slithering through its sticky

web; may or may not inhabit the same for a fathomless

lifetimes,

And every thing on this Universe that was intractably

sticky and entangled; could not be irrefutably termed;

only as a SPIDER...





Every hill rising splendidly above mundane soil; may

or may not have its summit kissing the absolute zenith

of the rosy clouds,

And every thing on this Universe that was the top most

storied; could not be irrefutably termed; only as a

HILL...



Every egg left completely solitary by itself; may or

may not hatch into an immaculately divine fledgling,

And every thing on this Universe that was oval and

pearly white; could not be irrefutably termed; only as

an EGG...



Every milestone enthusiastically stretching beyond

realms of imagination; may or may not evoke

inscrutable pleasure,

And every thing on this Universe that was delightfully

delirious; could not be irrefutably termed; only as a

MILESTONE...



Every mark ardently embossed since birth on the body;

may or may not prove to be astonishingly auspicious,

And every thing on this Universe that was holy and

holistic; could not be irrefutably termed; only as a

MARK....



Every peacock dancing under zealously thundering rain;

may or may not make you entirely oblivious to all

other activities on earth,

And every thing on this Universe that was iridescently

feathered; could not be irrefutably termed; only as a

PEACOCK...



Every shadow shimmering uncontrollably like a new born

prince; may or may not cast a spell upon your drearily

sagging countenance,

And every thing on this Universe that was tranquilly

enchanting; could not be irrefutably termed; only as a

SHADOW...



Every wine bubbling furtively in marvelously crystal

glass; may or may not intoxicate you beyond sagacious

control; as you guzzled it down with wild frenzy,

And every thing on this Universe that was viciously

inebriating; could not be irrefutably termed; only as

WINE...



Every snake charismatically slithering through the

jungles; may or may not incarcerate you in an

enclosure of unending mysticism,

And every thing on this Universe that was ominously

hissing; could not be irrefutably termed; only as a

SNAKE...



Every nail agglutinated to the gigantic wall; may or

may not disdainfully rust as time unfurls,

And every thing on this Universe that was piquantly

pointed; could not be irrefutably termed; only as a

NAIL...



Every slave heinously lambasted by its dictatorial

master; may or may not yield wholesomely to his

commands,

And every thing on this Universe that was

painstakingly persevering under the Sun; could not be

irrefutably termed; only as a SLAVE...



Every joke ridiculously bizarre and funny; may or may

not invoke pools of unlimited laughter,

And every thing on this Universe that made you smile;

could not be irrefutably termed; only as a JOKE....



Every destiny enigmatically encompassed within the

palms; may or may not lead to the unequivocal gates of

prosperity,

And every thing on this Universe that vacillatingly

truant; could not be irrefutably termed; only as

DESTINY...



Every hair that was unsurpassably old; may or may not

be grizzly white in color,

And everything on this Universe that was insipidly

tender follicle; could not be irrefutably termed; only

as a HAIR...



Every precariously poised knife; may or may not

barbarically deprive a person of vibrant life,

And everything on this Universe that was menacingly

gleaming; could not be irrefutably termed; only as a

KNIFE....



Every blade of alluringly enchanting grass; may or may

not buckle capriciously under the violently

overwhelming storm,

And everything on this Universe that was spawning

bountifully from soil; could not be irrefutably

termed; only as GRASS....



Every garland blooming into a festoon of unparalleled

chivalry; may or may not impart fathomless

grandiloquence,

And every thing on this Universe that was profusely

decorated; could not be irrefutably termed; only as a

GARLAND...



Every crocodile hideously writhing in the marshes; may

or may not pulverize its prey eloping rapidly through

the dense bushes,

And every thing on this Universe that was rustically

serrated skinned; could not be irrefutably termed;

only as a CROCODILE...



Every telephone celestially ringing; may or may not

bring to you the message you forever desired,

And every thing on this Universe that was vibrantly

humming; could not be irrefutably termed; only as a

TELEPHONE...



Every toy frolicking gregariously in the playful

showroom; may or may not transit you back to realms of

innocuous childhood,

And every thing on this Universe that was innocently

bouncing; could not be irrefutably termed; only as a

CHILD...



Every bell gloriously ringing in the holy temple; may

or may not bequeath upon you the entire richness of

this globe,

And every thing on this Universe that rapped with an

enchanting sound; could not be irrefutably termed;

only as a BELL.





Every roof compactly stitched with brazen straw and

rubicund brick; may or may not sequester you

perpetually from the satanically speeding storm,

And every thing on this Universe that imparted

transient shelter; could not be irrefutably termed;

only as a ROOF....



Every dewdrop emphatically radiating as the first rays

of dawn kissed blue sky; may or may not be pacify the

scorching trauma in your throat,

And every thing on this Universe that was fabulously

slippery; could not be irrefutably termed; only as a

DEW DROP...



Every rope fantastically knotted into boundless folds;

may or may not catapult you to the ultimate summits of

your life,

And every thing on this Universe that was tenaciously

curled; could not be irrefutably termed; only as a

ROPE....



Every pilot exuberantly whistling past the scenery;

may or may not crash against the sinister faade of

acrid rocks,

And every thing on this Universe that was flying like

a rocket; could not be irrefutably termed; only as a

PILOT....



Every crab cunningly crawling on the placidly nestling

shores; may or may inject its vindictive sting into

immaculate flesh,

And every thing on this Universe that was

surreptitiously sauntering; could not be irrefutably

termed; only as a CRAB...





Every rivulet of crimson blood circulating through

countless humans; may or may not be philanthropic,

And every thing on this Universe that was ardently

red; could not be irrefutably termed; only as BLOOD...



Every embellished king seated on the scintillating

throne; may or may not be a dispenser of celestial

justice,

And every thing on this Universe which was

unequivocally princely; could not be irrefutably

termed; only as KING...



Every earthquake devastating to the most horrifically

abominable core; may or may not swipe civilizations in

its uncouthly treacherous swirl,

And every thing on this Universe which was resonating

cataclysmically; could not be irrefutably termed; only

as an EARTHQUAKE...



Every ocean ebulliently undulating under milky beams

of moonlight; may or may not drown ships in its savage

bottom,

And every thing on this Universe that was

mischievously salty; could not be irrefutably termed;

only as OCEAN...



Every opulently inspiring piano when delectably

strung; may or may not strike an intimate chord with

hearts obliviously strewn around,

And every thing on this Universe that rhythmically

rose and fell in a titillating cadence; could not be

irrefutably termed; only as PIANO...



Every ingenious idea blossoming in the brain; may or

may not lead to the pinnacle of astronomically

irrevocable success,

And every thing on this Universe that intransigently

dreamt; could not be irrefutably termed; only as an

IDEA...



Every philanthropist incorporating the mission to save

humanity in his soul; may or may not reach the most

despicably shivering quarters of this colossal planet,

And every thing on this Universe that was supremely

chivalrous; could not be irrefutably termed; only as a

PHILANTHROPIST...



Every story deluged with overwhelming romance and

enigma; may or may not evoke the intrinsic catharsis

of the persona,

And every thing on this Universe that was an

incredulous adventure; could not be irrefutably

termed; only as a STORY....



Every wink flirtatiously executed; may or may not lead

lovers to the bridge of clandestine absconding,

And every thing on this Universe which was even the

slightest closure of the eye; could not be irrefutably

termed; only as a WINK...



Every woman vividly enamoring; may or may not trigger

inferno's of raw desire through lackadaisical

ingredients of insipid blood,

And every thing on this Universe that was unbelievably

beautiful; could not be irrefutably termed; only as a

WOMAN...



