.
In the poem, the death of the albatross is an event that can be directly correlated to Coleridge's life, particularly in the death of his father. Samuel was born on October 21, 1772, and was the youngest among his ten siblings (Fry, 3). At age six, he began attending King's School, where his father happened to be the headmaster (Fry, 3). Coleridge's father, Reverend John Coleridge, died three years later (Fry, 3). After the death, an undereducated and inadequate gentleman replaced Samuel's father as headmaster (Fry, 3). As a result of this, Coleridge was forced to move to London to pursue his education at Christ's Hospital (Fry, 3). The death and resulting move was very damaging to Samuel, who was only nine at the time. .
The death of the albatross is quite similar from the standpoint that it was the event that gave rise to the Mariner's problems. The Mariner killed the bird in order to support the crew in their time of great hunger and thirst (Coleridge, 32). The death of the bird was at first followed by good luck. The fog and frost that had once consumed the seas around the Mariner and his crew is replaced by good weather (Coleridge, 34). This break in treacherous conditions is only temporary, though. Upon arriving in the Pacific, the wind 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 figures are playing dice for the lives of the crewmembers (Coleridge, 42). Death wins every life except for that of the Mariner (Coleridge, 42).