The Rime of the Ancient Mariner
There are 201 men on the ship. How many die?
200
Who does the Mariner stop at the beginning of part 1?
A guest at the wedding
In the first five stanzas, what is it that the Ancient Mariner sees?
A sail
Who is the Christian soul that approaches the Mariner and the men on the ship?
Albatross (bird)
What determines whether the Ancient Mariner's shipmates praise or curse him for slaying the Albatross?
If the wind does not blow, they blame him but it is a good thing when the fog and mist lift.
The two passengers on the skeleton ship are DEATH and LIFE-IN-DEATH. What does LIFE-IN-DEATH declare that she has won?
The Mariner
What happens to the ship and to the Mariner as the boat nears them?
The ship began to sink and the Mariner falls onto the boat and begins rowing.
Describe the personification in stanza 11. Who was "tyrannous and strong"?
The storm was strong and wild. It is what was being personified.
Why has the Mariner stopped this person?
To tell him a story
After the curse is lifted, what welcome sight does the Ancient Mariner see?
a lighthouse
What is it that stops the progress of the ship as it travels southward?
a storm
How do the Mariner and the rest of the crew know this is an apparition of some sort?
because there is no wind and a ship is coming towards them
"Around, around flew each sweet sound, / The darted to the Sun" What is happening is this stanza? What is causing the sweet singing that fills the air?
birds
What are some physical attributes of the Mariner that are learned in the first 3 stanzas?
glittering eye, skinny hand and a grey beard.
The sailors' mouths and tongues are so dry, they are unable to speak. How does the Mariner wet his tongue, enabling him to be able to talk?
he bit his arm and sucked his blood.
What continuing penance must the Mariner pay for his crime?
he must tell the story over and over again and when he sees certain people he knows that he must tell it.
In this section, the Ancient Mariner is unable to pray. What happens that causes him to be able to pray?
he sees eels and blesses them
What three persons come to the ship in their own boat?
pilot, pilots son and a friar (hermit)
What happens when he begins to pray?
the bird falls off into the sea
The Mariner says: "Instead of a cross, The Albatross / About my neck was hung." Explain the allusion to "a cross." What is this referencing?
the bird is a symbol of their safety.
What tragedy befalls the "Christian soul" and how does it occur?
the bird is shot by a bow.
At the beginning of the fourth section, why does the Wedding Guest fear the Ancient Mariner?
the ghost talks to him-his body looks dead
Explain the irony in stanza 10: "Water, water every where / Nor any drop to drink."
they are in the middle of the ocean but you can't drink it.
What happens to the Mariners fellow sailors?
they drop dead
Describe how a troop of angels help the Mariner pilot the ship
they take over the dead bodies and they act normal
Why do the sailors hang the Albatross from the Mariner's neck?
to show that he caused these burdens
What happens to the ship to make it "as idle as a painted ship upon a painted ocean"
wind stops