Every castle embedded with exotically evoking royalty;

may or may not give you the ultimate gratification of

your diminutive life,

And every thing on this Universe that was

aristocratically splendid; could not be irrefutably

termed; only as a CASTLE...



Every chunk of wood floating nonchalantly through

water; may or may not decay towards corridors of

obsolete extinction,

And every thing on this Universe that was

opprobriously rotting; could not be irrefutably

termed; only as WOOD...



Every cow reigning supremely in an entrenchment of

divinity; may or may not alleviate the lives of

neglected urchins,

And every thing on this Universe that was gloriously

shining milk; could not be irrefutably termed; only as

a COW...



Every prejudice stinkingly pulverizing its enemies to

infinitesimal ash; may or may not swipe civilization

from its very roots,

And every thing on this Universe that was turbulently

angry; could not be irrefutably termed; only as

PREJUDICE...



Every dog satanically galloping through the

insidiously empty streets; may or may not find its

robustly juicy bone,

And every thing on this Universe that was diabolically

barking; could not be irrefutably termed; only as a

DOG...



Every terrorist pledging to finish blissful human race

like a horde of inconsequential flies; may or may not

manifest his cowardly mission into a veritable truth,

And every thing on this Universe that was abhorrent

malice; could not be irrefutably termed; only as a

TERRORIST....



Every whisper magnetically caressing the placid winds;

may or may not weave a tale of sensuously inexplicable

compassion,

And every thing on this Universe that was gently

diffusing; could not be irrefutably termed; only as a

WHISPER...



Every insect irascibly hovering around celestial

beings; may or may not accomplish its task of

fomenting irritation,

And every thing on this Universe that pertinently

pinches you; could not be irrefutably termed; only as

an INSECT....



Every game evoking rhapsodic sensations of

unprecedented exhilaration; may or may not linger in

memory for eternal times,

And every thing on this Universe that was joyously

interacting; could not be irrefutably termed; only as

a GAME...



Every cat fretting in frustrating starvation; may or

may not get a chance to smack its spout with heavenly

milk,

And every thing on this Universe that was cleverly

awaiting its chance; could not be irrefutably termed;

only as a CAT....



Every beggar wailing on the tyrannical streets; may or

may not appease his gluttony to the epitome of his

appeasing contentment,

And every thing on this Universe that was spreading

its palms; could not be irrefutably termed; only as a

BEGGAR....



Every kite soaring handsomely in fathomless bits of

sky; may or may not escalate above the euphoric

clouds,

And every thing on this Universe that was ecstatically

flying; could not be irrefutably termed; only as a

KITE...



Every bird flapping ravishingly through the boundless

skies; may or may not be a harbinger of unparalleled

peace and divinely brotherhood,

And every thing on this Universe that was

wholeheartedly free; could not be irrefutably termed;

only as BIRD...



Every robot fantastically evolved for meticulous

perfection; may or may not someday; substitute its

counterparts of the human kind,

And every thing on this Universe that was mechanically

monotonous; could not be irrefutably termed; only as

ROBOT...



Every color vivaciously trespassing dazzling space;

may or may not seduce you into a cavern of everlasting

yearning,

And every thing on this Universe that was vividly

contrasting; could not be irrefutably termed; only as

COLOR...



Every Herculean muscle enveloping tenacious shoulders;

may or may not surge forward to uplift despondently

bereaved humanity,

And every thing on this Universe that was formidably

strong; could not be irrefutably termed; only as

MUSCLE..



Every parrot squawking animatedly in its cage; may or

may not replicate its master word for word; alike,

And every thing on this Universe that was relentlessly

chattering; could not be irrefutably termed; only as

PARROT...



Every mother compassionately hugging her child all

throughout the day; may or may not be able to instill

in him the benign ideals of existence,

And every thing on this Universe that was protecting

you from disaster; could not be irrefutably termed;

only as MOTHER...



Every gigantically inflated balloon lingering in air;

may or may not burst; when vigorously pecked by the

woodpeckers,

And every thing on this Universe that fulminated with

a prolific bang; could not be irrefutably termed; only

as a BALLOON...



Every cloth marvelously woven of exquisite Persian

wool; may or may not sequester you from the hideously

blowing winds of torrential winter,

And every thing on this Universe which was worn all

night and day; could not be irrefutably termed; only

as CLOTH...



Every gladiator adorned patriotically; may or may not

snatch triumph for his sacrosanct motherland,

And every thing on this Universe that was blazingly

brave; could not be irrefutably termed; only as a

GLADIATOR...



Every picture woven with thrill and melodramatic

excitement; may or may not penetrate emphatically

through common masses,

And every thing on this Universe that was stupendously

entertaining; could not be irrefutably termed; only as

a PICTURE...



Every pen inundated with gallons of overwhelmingly

volatile ink; may or may not spin countless lines of

fascinatingly sparkling calligraphy,

And every thing on this Universe that was spotlessly

written; could not be irrefutably termed; only as

PEN..



Every fortress invincibly impregnated with a festoon

of scarlet bricks; may or may not defend the most

mightiest of attacks,

And every thing on this Universe that was towering in

unbelievable charisma; could not be irrefutably

termed; only as FORTRESS....



Every spring magnificently coiled into intricately

glistening folds; may or may not bounce back beyond

the realms of infinite infinity,

And every thing on this Universe that was

insurmountably spongy; could not be irrefutably

termed; only as a SPRING...



Every mirror embedded in oligarchic chicory rosewood;

may or may not candidly reflect; the inner most voice

entrapped intensely in the soul,

And every thing on this Universe that explicitly

divulges; could not be irrefutably termed; as only a

MIRROR...



Every line drawn exotically on seductively simmering

soil; may or may not reach its ultimate goal,

And every thing that was pragmatically straight; could

not be irrefutably termed; as only a LINE....



Every amicable lip blending uninhibitedly with all

benevolent alike; may or may not blossom into an

astoundingly tantalizing smile,

And every thing on this Universe that was chortling

into wildly desirous guffaws; could not be irrefutably

termed; only as a LIP...



Every desert sizzling ruthlessly under the invidiously

flaming Sun; may or may not witness the most

inconspicuous trace of green in its entire life,

And every thing on this Universe which was just

specks of dust; could not be irrefutably termed; only

as a DESERT....





Every loudspeaker blaring ferociously through the

atmosphere; may or may not spread its voice to the

most remotest corner of this Universe,

And every thing on this Universe that was vociferously

squealing; could not be irrefutably termed; only as a

LOUDSPEAKER...



Every swimming pool shimmering under pearly moonlight;

may or may not entice boisterously bubbling youth in

its serenely glistening lap,

And every thing on this Universe that was tepidly blue

water; could not be irrefutably termed; only as a

SWIMMING POOL....



Every skin glowing in perennial flavor of robust

health; may or may not wrinkle profusely with

inevitably advancing age,

And every thing on this Universe that was blushing

complexion; could not be irrefutably termed; only as

SKIN...



Every curtain majestically sprawled across the window;

may or may not sequester the mansion from each ray of

incorrigibly filtering sunlight,

And every thing on this Universe that was lanky

bedspread of cotton wool; could not be irrefutably

termed; only as a CURTAIN....



Every trophy irrevocably radiating in the sparkle of

fascinating success; may or may not highlight the

epitome of unparalleled success,

And every thing on this Universe that was beautiful

triumph; could not be irrefutably termed; only as a

TROPHY...



Every afternoon blazing in scorchingly tenacious

light; may or may not make you abhorrently perspire,

And every thing on this Universe that was swelteringly

hot; could not be irrefutably termed; only as

AFTERNOON....



