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Question
After you have read the poem, discuss the following questions in your groups:
i. Why did the Ancient Mariner stop the particular wedding guest to listen to his tale?
ii. Why did he have to tell his tale to someone?
iii. What is the poet trying to convey through this poem?
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Solution
(i) The ancient mariner was feeling himself burdened with the crime of killing the albatross. Other mariners also felt that the ancient mariner was responsible for their suffering. They hung the albatross around the ancient mariner’s neck as a reminder of his sin. Now in order to lighten his burden, he stopped the wedding guest to narrate to him his tale of woe.
(ii) The Ancient Mariner stopped a man on his way to a wedding function to narrate his experience at the sea. Though there was no particular reason for the Ancient Mariner to stop the wedding guest, yet there seemed a kind of moral suggestion to love all men and birds equally. He did not want others to meet the same fate as he had.
(iii) The Rime of the Ancient Mariner is a balled. Through this poem, Coleridge conveys a message to get close to God through prayer. The Ancient Mariner committed a sin that was rebuked by all. The Ancient Mariner relieved himself of his psychological burden by telling his tale to the wedding guest. The poet associates himself with Ancient Mariner to tell this allegorical poem in order to convey a powerful message to respect all the creatures of the world.
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RELATED QUESTIONS
What was the crime committed by the mariner?
Respect for all forms of life is an essential value. Unmindful destruction of nature and its creatures deserves just punishment. Write in 80−100 words this essential value as brought out in the poem, 'The Rime of the Ancient Mariner'.
1. What can you see in the picture? Does the man look happy? Give reasons for your answer.
2. Why does he have the bird hanging around his neck?
3. Have you heard of the expression-'having an albatross around your neck'? What do you
think it means? Does it mean:
a. something that you can always be proud of
b. something that you have to do because you have no choice
c. something that is with you all the time as a reminder that you have done something wrong?
4. What is an albatross?
Using the words given above rewrite PART I of the poem in your own words. The first stanza has been done as an example:
It is an ancient Mariner,
And he stoppeth one of three.
'By thy long grey beard and glittering eye,
Now wherefore stopp'st thou me?
An old sailor stopped one of the three people passing by, who asked: "Old man, with your long grey beard and glittering eye, why are you stopping me?"
Answer the following by choosing the right option from those given below:
The wedding guest remarked that he was 'next of kin' It meant that ……..
Answer the following by choosing the right option from given below:
The sailors felt depressed on reaching the land of mist and snow because……
Answer the following by choosing the right option from given below:
The two things that happened after the arrival of the albatross were ……
Answer the following by choosing the right option from given below:
'It perched for vespers nine' means………
Answer the following question briefly.
How did the ancient mariner stop the wedding guest?
Answer the following question briefly.
Describe the ancient mariner.
Answer the following question briefly.
What kind of weather did the sailors enjoy at the beginning of their journey? How has it been depicted in the poem?
Answer the following question briefly.
How did the sailors reach the land of mist and snow?
Answer the following question briefly.
How does the mariner express the fact that the ship was completely surrounded by icebergs?
Answer the following question briefly.
How do we know that the albatross was not afraid of the humans? Why did the sailors hail it in God's name?
Answer the following question briefly:
Describe the condition of the mariners as expressed in the thirteenth stanza.
