The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1895-10-26
w. G. McRAE, Agt.

upon the spirits of his comrades The
whitening breath of despair, just as
erstwhile he had breathed upon them
the breath of hope. The crew repre-
sents that class OF men that are unable
to think for themselves; that are easily
led by any strong nature; that gain
painlessly the lessons which the Giant
has learned in agony, and yet that
are cruelty severe. if their leader
makes a mistake. The crew repre-
sents the men of pettiness and medi-
ocrity. They mock him who helped
them.
There passed weary time, each throat
Was parehed. and glazed each eye
A weary time. weary time!
How glazed each weary eye,
When looking westward fbeheld
a something in the sky.
bit my arm, I sucked the blood,
And cried sail, n sail
The western wave was all flame,
The day was well nigh done,
Almost upon the western wave,
Rested the broad bright sun.
When that strange shape drove suddenly,
Betwixt me and the SUM-"
1t is skeleton, ship whose black
masts are outlined against the GRIM
som orb. Her crew are Death and Life
in Death They are casting dice fer
The souls of the sailors. Life in Death
wins the Ancient Mariner, and Death
wins the crew.
-Four times fifty living men.
(And heard nor sigh nor groan)
With heavy thump, a lifeless lump,
They dropt down one by one,
The souls did from their bodies fly
har fo5f 70 lfcan mr. VINO
And every soul, it passed me by
Like the whizz of my cross bow"
The strong spirit that bravely battles
with the spectres Of the mind is not
crushed even by despair; but weak
natures, that have never exercised their
powers, are completely overcome by
such weight of gloom. The men of
the crew die but the Ancient Mariner
lives on. Through his influence he has
benighted those more feeble than him.
self He now suffers that remorsei
which ever isolates man from his
surroundings.
alone alone ALL all alone
Alone on a wide, wide sea,
And never a saint took pity on,
My soul in agony.
1 looked upon the rolling sea
And drew my eyes away,
looked upon the rotlfng deck,
And there the dead men lay,
/ looked to heaven and tried to pray,
But or ever prayer had gusht
A wicked whisper came and made
My heart as dry as dust"
The soul unrestful in itself finds all
nature loathsome. In this state it is
to pray.
The ship remains becalmed.
1.-The charmed wate- burnt Away,
A still and awful red.0
: Beyond the shadow Of the ship,
watched the water snakes.
They moved in tracks OF shining white,
And when they reared the elfish light
Fell off in hoary fakes.
Oh happy, living thingsl no tongue
Their beauty might declare.
A SPRING OF LOVE dUsHKD FROM MY
HEART,
AND BLESSED THEM UNAWARE.
The self-same moment, could pray,
And from my neck SO free,
The Albatross fell OFF and sunk.
Like lead into the sea-
The heart weary of the struggle |
rests unconsciously in sense of the |
great goodness of God. The poor
petty strife is ended through sheer ex-
"The tired eyelids close
upon the tired eyes and a trust full
ness which has in it much of humility,
comes into the soul. Instead of dis
cord. the world presents harmony.
A gentle love takes the place of ques-
tionings. Where there is charity,
there is christianity. The heart faith
ives hence in the poem, the dead
'aith of the intellect the Albatross
irops from the neck of the Ancient
oh Sleep 1t is gentle thing,
Beloved from pole to pole.
70 Mary Queen the praise be given,
,he brought the gentle sleep frcm heaven,
Which slid into my soul"
This is the first stanzan which
iirectly suggests the allegony. The
,entle sleep from heaven is the peace
granted by the Virgin Mary.
.Beneath the lighting and the moon
The dead men gave groan,
they groaned they stirred, they all uprose,
sor spake, nor moved their eyes,
had been strange, even In dream,
70 have seen these dead men rise
When the strong. influential spirit
ecovers its faith, those lesser souls
hat it has paralyzed. will. probably.
i've again. For few moments the
'eauty Of their past glory will come to
hem. However they are not Of the