Every blink playfully swiping the territory of the dry

eye; may or may not grant it with the blanket of

poignant moisture it badly desired,

And every thing on this Universe that was flickering

violently; could not be irrefutably termed; only as a

BLINK....



Every fossil mysteriously engraved in the chain of

century old rocks; may or may not reveal the explicit

portrait of its possessor,

And every thing on this Universe that was

overwhelmingly scribbled glass; could not be

irrefutably termed; only as a FOSSIL...



Every splurge relentlessly lavishing in glorious

ostentation; may or may not end in getting you all the

virtues of life that you desired,

And every thing on this Universe that was overtly

spendthrift; could not be irrefutably termed; only as

SPLURGE...



Every cross stringently inscribed on the walls; may or

may not succeed in delivering in its message of

restricting insidious activity,

And every thing on this Universe that was strictly

inclement; could not be irrefutably termed; only as a

CROSS...



Every holiday enchantingly basking in the glory of

opulent paradise; may or may not rejuvenate your

traumatically brutalized senses,

And every thing on this Universe that was even a

trifle free; could not be irrefutably termed; only as

a HOLIDAY...



Every headache pertinently pulsating in every cranny

of the mind; may or may not devastate you entirely to

collapse pathetically on cold ground,

And every thing on this Universe that was irritatingly

paining; could not be irrefutably termed; only as

HEADACHE...



Every stomach ravenously thundering in pangs of

uncontrollable hunger; may or may not consume the

unfathomably colossal mountain of food,

And every thing on this Universe that was provokingly

hungry; could not be irrefutably termed; only as a

STOMACH...



Every country unbelievably sprawling; may or may not

harbor the vivaciously salty sea shores,

And every thing on this Universe that was a prolific

gathering of individuals; could not be irrefutably

termed; only as a COUNTRY...



Every mushroom dingily leaping up from dilapidated

soil; may or may not savor a place in the menu cards

of each grandiloquently flourishing restaurant,

And every thing on this Universe that was button

shaped and fleshy; could not be irrefutably termed;

only as a MUSHROOM....



Every thought enigmatically wandering through realms

of the discovering mind; may or may not culminate into

a celestially blooming fantasy,

And every thing on this Universe that was intriguingly

baffling; could not be irrefutably termed; only as a

THOUGHT...



Every helmet adorned courageously on the head; may or

may not succeed in protecting the skull; as the

mountains crashed down viciously upon it,

And every thing on this Universe that was shielded the

scalp; could not be irrefutably termed; only as a

HELMET....





Every tear that emphatically descended down from the

eye; may or may not reflect an island of shivering

sadness,

And every thing on this Universe that was effusively

tangy; could not be irrefutably termed; only as a

TEAR...



Every rabbit philandering through the verdant meadows;

may or may not escape from the diabolical alligators

in the slushy marshes,

And every thing on this Universe that was inimitably

docile; could not be irrefutably termed; only as a

RABBIT....



Every minute that mechanically sped past the body of

the clock; may or may not portray the rapidly

unfurling essence of time,

And every thing on this Universe that was

spectacularly time; could not be irrefutably termed;

only as a MINUTE...



Every word compassionately embossed in the gigantic

dictionary; may or may not trigger chords of ever

augmenting empathy,

And every thing on this Universe that was scribbled by

a pen; could not be irrefutably termed; only as a

WORD....



Every boxer prancing perilously in the ring; may or

may not inflict a total knockout of his unsuspecting

opponent,

And every thing on this Universe that was puffed

glove; could not be irrefutably termed; only as a

BOXER...



Every folly committed unwittingly by a human; may or

may not lead to severely crippling disaster,

And every thing on this Universe that was

incongruously muddled; could not be irrefutably

termed; only as a FOLLY....



Every finger ejecting in marvelous unison from the

hands; may or may not be able to grip the

indispensable threads of existence,

And every thing on this Universe that was an

amalgamation of lanky bones; could not be irrefutably

termed; only as a FINGER....



Every team bonded in the spirit of unbelievable

harmony; may or may not kiss the crescendo of victory

as it unflinchingly progressed,

And every thing on this Universe that was united

together; could not be irrefutably termed; only as a

TEAM....



Every pencil extravagantly lead tipped; may or may not

sketch each intricately fabulous contour of the

scarlet landscape,

And every thing on this Universe that was with a tip;

could not be irrefutably termed; only as a PENCIL...





Every slang spoken in passionately Oriental fashion;

may or may not perpetuate thunderbolts of inevitable

attraction,

And every thing on this Universe that was supremely

stylish; could not be irrefutably termed; only as

SLANG...



Every night dissipating a spell of unmatched desire;

may or may not incinerate seductive currents down your

spine,

And every thing on this Universe that was

enthrallingly dark; could not be irrefutably termed;

only as NIGHT....



Every spectacle embedded with meticulously perfect

glass; may or may not bestow upon you the crystalline

vision of your overpowering choice,

And every thing on this Universe that was

transparently scintillating; could not be irrefutably

termed; only as a SPECTACLE....



Every dragon cataclysmically trespassing through the

forest; may or may not succeed in charring the entire

wilderness; into bedraggled fragments of chowder,

And every thing on this Universe that was breathing

fire from its mouth; could not be irrefutably termed;

only as a DRAGON....



Every mouth lavishly set amidst the captivating

contours of the face; may or may not utter the tunes

of ultimate reality,

And every thing on this Universe that was foolishly

chattering; could not be irrefutably termed; only as a

MOUTH...



Every Sun beam wonderfully sizzling upon mud; may or

may not fumigate its deathly decay; with the austere

ardor in its flaming demeanor,

And every thing on this Universe that was golden rays;

could not be irrefutably termed; only as a SUN...



Every noodle dangling pleasantly from the ceiling; may

or may not be able to incarcerate profuse aliens; in

its gregarious swishes,

And every thing on this Universe that was voluptuously

pudgy; could not be irrefutably termed; only as a

NOODLE...



Every festival religiously followed by countless on

the planet; may or may not bond all those murderously

sucking blood; in bonds of eternal love,

And every thing on this Universe that was holistically

ritualistic; could not be irrefutably termed; only as

a FESTIVAL...



Every cactus lingering pompously in the royally

shimmering deserts; may or may not penetrate its

hostile nettles into innocent beings caressing it,

And every thing on this Universe that was growing from

sand; could not be irrefutably termed; only as a

CACTUS....





Every key articulately molded into an intriguing

shape; may or may not pilfer through the code of the

dogged lock,

And every thing on this Universe that was intricately

slender; could not be irrefutably termed; only as a

LOCK...



Every paper when fanatically crushed by the fist; may

or may not transform its fragile caricature into a

flexible ball,

And every thing on this Universe that was printed by

your side; could not be irrefutably termed; only as

PAPER...



Every worm worthlessly slithering through murderous

darkness; may or may not radiate; emphatically

brilliant rays of light,

And every thing on this Universe that was diminutively

curvaceous; could not be irrefutably termed; only as a

WORM...



Every iceberg lecherously hood-winking under the

nocturnal blanket of stars; may or may not emerge

triumphant in decimating the colossal ship,

And every thing on this Universe that was immutably

solidified water; could not be irrefutably termed;

only as an ICEBERG...



Every firecracker raring to thunderously burst; may or

may not bedazzle every single arena of the cosmos with

flaming light,

And every thing on this Universe that was incoherently

rambunctious; could not be irrefutably termed; only as

a FIRECRACKER...



