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Show ' "Ancient Mariner" Had ... Counterpait in t.'c Many ufih literary classic I.Irb the world accepts as Action are bused on solid fad. A striking example U brought out In Hit Culden Book, which tells how 1'olerldge came lo write III" Immortal "UIiiib of the Ancient Mariner.' The poem wus Inspired by llturge Shelvocke, a shipmaster who spent three years In a voyage around the world, from 1711) to 1722. Upturning to England, liu wrote an account of the trip, telling how the ship had been becalmed for ninny days neur Cape Horn. The one slgu of life was black albatross, which hovered over 'the vessel, until the second oflleer. Hatley, taking It for an 111 omen, shot It down. There followed six mlseruble weeks. In which the ship was In constant peril, before the coast of Chile was sighted. It was In I7!7 that Coletldire's friend, William Wordsworth, suggest ed to the poet that he make Slid Vocke's story I mo a poem. Words worth Incidentally suggested such of the eerie details us the navigation o'f the ship by dead men, and also fur nlshed sewml lines of the poem It self. |