“The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” By Samuel Taylor Coleridge “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner”

Coleridge biography Born in 1772 Father died when he was 9 years old He retreated into books and his own imagination Spent a lot of time outdoors—contracted a painful case of rheumatism that plagued him for the rest of his life Took opium to prevent pain—became addicted

Coleridge biography Studied at Cambridge University Joined a movement to establish an ideal community in the United States because he was inspired by the democratic ideals of the French Revolution Gave radical speeches on this utopian community he and friends tried to establish in Pennsylvania

Coleridge biography Met William Wordsworth at the age of 25 and collaborated to write Lyrical Ballads Known as one of the greatest literary critics of his age—critiqued Shakespeare—despite his health problems and drug addiction Died in 1834

“The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” Published in 1797-1798 Literary ballad A songlike poem that tells a story; written in imitation of the folk ballad from the oral tradition of literature Ballad Elements: Quatrains of alternating 4 and 3 stressed syllables (ballad stanza) Rhyme scheme of abcb Iambic meter Repeated lines or phrases Use of slant rhymes Archaic spellings

Gothic Literature “Rime”is a Gothic poem. Gothic literature takes readers into the dark, nightmare world of the supernatural. It is set in spooky places such as dark, mysterious castles or underground passages, and it conveys a sense of horror. Gothic literature became popular in the late 1700’s, as part of the Romantic Movement. The Romantics distrusted the everyday world of reason. They believed in the power of imagination to reveal the truth about the world.

“Mariner” It also contains “songlike” elements: 1. Internal rhyme-rhyme within a line of poetry *Ex. “The guests are met; the feast is set.” 2. assonance- repetition of vowel sounds *Ex. “Tis sweeter far to me” 3. alliteration-repetition of consonant sounds *Ex. “And listens like a three-years child”

“Mariner” It also has many examples of figurative language: Metaphors Similes Personification Symbolism

Critics’ View of “Mariner” Traces sin and Christian redemption: Innocence Transgression and Sin Period of Suffering Act of Atonement Consequences Moral

Journal Using 2-3 sentences: Describe how a child who has broken something might behave. How do they speak? Eye contact? Move? Write a ½ page about a time in which you felt guilty about something. What happened? How did you behave at first? How did you overcome the feeling? Have you ever made that mistake again? If so, how did you feel the second time?