Every discotheque sleazily swarming with sanctimonious

youngsters; may or may not ignite the night with

cloudbursts of untamed desire,

And every thing on this Universe that was

bombastically cheap; could not be irrefutably termed;

only as a DISCOTHEQUE...



Every panther rebelliously sprinting under pearly rays

of Moon; may or may not capsize the incredulously

succulent prey of its choice,

And every thing on this Universe that was flamingly

bellicose; could not be irrefutably termed; only as a

PANTHER...



Every missile shooting violently through innocent

carpets of air; may or may not strike its desirous

range of fixed targets,

And every thing on this Universe that was ricocheting

like a lunatic boomerang; could not be irrefutably

termed; only as a MISSILE...



Every automobile speeding like a celestial angel

through the romantically panoramic landscapes; may or

may not catapult you to the realms above eternally

enchanting eternity,

And every thing on this Universe that was racing

beyond its limits; could not be irrefutably termed;

only as an AUTOMOBILE...



Every blind man trespassing across the discordantly

bustling street; may or may not transcend past it

without a single scratch,

And every thing on this Universe that was boundlessly

dark; could not be irrefutably termed; only as a BLIND

MAN...



Every butterfly fluttering gloriously in blistering

sunshine; may or may not hoist the gaudy caterpillars

of its inherent choice,

And every thing on this Universe that was serenely

flapping; could not be irrefutably termed; only as a

BUTTERFLY...



Every damsel young and seductively charming; may or

may not be able to entrap the perfect man of her

choice,

And every thing on this Universe that was pristinely

bubbling; could not be irrefutably termed; only as a

DAMSEL....



Every wall constructed of Herculean strength steel;

may or may not stagger like a pack of mosquitoes as

the uncouth disaster struck,

And every thing on this Universe that was compactly

solid; could not be irrefutably termed; only as a

WALL...



Every spice wavering appetizingly in the atmosphere

around; may or may not tingle the taste buds beyond

unprecedented capacity,

And every thing on this Universe that was deliciously

poignant; could not be irrefutably termed; only as

SPICE...



Every guarantee spoken intractably; may or may not

manifest itself into a perennially secure reality,

And every thing on this Universe that was an

everlasting promise; could not be irrefutably termed;

only as a PROMISE...



Every banana skin teasingly huddled on the floor; may

or may not engender you to dramatically slip,

And every thing on this Universe that made you trip;

could not be irrefutably termed; only as a BANANA...



Every talent unbelievably lingering in a timid visage;

may or may not flower into eclectically supernatural

success,

And every thing on this Universe that was inherently

gifted; could not be irrefutably termed; only as a

TALENT....



Every zip meticulously riveted to the garment; may or

may not snugly hold it in position on the flabby

waist,

And every thing on this Universe that was a precise

juggernaut of steely teeth; could not be irrefutably

termed; only as a ZIP....



Every bubble rising euphorically in limp air; may or

may not erupt into a fountain of ecstatic froth,

And every thing on this Universe that was perfectly

soapy; could not be irrefutably termed; only as a

BUBBLE...



Every boomerang carved melodiously out of roasted

wood; may or may not hurl back towards infinity; after

releasing its loop,

And every thing on this Universe speedily retreating

back; could not be irrefutably termed; only as a

BOOMERANG...



Every root deeply embedded in corridors of chocolate

brown soil; may or may not withstand the onslaught of

the mercilessly whipping storm,

And every thing on this Universe that was coated with

grizzly mud; could not be irrefutably termed; only as

a ROOT....





Every screw fantastically engineered to unprecedented

degrees of perfection; may or may not be able to hold

the tumbledown scaffolding,

And every thing on this Universe that was enveloped

with revolving threads; could not be irrefutably

termed; only as a SCREW....



Every crayon superbly blossoming into a myriad of

gorgeously garish color; may or may not be able to

sketch playfully upon the barren demeanor of

boundlessly barren canvas,

And every thing on this Universe that was invariably

wax like; could not be irrefutably termed; only as a

CRAYON....



Every teacher sagaciously imparting the indispensable

values of life; may or may not form a perpetual

rapport with his students,

And every thing on this Universe that was

distinguishably bespectacled; could not be irrefutably

termed; only as a TEACHER...



Every circus flooded with an incredulous township of

acrobatics; may or may not bring laughter to the faces

of those horrifically deprived,

And every thing on this Universe that was musically

entertaining; could not be irrefutably termed; only as

a CIRCUS...



Every prison savagely torturing the blood stained

criminal for his plethora of misdeeds; may or may not

be able to keep him for countless more of his

lifetimes,

And every thing on this Universe that was morbidly

dark; could not be irrefutably termed; only as a

PRISON...



Every traveler nomadically wandering since the time he

was born; may or may not be able to tread foot on each

cranny of this fathomlessly intriguing planet,

And every thing on this Universe that was walking

barefoot; could not be irrefutably termed; only as a

TRAVELER...



Every barber resting like a king in his gloriously

plush saloon; may or may not scrap the last bit of

dirt from his clients hair,

And every thing on this Universe that was

clip-clopping scissors; could not be irrefutably

termed; only as a BARBER...



Every government romping to power after the

manipulative elections; may or may not succeed in

wholesomely protecting the sacred solidarity of its

people,

And every thing on this Universe that was the nerve

center of power; could not be irrefutably termed; only

as GOVERNMENT....



Every scientist incessantly engulfed in chambers of

bubbling test tubes and space crafts; may or may not

discover the gene that could assassinate devil

forever,

And every thing on this Universe that was clad in

apron and gloves; could not be irrefutably termed;

only as a SCIENTIST...



Every train whistling royally through the wilderness

of the jungles; may or may not impart inexorable

exhilaration to its passengers seated despondently

inside,

And every thing on this Universe that was shrieking

and on rails; could not be irrefutably termed; only as

a TRAIN...



Every mask fabulously woven in different dimensions;

may or may not completely conceal the true identity of

its dastardly beholder,

And every thing on this Universe that was clandestine

cloistering; could not be irrefutably termed; only as

a MASK...



Every arrow chiseled more lethally sharp than the

knife; may or may not puncture its obsessively

focussed target,

And every thing on this Universe that was dedicatedly

mission oriented; could not be irrefutably termed;

only as an ARROW...



Every article laden with eloquently vibrant imagery;

may or may not reflect the supremely volatile spirit

of harmonious survival,

And every thing on this Universe that was a jugglery

of rhapsodic words; could not be irrefutably termed;

only as an ARTICLE..



Every maze severely entangled in complications and

enigmatic riddles; may or may not lead wholeheartedly

to a victorious outlet,

And every thing on this Universe that was profoundly

criss-crossed; could not be irrefutably termed; only

as a MAZE...



Every couple bonded in threads of holy matrimony; may

or may not immortalize the never dying spirit of love;

for decades immemorial,

And every thing on this Universe that was intimate

togetherness; could not be irrefutably termed; only as

a COUPLE...



Every pig disdainfully snoring in the aisles of

lackadaisical laziness; may or may not lavish gulping

down the pile of ragged rubbish,

And every thing on this Universe that was fetidly

dirty; could not be irrefutably termed; only as a

PIG...



Every crown zealously jeweled at all quarters; may or

may not fit the scalp of the timidly feverish prince,

And every thing on this Universe that was stupendously

majestic; could not be irrefutably termed; only as a

CROWN...



Every scar pruriently creeping up on innocent skin;

may or may not reveal the invidiously hostile disaster

that had devilishly engendered it,

And every thing on this Universe that was distortedly

ugly; could not be irrefutably termed; only as a

SCAR...



