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Albatross

            
             The albatross is one of the most amazing creatures nature has brought into this world. There are about twenty different types of species and they have been rated to be one of the largest seabirds ever. Albatross's are known for their immense wingspans that range from five to twelve feet and it is unbelievable how petite their body structure is. Unfortunately where there is ignorance their is superstition. Sadly this large seabird with its incredible endurance of long flights had at some era symbolized a bad omen amongst sailors. Back in the early 1950's the albatross had an infamous reputation and despite superstition the killing of an albatross would bring permanent doom to the ship and its crew. Literature was filled with albatross superstitions and folklore. One fine example is the Rime of the Ancient Mariner written by Samuel Coleridge. Throughout this poem it emphasized that the death of the albatross was a terrible sin. The shooting of the albatross showed the Christian process of morality, divine judgment, redemption and divine forgiveness with nature for such atrocity. Like legends and myths such superstitions began out of ignorance and fairy tales. Nowadays these gorgeous birds have been studied closely by prestigious ornithologist that have updated us on the birds true aptitudes, qualities and wonders as there only a few left that wander our skies. .
             The taxonomy of albatross is very complex. Its common name is Albatross and its category is Birds. Its phylum and subphylum is Chordata and its class and subclass is Aves. Its order and suborder is Procellariiformes its family and subfamily is Diomediidae. Its genus and subgenus is Diomede its species is chlororhynchus and its scientific name is Diomedea Chlororhynchus.
             It is impossible for an albatross to survive in a place where there is little or no wind. Their habitats are located in the wind belt between the southern end of the austral continents and the Antarctic where high wind speeds are constant.


Essays Related to Albatross

1. Symbolism in The Rime of Ancient Mariner

... Samuel Taylor Coleridge, contains themes and ideas on sin, love, harmony and the "one life,"" that Coleridge suggests. The use of symbolism of the albatross and the act of killing it, displays man's harmful and clever actions. The intention to change the mindset of man is difficult because human beings are often ... moments of eternal choice and temptation occur that we observe throughout the poem. While at sea, the Mariner makes the eternal choice to kill the Albatross with his crossbow. This choice is everlasting because once the Mariner commits the act of murder, there is nothing tha...

  • Word Count: 1815
  • Approx Pages: 7
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: High School

2. The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Coleridge

... ; accosts one of three men on their way to a wedding, and recounts a tale of his voyage to him. In the tale, the mariner kills an albatross and, by this crime, is subject to a slew of punishments which come in the form of many supernatural phenomena. Upon witnessing such phenomena, the mariner comes away ... God incarnate. This image of a winged predator that chases the ship directs our attention to the notion of the sin not only being the killing of the albatross, but the entire purpose of the voyage itself. If the mariner felt as if he and his crew were being chased by God (or a sentien...

  • Word Count: 1986
  • Approx Pages: 8
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

3. Man and Nature in The Rime of The Ancient Mariner

... Whiles all the night, through fog-smoke white, Glimmered the white Moon-shine. (77-78) The fact that the Mariner interprets the crew's friendliness towards the Albatross as a strange state, brought about by their isolated circumstances, and remarks that they hailed it "as if it had been a Christian soul" reveals that he ... humans cannot control. We distinguish four nature elements "water, earth, fire and air" and they are all present in the poem. Right after the Albatross is killed the fair breeze changes into an unfriendly wind. All of a  sudden the sun is gone and the mist and fog ar...

  • Word Count: 1703
  • Approx Pages: 7
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: High School

4. The Mariner and Responsibility

... an explanation of the significance and concealed meaning of a character(s). The mariner intellectualizes and represses the reality that he was wrong in killing the Albatross. He cannot face the reality of his actions, nor accept the responsibility that comes along with them. Thus, through rationalization and avoidance, the ... in what he believes to be the truth. Initially, the mariner reveals intellectualization characteristics when his ship encounters a storm. He notices that the Albatross has been following the ship ever since the storm began and blames the bad weather on the bird. S...

  • Word Count: 1639
  • Approx Pages: 7

5. Rime of the Ancient Mariner

... is traveling in a southern direction when a storm hits. This forces them toward the south pole. Until a seabird, also know as the albatross comes to their rescue. The albatross stays with the ship following them northward through fog and floating ice. The rising action in this poem comes when the Mariner shoots the ... to get revenge. The breeze stopped and the men were left in rotten water that could not be drank. The thirsting crew angrily hung the dead albatross around the Mariner's neck, as a symbol of his guilt. Then the men notice a ship coming towards them, even though they thems...

  • Word Count: 526
  • Approx Pages: 2
  • Grade Level: High School

6. Moby Dick

... Delight. These warnings given by these ships eventually turn out to be fatal to Captain Ahab and the Pequod. First, the Albatross gave its warning to the Pequod in a silent manner. The Albatross was far away from home and looked as if it was in great need of repair. When Ahab says, "Ship ahoy ... of one of the ships did not go over to other ship to exchange conversation and other things. By observing these occurrences, it shows that the Albatross came across Moby Dick and almost didn't make it back safely, warning Captain Ahab that this could happen to his ship as well. Next, the ... In ...

  • Word Count: 754
  • Approx Pages: 3
  • Grade Level: High School

7. A Biographical Analysis Of "The Rime Of The Ancient Mariner

... ceases to blow and the ship stops (Coleridge, 34). A horrific drought ensues and ravishes the entire crew (Coleridge, 34). The deaths of the albatross and of Coleridge's father were events that led to unpleasant occurrences for both men. When the bird of great piety is killed, the Mariner is forced ... to undergo isolation from what he viewed as being familiar. In the poem, the mariner's slaying of the albatross brings about a terrible drought and eventually a ship, which contains the figures of Death and Life-In-Death (Coleridge, 38-42). The two ghostly ... is constantly traveling. In ...

  • Word Count: 1744
  • Approx Pages: 7
  • Grade Level: High School

8. Rime of the ancient Mariner

... his crossbow, killing the bird of good fortune, and coincidentally, the fog disperses. The crew of the ship is happy than, thinking that the albatross had brought the fog with it, but after a time, the wind left the ship as well. Without wind for the sails, the boat was ... dead in the water, and for bringing the ill luck on the crew, the Mariner was sentenced to wear the dead albatross around his neck. For weeks the boat sat, unmoving from wind or ocean currents, and the crew was dehydrated. "Water, water, everywhere,/ and not a drop to ... believe are just little waves catching the ...

  • Word Count: 597
  • Approx Pages: 2
  • Grade Level: High School

9. Romeo and Juliet

... ceases to blow and the ship stops (Coleridge, 34). A horrific drought ensues and ravishes the entire crew (Coleridge, 34). The deaths of the albatross and of Coleridge's father were events that led to unpleasant occurrences for both men. When the bird of great piety is killed, the Mariner is forced ... to undergo isolation from what he viewed as being familiar. In the poem, the mariner's slaying of the albatross brings about a terrible drought and eventually a ship, which contains the figures of Death and Life-In-Death (Coleridge, 38-42). The two ghostly ... is constantly traveling. In ...

  • Word Count: 1685
  • Approx Pages: 7
  • Grade Level: High School

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