1. RIME OF THE ANCIENT MARINERBy
Samuel Taylor Coleridge

2. 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?

3. ANSWER The contrast makes the sailor seem even more out of place.
It also increases the tension of the poem.

4. Question #2
How do the two characters compare in lines 9-16?

5. ANSWER Mariner: Wedding Guest: much older and stronger of will
is easily swayed and conventional

6. Question #3
What does the imagery of lines describe?

7. ANSWER The ship’s departure.
The ship seems to “drop” below the structures because of the curvature of the earth’s surface.

8. Question #4
In what direction does the information in lines tell you the ship is traveling?

9. ANSWER
South;
The sun rises in the east, which is on the ship’s left side.

10. Question #5
What is the effect of the interruption and return to the wedding feast scene in lines 31-36?

11. ANSWER The interruption creates Suspense.
The joy of the celebration contrasts with the somber tone of the Mariner’s tale.

12. Question #6
Why do you think the basic stanza form changes in lines 45-50?

13. ANSWER
The extra lines prolong the suspense of the ship’s flight before the storm.

14. 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.

15. Question #7
Why do you think the Mariner shoots the Albatross?

16. 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.

17. Part 2
The ship has probably rounded Cape Horn, the southern part of South America and is likely headed north.

18. Question #8
Why does the shipmates opinion of the Mariner change in lines ?

19. 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.

20. Question #9
What mood is created in lines ?

21. The Mariner seems to hallucinate “slimy-things” and “death-fires”.
ANSWER
The mood of the poem turns even more
FANTASTICAL
The Mariner seems to hallucinate “slimy-things” and “death-fires”.

22. Question #10
What illusion of movement is created by the imagery in lines ?

23. ANSWER
The growing size of the spotted object indicates it is moving TOWARD the ship.

24. Question #11
What might the shape’s position in lines foreshadow?

25. 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.

26. Question #12
What do you think the woman’s words and actions in lines indicate will happen to the Mariner?

27. ANSWER
They suggest that the Mariner is spared death, but will endure “Life-in-Death”.

28. Parts 4-7
After a brief return to the Wedding Guest speaking, the Mariner returns to his tale.

29. Question #1
Do the Wedding Guest’s suspicions in lines seem reasonable?

30. ANSWER
After such a tale, the idea that the Mariner is a GHOST is not far-fetched.

31. Question #2
What is the effect of the alliteration and assonance in the repeated words in lines ?

32. ANSWER DESOLATION; Loneliness
Both of these ideas are underscored by the Mariner’s words.

33. Question #3
Why is the stare of the dead men in lines a curse on the Mariner?

34. ANSWER
He feels responsible for their deaths because he killed the albatross;
Also, he is the only one who did not die.

35. Question #4
How does the mood of the poem change with the rising of the moon in lines ?

36. ANSWER Moonrise=Calmness, Healing Quality
This contrasts with the “bloody sun”

37. Question #5
Lines
These lines mark a turning point in the narrative. What action does the Mariner take that begins his “rebirth”?

38. ANSWER He shows love toward the water snakes and blesses them
Shows an appreciation for all of God’s creatures…

39. Question #6
What is the effect of the simile in lines ?

40. ANSWER
Simile unites the image of the waterfall with the sight of lightning, producing an especially vivid picture of a violent storm.

41. 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

42. QUESTION #7
In line 345
The Wedding Guest interrupts the tale again. How does the Mariner console him?

43. ANSWER
By explaining that the bodies were animated by angelic spirits.

44. Question #8
To whom does the Mariner allude in line 399?

45. ANSWER
Reference is to Christ

46. Question #9
What do you think is meant by the second voice’s comment in lines ?

47. ANSWER
The Mariner will undergo further trials in the poem.

48. Question #10 Whose voices begin part 6?
Why is this change of speaker necessary?

49. ANSWER
The voices are not those of the two spirits that spoke in lines
They are describing the ship’s progress while the Mariner lies in his ‘swound’.

50. Question #11
How are the moon and ocean personified in lines ?

51. 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.

52. QUESTION #12
How does the Mariner’s interpretation of his journey make you feel about his experience?

53. ANSWER
It helps the readers understand the eerie feeling the Mariner describes;
The comparison adds to the suspense of the poem.

54. Question #13
What is the effect of the alliteration and assonance in lines ?

55. 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.

56. Question #14
How do the welcome sights in lines compare to the Mariner’s departure in lines 23-24?

57. ANSWER
The landmarks are mentioned in reverse order, because the ship is “climbing” instead of “dropping”.

58. Question #15
How is the possibly gruesome sight of corpses and angels in lines made into a positive, beautiful picture?

59. 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.

60. Question #16
What is the Mariner’s hope in lines ?

61. ANSWER
He hopes that the Hermit can, like a holy man, absolve him of the crime of shooting the albatross.

62. Question #17
What is the result in lines of the characters rushing to see what the reader already knows?

63. ANSWER The result is Dramatic Irony
The reader expects them to react in horror as soon as they arrive at the ship

64. Question #18
Describe the personalities of the Pilot and the Hermit based on their reactions to the Mariner in lines

65. 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

66. Question #19
What is the Mariner’s climatic discovery in line 581?

67. ANSWER
He realizes that telling the tale brings him some internal peace.

68. Question #20
Do the Mariner’s comments in lines explain why he has forced the Wedding Guest to hear his story?

69. 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.