Every adage perennially existing since this earth was

created; may or may not change the tottering

complexion of every impoverished life,

And every thing on this Universe that was an impactful

philosophy; could not be irrefutably termed; only as a

PHILOSOPHY...



Every garage splendidly harboring a battalion of

trendy cars; may or may not incorporate stealthy

cobwebs in its Aztec interiors,

And every thing on this Universe that was collapsible

shutters; could not be irrefutably termed; only as a

GARAGE...



Every battery prolifically charged all throughout the

night; may or may not diffuse into light which killed

even the most tiniest iota of disgusting darkness,

And every thing on this Universe that was animatedly

charged up; could not be irrefutably termed; only as a

BATTERY....



Every fork bifurcated into countless blades; may or

may not be able to hoist the crooked piece of

sturgeon; sizzling tantalizingly in the chicory plate,

And every thing on this Universe that was bent

needles; could not be irrefutably termed; only as a

FORK....





Every bull doggedly adorned in robes of satanic red;

may or may not succeed in uncouthly goring its

unsuspecting opponent,

And every thing on this Universe that was

intransigently stubborn; could not be irrefutably

termed; only as a BULL....



Every coin iridescently clattering in the insatiable

aura of its opulence; may or may not bring

astonishingly good luck to its cherished beholder,

And every thing on this Universe that was marvelously

glimmering; could not be irrefutably termed; only as a

COIN...



Every geyser mechanically controlled with an

unbelievable flurry of contemporary contraptions; may

or may not generate water warm enough to withstand the

chilling cold,

And every thing on this Universe that was

compassionately warm; could not be irrefutably termed;

only as a GEYSER...



Every drink glowing a fiery crimson; may or may not

inebriate its consumer beyond the realms of pragmatic

control,

And every thing on this Universe that was ardently

beautiful elixir; could not be irrefutably termed;

only as a DRINK....





Every cheek radiantly basking in robustly spell

binding health; may or may not blush to a profuse

crimson; when thoroughly embarrassed,

And every thing on this Universe that was emphatically

changing color; could not be irrefutably termed; only

as a CHEEK....



Every ear dangling in razor sharp precision from the

head; may or may not be able to catch the most

inconspicuously minuscule sound loitering around,

And every thing on this Universe that was somberly

flapping; could not be irrefutably termed; only as a

EAR...



Every hero galloping in incredible cynosure and

popularity; may or may not rap the chord of humanity

in impoverished hearts alike,

And every thing on this Universe that was

resplendently starry; could not be irrefutably termed;

only as a STAR...





Every string resiliently suspended in open space; may

or may not balance the weight of the monster trying

nonchalantly to tread on its slim periphery,

And every thing on this Universe that was wearily

extruding from lackadaisical rags of barbarically

ripped garment; could not be irrefutably termed; only

as a STRING..





Every organism evolved by Omnisciently Almighty lord;

may or may not become a harbinger of humanity in the

tenure of its life,

And every thing on this Universe that the eye

witnessed; could not be irrefutably termed; only as an

ORGANISM...



Every moustache sprouting into a splendidly masculine

bush; may or may not be able to captivate the heart of

the seductively wandering lady,

And every thing on this Universe that was a coalition

of hair; could not be irrefutably termed; only as a

MOUSTACHE...



Every personality having a distinctive aura of its

own; may or may not achieve the wings of heaven; after

it emancipated breath and died,

And every thing on this Universe that was

charismatically graceful; could not be irrefutably

termed; only as a PERSONALITY...



Every denim jaded stupendously to a stonewash finish;

may or may not appease the dynamically plodding youth,

And every thing on this Universe that was

substantially faded; could not be irrefutably termed;

only as DENIM....



Every scale astutely incorporating all nuances of

measurement; may or may not be able to measure the

absolute pinnacles of the sky,

And every thing on this Universe that was fervently

calibrated; could not be irrefutably termed; only as a

SCALE...



Every obsession fanatically inhabiting each ingredient

of the blood; may or may not thrive amidst the hostile

pack of wolves,

And every thing on this Universe that was insanely

lunatic; could not be irrefutably termed; only as an

OBSSESSION....



Every smell nostalgically hovering in free space; may

or may not incinerate adorably fond memories of

existence,

And every thing on this Universe that inadvertently

reached the nostrils; could not be irrefutably termed;

only as SMELL....



Every longing as ardent as the roar of a lion; may or

may not imprison the organism of its choice,

And every thing on this Universe that you immortally

dreamt of; could not be irrefutably termed; only as

LONGING...



Every treasury unimaginably glittering beyond infinite

infinity; may or may not be able to purchase the

happiness it so desired in life,

And every thing on this Universe that was

scintillatingly gorgeous luxury; could not be

irrefutably termed; only as a TREASURY....



Every ######### loitering aimlessly around the

lavatory seat; may or may not choose to frighten

innocent beings,

And every thing on this Universe that was pathetically

filthy; could not irrefutably be termed; only as a

#########...



Every aircraft possessing an Oligarchic pair of wings;

may or may not transport its passengers safely; in

face of torrentially death storms,

And every thing on this Universe that was frenziedly

flying; could not be irrefutably termed; only as an

AIRCRAFT...



Every athlete fervently dashing towards the finishing

line; may or may not wholeheartedly embrace the

finishing line,

And every thing on this Universe that was

unflinchingly running; could not be irrefutably

termed; only as an ATHLETE...



Every season Omnisciently descending upon harmonious

civilization; may or may not heal the wounds of

uncouthly tyrannizing destiny,

And every thing on this Universe that most

synergistically metamorphosed its complexion; could

not irrefutably be termed; only as SEASON...



Every prodigy catapulting to the summit of

unconquerable success; may or may not be a benevolent

human being,

And every thing on this Universe that was astoundingly

proliferating; could not be irrefutably termed; only

as a PRODIGY...



Every novel propelled with an armory of fascinating

tales; may or may not hold the attention of its reader

till the very last page,

And every thing on this Universe that was vibrantly

worded; could not be irrefutably termed; only as a

NOVEL....



Every angel that descended from the Omnipotent

heavens; may or may not grant you; your unrelenting

repertoire of boundless wishes,

And every thing on this Universe with silken grace and

charm; could not be irrefutably termed; only as an

ANGEL...



Every heart that throbbed an infinite times in

passionate chests all across the planet; may or may

not find the most supreme love of its life,

And every thing on this Universe that fervently beats;

could not be irrefutably termed; only as a HEART...



Every soul that wanders frantically across the

inexplicably mysterious realms of this gigantic

planet; may or may not find the peace which it

ardently desired,

And every thing on this Universe that is holistically

immortal; could not be irrefutably termed; only as a

SOUL...



Every corpse morbidly rotting towards extinction; may

or may not contain the impoverished caricature of

those dead,

And every thing on this Universe which impoverishedly

clatters; could not be irrefutably termed; only as a

CORPSE...



Every conscience which formed the nerve center of a

persons existence; may or may not be perpetually

righteous,

And every thing on this Universe that is honest and

the inner most; could not be irrefutably termed; only

as CONSCIENCE..



Every life that transgresses through sweltering

cocoons of shimmering sand; may or may not be

blissfully happy,

And every thing on this Universe that is blooming with

unprecedented joy; could not be irrefutably termed;

only as LIFE...
Banderes
2006-07-21 11:21:18 UTC
Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner



Thats a long one... any beaters?



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.





An ancient Mariner meeteth three Gallants bidden to a wedding-feast, and detaineth one.

It is an ancient Mariner,

And he stoppeth one of three.

`By thy long 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.



The Wedding-Guest is spell-bound by the eye of the old seafaring man, and constrained to hear his tale.

