By Samuel Taylor Coleridge

 The Rime of the Ancient Mariner is a ballad, meaning that it is a poem that tells a story and has a sing-song quality.  There are seven parts to the poem.  The poem is a frame story, just like Frankenstein.

 This poem is a frame story: we begin with the mariner walking along the beach in penance for a crime, and he begins telling his story to a guest at a wedding.  We have two stories, one in which the mariner talks with the wedding guest and one in which the mariner commits his crime while sailing with his ship crew.

The Albatross ~ The Rime of the Ancient Mariner gave us a metaphor that we still use today. People will often refer to a burden as their “albatross,” which comes from this poem. References in Frankenstein ~ Mary Shelly references this poem in Frankenstein. References to Paradise Lost ~ Coleridge references the epic poem in Mariner

Alliteration ~ The repetition of a sound. Imagery ~ Figurative language that paints a picture in your mind. Onomatopoeia ~ Sound words like “bam” Archaisms ~ Old forms of language

 Nature, Need to respect nature  Dark, moody tone  The supernatural