The ominous beginning of The Rime of the Ancient Mariner immediately sets a foreboding tone, foreshadowing the important and tragic events that the Mariner will recount. The poem opens with a sense of urgency as the Mariner forcefully detains the Wedding Guest, drawing attention to the gravity of the impending tale:
The Bridegroom's doors are open'd wide
And I am next of kin;
The Guests are met, the Feast is set, –
May'st hear the merry din.
The Wedding Guest says he needs to attend the wedding at which he is "next of kin," but the Mariner has other plans. Despite his polite (and reasonable) excuse, the Mariner sits him down and insists on telling his story. His urgency evokes the importance and gravity of his story, and his "glittering eye" suggests an unsettling intensity, hinting at the profound impact of the narrative he is about to share. The remainder of the poem is devoted to the tale of how the Mariner killed an albatross at sea, was punished along with his crew members, and finally achieved redemption. By framing this dynamic story with an ominous introduction of the Mariner's character, Coleridge creates suspense about the nature of his tale and draws both the reader and the Wedding Guest into the Mariner's story.
