“…I shall kill no albatross…” (pg. 15)
An albatross is a common seafaring bird. This specie of bird is a frequent visitor of mariners as it skirts the ocean tide in search of food. Not only is the albatross a common sight, but it is the subject of maritime lore and superstition known from its reference in Samuel Taylor Coleridge's The Rime of the Ancient Mariner. In the tale, a crew of seamen is led off course only to be saved by the lucky guidance of an albatross. However, the bird is shot down by one of the mariners and in fear of their voyage being cursed, the crewmen force the mariner to wear the dead bird around his neck to signify his regret and burden. Shelley refers to this famed tale in order to foreshadow the burden that Frankenstein brings with him upon boarding the ship, the burden of his destructive creation.
"Albatrosses, Albatross Pictures, Albatross Facts - National Geographic." National Geographic. Web. 13 Aug. 2009. http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birds/albatross.html
"The Rime of the Ancient Mariner -." Wikipedia. Web. 13 Aug. 2009. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rime_of_the_Ancient_Mariner
Photo Credit: The Ancient Mariner and the Albatross. Digital image. Web. 13 Aug. 2009. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/88/Ancient_mariner_statue.jpg/180px-Ancient_mariner_statue.jpg
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