RIME OF THE ANCIENT MARINER
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Transcript RIME OF THE ANCIENT MARINER
RIME OF THE ANCIENT
MARINER
By
Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Parts 1-3: Question #1
What is the effect of the contrast
between the Mariner’s appearance and
the wedding feast that is described in
lines 7-8?
ANSWER
The contrast makes the sailor seem
even more out of place.
It also increases the tension of the
poem.
Question #2
How do the two characters compare in
lines 9-16?
ANSWER
Mariner:
much older and stronger of will
Wedding Guest:
is easily swayed and conventional
Question #3
What does the imagery of lines 22-24
describe?
ANSWER
The ship’s departure.
The ship seems to “drop” below the
structures because of the curvature of the
earth’s surface.
Question #4
In what direction does the information
in lines 25-28 tell you the ship is
traveling?
ANSWER
South;
The sun rises in the east, which is on the
ship’s left side.
Question #5
What is the effect of the interruption
and return to the wedding feast scene
in lines 31-36?
ANSWER
The interruption creates Suspense.
The joy of the celebration contrasts with
the somber tone of the Mariner’s tale.
Question #6
Why do you think the basic stanza form
changes in lines 45-50?
ANSWER
The extra lines prolong the suspense of
the ship’s flight before the storm.
Further Notation
At the time Coleridge wrote this poem, sailors
were still subjected to barely edible food,
exhausting labor, pitiful living conditions, and
countless dangers.
Among the dangers were disease and
shipwreck, but oterh dangers were support
for tales of the supernatural.
The threat of cannibalism, though
exaggerated, was real--if not from the natives
of exotic lands then from one’s shipmates if
the ship wrecked or ran out of food.
Coleridge had never been to sea when the
poem was written.
Question #7
Why do you think the Mariner shoots
the Albatross?
ANSWER
He is annoyed by the bird’s presence.
The “fiends” cause him to do it
OR…his lack of motive adds to the
mystery of the poem.
Part 2
The ship has probably rounded Cape
Horn, the southern part of South
America and is likely headed north.
Question #8
Why does the shipmates opinion of the
Mariner change in lines 93-102?
ANSWER
They see the bird’s death as the cause
of the calm, so they are mad the
Mariner has killed the bird.
During the fog, they are glad the
Mariner killed the albatross because
they think the bird caused the mist.
Question #9
What mood is created in lines 123-130?
ANSWER
The mood of the poem turns even more
FANTASTICAL
The Mariner seems to hallucinate “slimythings” and “death-fires”.
Question #10
What illusion of movement is created by
the imagery in lines 149-152?
ANSWER
The growing size of the spotted object
indicates it is moving TOWARD the ship.
Question #11
What might the shape’s position in lines
175-176 foreshadow?
ANSWER
The shape’s eclipse of the sun suggests
that it will bring the sailor’s “doom”
The eclipse could be a bad omen…
telling of the future of what may
happen to the crew.
Question #12
What do you think the woman’s words
and actions in lines 197-198 indicate
will happen to the Mariner?
ANSWER
They suggest that the Mariner is spared
death, but will endure “Life-in-Death”.
Parts 4-7
After a brief return to the Wedding
Guest speaking, the Mariner returns to
his tale.
Question #1
Do the Wedding Guest’s suspicions in
lines 224-231 seem reasonable?
ANSWER
After such a tale, the idea that the
Mariner is a GHOST is not far-fetched.
Question #2
What is the effect of the alliteration and
assonance in the repeated words in
lines 232-233?
ANSWER
DESOLATION; Loneliness
Both of these ideas are underscored by the
Mariner’s words.
Question #3
Why is the stare of the dead men in
lines 260-262 a curse on the Mariner?
ANSWER
He feels responsible for their deaths
because he killed the albatross;
Also, he is the only one who did not die.
Question #4
How does the mood of the poem
change with the rising of the moon in
lines 263-271?
ANSWER
Moonrise=Calmness, Healing Quality
This contrasts with the
“bloody sun”
Question #5
Lines 282-291
These lines mark a turning point in
the narrative. What action does the
Mariner take that begins his “rebirth”?
ANSWER
He shows love toward the water snakes
and blesses them
Shows an appreciation for all of
God’s creatures…
Question #6
What is the effect of the simile in lines
324-326?
ANSWER
Simile unites the image of the waterfall
with the sight of lightning, producing an
especially vivid picture of a violent
storm.
MORE NOTATION
Wordsworth claimed credit for the idea
of having a ship manned by dead
sailors
Tales of ships with dead crews were
common at this time among sailors
QUESTION #7
In line 345
The Wedding Guest interrupts the
tale again. How does the Mariner
console him?
ANSWER
By explaining that the bodies were
animated by angelic spirits.
Question #8
To whom does the Mariner allude in line
399?
ANSWER
Reference is to Christ
Question #9
What do you think is meant by the
second voice’s comment in lines 408409?
ANSWER
The Mariner will undergo further trials
in the poem.
Question #10
Whose voices begin part 6?
Why is this change of speaker
necessary?
ANSWER
The voices are not those of the two
spirits that spoke in lines 398-409.
They are describing the ship’s progress
while the Mariner lies in his ‘swound’.
Question #11
How are the moon and ocean
personified in lines 414-421?
ANSWER
The ocean looks to the moon for
guidance--perhaps a reference to the
relationship of moon and tide, as the
sea is personified as slave to the moon.
QUESTION #12
How does the Mariner’s interpretation of
his journey make you feel about his
experience?
ANSWER
It helps the readers understand the
eerie feeling the Mariner describes;
The comparison adds to the suspense
of the poem.
Question #13
What is the effect of the alliteration and
assonance in lines 460-463?
ANSWER
The devices suggest the swiftness and
gentleness of the ship’s passage;
The hissing of the s sounds may also
suggest the blowing of the wind.
Question #14
How do the welcome sights in lines
464-467 compare to the Mariner’s
departure in lines 23-24?
ANSWER
The landmarks are mentioned in
reverse order, because the ship is
“climbing” instead of “dropping”.
Question #15
How is the possibly gruesome sight of
corpses and angels in lines 490-495
made into a positive, beautiful picture?
ANSWER
The scene is described with repeated
references to light and with words such
as lovely and heavenly;
The gesture of the angels, too, is a
gentle wave.
Question #16
What is the Mariner’s hope in lines 512513?
ANSWER
He hopes that the Hermit can, like a
holy man, absolve him of the crime of
shooting the albatross.
Question #17
What is the result in lines 538-541 of
the characters rushing to see what the
reader already knows?
ANSWER
The result is Dramatic Irony
The reader expects them to react in
horror as soon as they arrive at the ship
Question #18
Describe the personalities of the Pilot
and the Hermit based on their reactions
to the Mariner in lines 560-569.
ANSWER
Pilot: faints, suggesting he is easily
frightened and perhaps superstitious.
Hermit: prays, showing strength of his
faith
Boy: crazy laughter and comment,
hint at his ironic wit
Question #19
What is the Mariner’s climatic discovery
in line 581?
ANSWER
He realizes that telling the tale brings
him some internal peace.
Question #20
Do the Mariner’s comments in lines 584585 explain why he has forced the
Wedding Guest to hear his story?
ANSWER
The Mariner’s “agony” has probably
returned, so to rid himself of his pain,
he has to tell his story, and by chance
he meets the Wedding Guest.