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Why the Mariner stops three young men bidden to a wedding feast makes a fascinating and morally rich tale told in rhyme. In the seaman's story, the very simple act of shooting an albatross brings terrifying bad luck--and until the Mariner understands the meaning of what he has done, there can be no repentance. Just like the wedding guest in the poem, who feels himself compelled to listen, readers will become spellbound by the rhythm, language, and complexity of Coleridge's timeless classic. Doré's marvelous drawings capture all the mysterious atmosphere of the poem's events and many locations, from the most elegant mansions to the wild open sea.