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 choose 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 lighthouse top.



The Mariner tells how the ship sailed southward with a good wind and fair weather, till it reached the Line.

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 Wedding-Guest heareth the bridal music ; but the Mariner continueth his tale.

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 choose but hear ;

And thus spake on that ancient man,

The bright-eyed Mariner.



The ship driven by a storm toward the south pole.

`And now the STORM-BLAST came, and he

Was tyrannous and strong :

He struck with his o'ertaking wings,

And chased us 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,

The 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.



The land of ice, and of fearful sounds where no living thing was to be seen.

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.

The ice was here, the ice was there,

The ice was all around :

It cracked and growled, and roared and howled,

Like noises in a swound !



Till a great sea-bird, called the Albatross, came through the snow-fog, and was received with great joy and hospitality.

At length did cross an Albatross,

Thorough the fog it came ;

As if it had been a Christian soul,

We hailed it in God's name.

It ate the food it ne'er had eat,

And round and round it flew.

The ice did split with a thunder-fit ;

The helmsman steered us through !



And lo ! the Albatross proveth a bird of good omen, and followeth the ship as it returned northward through fog and floating ice.

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 !

In mist or cloud, on mast or shroud,

It perched for vespers nine ;

Whiles all the night, through fog-smoke white,

Glimmered the white Moon-shine.'



The ancient Mariner inhospitably killeth the pious bird of good omen.

`God save thee, ancient Mariner !

From the fiends, that plague thee thus !--

Why look'st thou so ?'--With my cross-bow

I shot the ALBATROSS.

PART II

The Sun now rose upon the right :

Out of the sea came he,

Still hid in mist, and on the left

Went down into the sea.

And the good south wind still blew behind,

But no sweet bird did follow,

Nor any day for food or play

Came to the mariners' hollo !



His shipmates cry out against the ancient Mariner, for killing the bird of good luck.

And I had done an hellish thing,

And it would work 'em woe :

For all averred, I had killed the bird

That made the breeze to blow.

Ah wretch ! said they, the bird to slay,

That made the breeze to blow !

But when the fog cleared off, they justify the same, and thus make themselves accomplices in the crime.

Nor dim nor red, like God's own head,

The glorious Sun uprist :

Then all averred, I had killed the bird

That brought the fog and mist.

'Twas right, said they, such birds to slay,

That bring the fog and mist.

The fair breeze continues ; the ship enters the Pacific Ocean, and sails northward, even till it reaches the Line.

The fair breeze blew, the white foam flew,

The furrow followed free ;

We were the first that ever burst

Into that silent sea.

The ship hath been suddenly becalmed.

Down dropt the breeze, the sails dropt down,

'Twas sad as sad could be ;

And we did speak only to break

The silence of the sea !

All in a hot and copper sky,

The bloody Sun, at noon,

Right up above the mast did stand,

No bigger than the Moon.



Day after day, day after day,

We stuck, nor breath nor motion ;

As idle as a painted ship

Upon a painted ocean.



And the Albatross begins to be avenged.

Water, water, every where,

And all the boards did shrink ;

Water, water, every where,

Nor any drop to drink.

The very deep did rot : O Christ !

That ever this should be !

Yea, slimy things did crawl with legs

Upon the slimy sea.



About, about, in reel and rout

The death-fires danced at night ;

The water, like a witch's oils,

Burnt green, and blue and white.



A Spirit had followed them ; one of the invisible inhabitants of this planet, neither departed souls nor angels ; concerning whom the learned Jew, Josephus, and the Platonic Constantinopolitan, Michael Psellus, may be consulted. They are very numerous, and there is no climate or element without one or more.

And some in dreams assuréd were

Of the Spirit that plagued us so ;

Nine fathom deep he had followed us

From the land of mist and snow.

And every tongue, through utter drought,

Was withered at the root ;

We could not speak, no more than if

We had been choked with soot.



The shipmates, in their sore distress, would fain throw the whole guilt on the ancient Mariner : in sign whereof they hang the dead sea-bird round his neck.

Ah ! well a-day ! what evil looks

Had I from old and young !

Instead of the cross, the Albatross

About my neck was hung.

PART III

There passed a weary time. Each throat

Was parched, and glazed each eye.

A weary time ! a weary time !

How glazed each weary eye,

When looking westward, I beheld

A something in the sky.

The ancient Mariner beholdeth a sign in the element afar off.

At first it seemed a little speck,

And then it seemed a mist ;

It moved and moved, and took at last

A certain shape, I wist.

A speck, a mist, a shape, I wist !

And still it neared and neared :

As if it dodged a water-sprite,

It plunged and tacked and veered.



At its nearer approach, it seemeth him to be a ship ; and at a dear ransom he freeth his speech from the bonds of thirst.

With throats unslaked, with black lips baked,

We could nor laugh nor wail ;

Through utter drought all dumb we stood !

I bit my arm, I sucked the blood,

And cried, A sail ! a sail !

A flash of joy ;

With throats unslaked, with black lips baked,

Agape they heard me call :

Gramercy ! they for joy did grin,

And all at once their breath drew in,

As they were drinking all.

And horror follows. For can it be a ship that comes onward without wind or tide ?

See ! see ! (I cried) she tacks no more !

Hither to work us weal ;

Without a breeze, without a tide,

She steadies with upright keel !

The western wave was all a-flame.

The day was well nigh done !

Almost upon the western wave

Rested the broad bright Sun ;

When that strange shape drove suddenly

Betwixt us and the Sun.



It seemeth him but the skeleton of a ship.

And straight the Sun was flecked with bars,

(Heaven's Mother send us grace !)

As if through a dungeon-grate he peered

With broad and burning face.

And its ribs are seen as bars on the face of the setting Sun.

Alas ! (thought I, and my heart beat loud)

How fast she nears and nears !

Are those her sails that glance in the Sun,

Like restless gossameres ?

The Spectre-Woman and her Death-mate, and no other on board the skeleton ship.

And those her ribs through which the Sun

Did peer, as through a grate ?

And is that Woman all her crew ?

Is that a DEATH ? and are there two ?

Is DEATH that woman's mate ?

[first version of this stanza through the end of Part III]

Like vessel, like crew !



Her lips were red, her looks were free,

Her locks were yellow as gold :

Her skin was as white as leprosy,

The Night-mare LIFE-IN-DEATH was she,

Who thicks man's blood with cold.

Death and Life-in-Death have diced for the ship's crew, and she (the latter) winneth the ancient Mariner.

The naked hulk alongside came,

And the twain were casting dice ;

`The game is done ! I've won ! I've won !'

Quoth she, and whistles thrice.

No twilight within the courts of the Sun.

The Sun's rim dips ; the stars rush out :

At one stride comes the dark ;

With far-heard whisper, o'er the sea,

Off shot the spectre-bark.

At the rising of the Moon,

We listened and looked sideways up !

Fear at my heart, as at a cup,

My life-blood seemed to sip !

The stars were dim, and thick the night,

The steerman's face by his lamp gleamed white ;

From the sails the dew did drip--

Till clomb above the eastern bar

The hornéd Moon, with one bright star

Within the nether tip.

One after another,

One after one, by the star-dogged Moon,

Too quick for groan or sigh,

Each turned his face with a ghastly pang,

And cursed me with his eye.

His shipmates drop down dead.

Four times fifty living men,

(And I heard nor sigh nor groan)

With heavy thump, a lifeless lump,

They dropped down one by one.

But Life-in-Death begins her work on the ancient Mariner.

The souls did from their bodies fly,--

They fled to bliss or woe !

