Question

Have you heard of the expression- 'having an albatross around your neck '? What do you think it means?


This question is from THE RIME OF THE ANCIENT MARINER.


Please answer......

Answer 1

It means an annoying burden

Answer 2

During a long sea voyage, the ancient mariner kills a friendly albatross that comes to his ship.Later bad luck and calamities strikes his ship. His companion sailors  are superstitious and believe that their bad luck occurred because the ancient mariner killed the albatross. As punishment they hang the dead body of the albatross on his neck. Symbolically it means we are punished by our own guilt feelings which hang like a dead weight on us.