The Albatross - A Better Look!!

Non-metaphorically an albatross is a seabird, one of the largest flying birds. They are beautiful to watch and interesting to study. Metaphorically, the albatross was considered as a very good omen for a sailor. The first literary mention of the albatross was in "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" a beautiful poem by Samuel Taylor Coleridge.

In this poem, an albatross follows a ship. This was then considered as a very good omen by the sailors. However, one of the sailors shoots the albatross with a crossbow (this was considered as a very unlucky phenomenon). The ship then saw a lot of mishaps and dangers. As a punishment, the sailor had to wear the body of the albatross in his neck indefinitely (which would mean until death) So the poet used the albatross as a symbolism to show the burden of one's actions in this verse;

Ah! well a-day! what evil looks
Had I from old and young!
Instead of the cross, the Albatross
About my neck was hung.

This brought about a metaphorical meaning to albatross - the burden of one's own doing.

The word "albatross" is used in Letter II, Volume One of "Frankenstein" by Mary Shelley, in which Robert Walton says to his sister and states, "...but I shall kill no albatross...", referring to the poem by her close acquaintance, Coleridge. The novel was first published in 1818.

After the mention of the albatross in this poem, it has been used as a metaphor in many literature's before the Oxford dictionary included it metaphorically as well.