And every soul, it passed me by,

Like the whizz of my cross-bow !

PART IV

The Wedding-Guest feareth that a Spirit is talking to him ;

`I fear thee, ancient Mariner !

I fear thy skinny hand !

And thou art long, and lank, and brown,

As is the ribbed sea-sand.

(Coleridge's note on above stanza)

I fear thee and thy glittering eye,

And thy skinny hand, so brown.'--

Fear not, fear not, thou Wedding-Guest !

This body dropt not down.

But the ancient Mariner assureth him of his bodily life, and proceedeth to relate his horrible penance.

Alone, alone, all, all alone,

Alone on a wide wide sea !

And never a saint took pity on

My soul in agony.

He despiseth the creatures of the calm,

The many men, so beautiful !

And they all dead did lie :

And a thousand thousand slimy things

Lived on ; and so did I.

And envieth that they should live, and so many lie dead.

I looked upon the rotting sea,

And drew my eyes away ;

I looked upon the rotting deck,

And there the dead men lay.

I looked to heaven, and tried to pray ;

But or ever a prayer had gusht,

A wicked whisper came, and made

My heart as dry as dust.



I closed my lids, and kept them close,

And the balls like pulses beat ;

For the sky and the sea, and the sea and the sky

Lay like a load on my weary eye,

And the dead were at my feet.



But the curse liveth for him in the eye of the dead men.

The cold sweat melted from their limbs,

Nor rot nor reek did they :

The look with which they looked on me

Had never passed away.

An orphan's curse would drag to hell

A spirit from on high ;

But oh ! more horrible than that

Is the curse in a dead man's eye !

Seven days, seven nights, I saw that curse,

And yet I could not die.



In his loneliness and fixedness he yearneth towards the journeying Moon, and the stars that still sojourn, yet still move onward ; and every where the blue sky belongs to them, and is their appointed rest, and their native country and their own natural homes, which they enter unannounced, as lords that are certainly expected and yet there is a silent joy at their arrival.

The moving Moon went up the sky,

And no where did abide :

Softly she was going up,

And a star or two beside--

Her beams bemocked the sultry main,

Like April hoar-frost spread ;

But where the ship's huge shadow lay,

The charméd water burnt alway

A still and awful red.



By the light of the Moon he beholdeth God's creatures of the great calm.

Beyond the shadow of the ship,

I watched the water-snakes :

They moved in tracks of shining white,

And when they reared, the elfish light

Fell off in hoary flakes.

Within the shadow of the ship

I watched their rich attire :

Blue, glossy green, and velvet black,

They coiled and swam ; and every track

Was a flash of golden fire.



Their beauty and their happiness.

He blesseth them in his heart.



O happy living things ! no tongue

Their beauty might declare :

A spring of love gushed from my heart,

And I blessed them unaware :

Sure my kind saint took pity on me,

And I blessed them unaware.

The spell begins to break.

The self-same moment I could pray ;

And from my neck so free

The Albatross fell off, and sank

Like lead into the sea.

PART V

Oh sleep ! it is a gentle thing,

Beloved from pole to pole !

To Mary Queen the praise be given !

She sent the gentle sleep from Heaven,

That slid into my soul.

By grace of the holy Mother, the ancient Mariner is refreshed with rain.

The silly buckets on the deck,

That had so long remained,

I dreamt that they were filled with dew ;

And when I awoke, it rained.

My lips were wet, my throat was cold,

My garments all were dank ;

Sure I had drunken in my dreams,

And still my body drank.



I moved, and could not feel my limbs :

I was so light--almost

I thought that I had died in sleep,

And was a blesséd ghost.



He heareth sounds and seeth strange sights and commotions in the sky and the element.

And soon I heard a roaring wind :

It did not come anear ;

But with its sound it shook the sails,

That were so thin and sere.

The upper air burst into life !

And a hundred fire-flags sheen,

To and fro they were hurried about !

And to and fro, and in and out,

The wan stars danced between.



And the coming wind did roar more loud,

And the sails did sigh like sedge ;

And the rain poured down from one black cloud ;

The Moon was at its edge.



The thick black cloud was cleft, and still

The Moon was at its side :

Like waters shot from some high crag,

The lightning fell with never a jag,

A river steep and wide.



The bodies of the ship's crew are inspired, and the ship moves on ;

The loud wind never reached the ship,

Yet now the ship moved on !

Beneath the lightning and the Moon

The dead men gave a groan.

They groaned, they stirred, they all uprose,

Nor spake, nor moved their eyes ;

It had been strange, even in a dream,

To have seen those dead men rise.



The helmsman steered, the ship moved on ;

Yet never a breeze up-blew ;

The mariners all 'gan work the ropes,

Where they were wont to do ;

They raised their limbs like lifeless tools--

We were a ghastly crew.



The body of my brother's son

Stood by me, knee to knee :

The body and I pulled at one rope,

But he said nought to me.



But not by the souls of the men, nor by dæmons of earth or middle air, but by a blessed troop of angelic spirits, sent down by the invocation of the guardian saint.

`I fear thee, ancient Mariner !'

Be calm, thou Wedding-Guest !

'Twas not those souls that fled in pain,

Which to their corses came again,

But a troop of spirits blest :

For when it dawned--they dropped their arms,

And clustered round the mast ;

Sweet sounds rose slowly through their mouths,

And from their bodies passed.



Around, around, flew each sweet sound,

Then darted to the Sun ;

Slowly the sounds came back again,

Now mixed, now one by one.



Sometimes a-dropping from the sky

I heard the sky-lark sing ;

Sometimes all little birds that are,

How they seemed to fill the sea and air

With their sweet jargoning !



And now 'twas like all instruments,

Now like a lonely flute ;

And now it is an angel's song,

That makes the heavens be mute.



It ceased ; yet still the sails made on

A pleasant noise till noon,

A noise like of a hidden brook

In the leafy month of June,

That to the sleeping woods all night

Singeth a quiet tune.



[Additional stanzas, dropped after the first edition.]

Till noon we quietly sailed on,

Yet never a breeze did breathe :

Slowly and smoothly went the ship,

Moved onward from beneath.

The lonesome Spirit from the south-pole carries on the ship as far as the Line, in obedience to the angelic troop, but still requireth vengeance.

Under the keel nine fathom deep,

From the land of mist and snow,

The spirit slid : and it was he

That made the ship to go.

The sails at noon left off their tune,

And the ship stood still also.

The Sun, right up above the mast,

Had fixed her to the ocean :

But in a minute she 'gan stir,

With a short uneasy motion--

Backwards and forwards half her length

With a short uneasy motion.



Then like a pawing horse let go,

She made a sudden bound :

It flung the blood into my head,

And I fell down in a swound.



The Polar Spirit's fellow-dæmons, the invisible inhabitants of the element, take part in his wrong ; and two of them relate, one to the other, that penance long and heavy for the ancient Mariner hath been accorded to the Polar Spirit, who returneth southward.

How long in that same fit I lay,

I have not to declare ;

But ere my living life returned,

I heard and in my soul discerned

Two voices in the air.

`Is it he ?' quoth one, `Is this the man ?

By him who died on cross,

With his cruel bow he laid full low

The harmless Albatross.



The spirit who bideth by himself

In the land of mist and snow,

He loved the bird that loved the man

Who shot him with his bow.'



The other was a softer voice,

As soft as honey-dew :

Quoth he, `The man hath penance done,

And penance more will do.'



PART VI

FIRST VOICE

`But tell me, tell me ! speak again,

Thy soft response renewing--

What makes that ship drive on so fast ?

What is the ocean doing ?'



