Why did the Ancient Mariner shoot the albatross?

The Mariner kills the albatross because he associated the lack of wind with it. At first all the men thought the bird was good luck since a good wind blew and they moved swiftly. Then, the wind died and they blamed the bird. THe sailors cheered when the Mariner killed the bird which is symbolic of animal abuse. read more

The Rime of the Ancient Mariner', this was one of the poems in my English syllabus during High school and this is how my English teacher explained Coleridge's idea, that is, the shooting of Albatross by the Mariner. read more

The Mariner kills the albatross because he associated the lack of wind with it. At first all the men thought the bird was good luck since a good wind blew and they moved swiftly. Then, the wind died and they blamed the bird. read more

The ancient mariner finally kills the albatross because it is a sign of power, At first, its a sign of good luck because it is the one which helps them to have more wind to go on with their journey, but at the end, the mariner realizes that the albatross is the one that is putting all the problems they have to full fill their journey. read more