SECOND VOICE



`Still as a slave before his lord,

The ocean hath no blast ;

His great bright eye most silently

Up to the Moon is cast--



If he may know which way to go ;

For she guides him smooth or grim.

See, brother, see ! how graciously

She looketh down on him.'



The Mariner hath been cast into a trance ; for the angelic power causeth the vessel to drive northward faster than human life could endure.

FIRST VOICE

`But why drives on that ship so fast,

Without or wave or wind ?'



SECOND VOICE



`The air is cut away before,

And closes from behind.



Fly, brother, fly ! more high, more high !

Or we shall be belated :

For slow and slow that ship will go,

When the Mariner's trance is abated.'



The supernatural motion is retarded ; the Mariner awakes, and his penance begins anew.

I woke, and we were sailing on

As in a gentle weather :

'Twas night, calm night, the moon was high ;

The dead men stood together.

All stood together on the deck,

For a charnel-dungeon fitter :

All fixed on me their stony eyes,

That in the Moon did glitter.



The pang, the curse, with which they died,

Had never passed away :

I could not draw my eyes from theirs,

Nor turn them up to pray.



The curse is finally expiated.

And now this spell was snapt : once more

I viewed the ocean green,

And looked far forth, yet little saw

Of what had else been seen--

Like one, that on a lonesome road

Doth walk in fear and dread,

And having once turned round walks on,

And turns no more his head ;

Because he knows, a frightful fiend

Doth close behind him tread.



But soon there breathed a wind on me,

Nor sound nor motion made :

Its path was not upon the sea,

In ripple or in shade.



It raised my hair, it fanned my cheek

Like a meadow-gale of spring--

It mingled strangely with my fears,

Yet it felt like a welcoming.



Swiftly, swiftly flew the ship,

Yet she sailed softly too :

Sweetly, sweetly blew the breeze--

On me alone it blew.



And the ancient Mariner beholdeth his native country.

Oh ! dream of joy ! is this indeed

The light-house top I see ?

Is this the hill ? is this the kirk ?

Is this mine own countree ?

We drifted o'er the harbour-bar,

And I with sobs did pray--

O let me be awake, my God !

Or let me sleep alway.



The harbour-bay was clear as glass,

So smoothly it was strewn !

And on the bay the moonlight lay,

And the shadow of the Moon.



[Additional stanzas, dropped after the first edition.]

The rock shone bright, the kirk no less,

That stands above the rock :

The moonlight steeped in silentness

The steady weathercock.

The angelic spirits leave the dead bodies,

And the bay was white with silent light,

Till rising from the same,

Full many shapes, that shadows were,

In crimson colours came.

And appear in their own forms of light.

A little distance from the prow

Those crimson shadows were :

I turned my eyes upon the deck--

Oh, Christ ! what saw I there !

Each corse lay flat, lifeless and flat,

And, by the holy rood !

A man all light, a seraph-man,

On every corse there stood.



This seraph-band, each waved his hand :

It was a heavenly sight !

They stood as signals to the land,

Each one a lovely light ;



This seraph-band, each waved his hand,

No voice did they impart--

No voice ; but oh ! the silence sank

Like music on my heart.



But soon I heard the dash of oars,

I heard the Pilot's cheer ;

My head was turned perforce away

And I saw a boat appear.



[Additional stanza, dropped after the first edition.]

The Pilot and the Pilot's boy,

I heard them coming fast :

Dear Lord in Heaven ! it was a joy

The dead men could not blast.

I saw a third--I heard his voice :

It is the Hermit good !

He singeth loud his godly hymns

That he makes in the wood.

He'll shrieve my soul, he'll wash away

The Albatross's blood.



PART VII

The Hermit of the Wood,

This Hermit good lives in that wood

Which slopes down to the sea.

How loudly his sweet voice he rears !

He loves to talk with marineres

That come from a far countree.

He kneels at morn, and noon, and eve--

He hath a cushion plump :

It is the moss that wholly hides

The rotted old oak-stump.



The skiff-boat neared : I heard them talk,

`Why, this is strange, I trow !

Where are those lights so many and fair,

That signal made but now ?'



Approacheth the ship with wonder.

`Strange, by my faith !' the Hermit said--

`And they answered not our cheer !

The planks looked warped ! and see those sails,

How thin they are and sere !

I never saw aught like to them,

Unless perchance it were

Brown skeletons of leaves that lag

My forest-brook along ;

When the ivy-tod is heavy with snow,

And the owlet whoops to the wolf below,

That eats the she-wolf's young.'



`Dear Lord ! it hath a fiendish look--

(The Pilot made reply)

I am a-feared'--`Push on, push on !'

Said the Hermit cheerily.



The boat came closer to the ship,

But I nor spake nor stirred ;

The boat came close beneath the ship,

And straight a sound was heard.



The ship suddenly sinketh.

Under the water it rumbled on,

Still louder and more dread :

It reached the ship, it split the bay ;

The ship went down like lead.

The ancient Mariner is saved in the Pilot's boat.

Stunned by that loud and dreadful sound,

Which sky and ocean smote,

Like one that hath been seven days drowned

My body lay afloat ;

But swift as dreams, myself I found

Within the Pilot's boat.

Upon the whirl, where sank the ship,

The boat spun round and round ;

And all was still, save that the hill

Was telling of the sound.



I moved my lips--the Pilot shrieked

And fell down in a fit ;

The holy Hermit raised his eyes,

And prayed where he did sit.



I took the oars : the Pilot's boy,

Who now doth crazy go,

Laughed loud and long, and all the while

His eyes went to and fro.

`Ha ! ha !' quoth he, `full plain I see,

The Devil knows how to row.'



And now, all in my own countree,

I stood on the firm land !

The Hermit stepped forth from the boat,

And scarcely he could stand.



The ancient Mariner earnestly entreateth the Hermit to shrieve him ; and the penance of life falls on him.

`O shrieve me, shrieve me, holy man !'

The Hermit crossed his brow.

`Say quick,' quoth he, `I bid thee say--

What manner of man art thou ?'

Forthwith this frame of mine was wrenched

With a woful agony,

Which forced me to begin my tale ;

And then it left me free.



And ever and anon through out his future life an agony constraineth him to travel from land to land ;

Since then, at an uncertain hour,

That agony returns :

And till my ghastly tale is told,

This heart within me burns.

I pass, like night, from land to land ;

I have strange power of speech ;

That moment that his face I see,

I know the man that must hear me :

To him my tale I teach.



What loud uproar bursts from that door !

The wedding-guests are there :

But in the garden-bower the bride

And bride-maids singing are :

And hark the little vesper bell,

Which biddeth me to prayer !



O Wedding-Guest ! this soul hath been

Alone on a wide wide sea :

So lonely 'twas, that God himself

Scarce seeméd there to be.



O sweeter than the marriage-feast,

'Tis sweeter far to me,

To walk together to the kirk

With a goodly company !--



To walk together to the kirk,

And all together pray,

While each to his great Father bends,

Old men, and babes, and loving friends

And youths and maidens gay !



And to teach, by his own example, love and reverence to all things that God made and loveth.

Farewell, farewell ! but this I tell

To thee, thou Wedding-Guest !

He prayeth well, who loveth well

Both man and bird and beast.

He prayeth best, who loveth best

All things both great and small ;

For the dear God who loveth us,

He made and loveth all.



The Mariner, whose eye is bright,

Whose beard with age is hoar,

Is gone : and now the Wedding-Guest

Turned from the bridegroom's door.



He went like one that hath been stunned,

And is of sense forlorn :

A sadder and a wiser man,

He rose the morrow morn.


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