The Rime of the Ancient Mariner
Samuel Taylor Coleridge
1. What does the imagery in lines 21-24 describe?
2. We know ballads are about characters, so what have you learned about the Mariner through his
words, appearance, and actions so far?
3. Why are the sailors so happy to see the albatross?
4. Why do you think the Mariner shoots the albatross?
5. Why does the shipmates’ opinion of the Mariner change in lines 93-102?
6. Lines 119-122 are quoted quite often. Why?
7. Summarize Part II
8. What clues in lines 169-170 does Coleridge provide to suggest that this is a supernatural vessel?
What might the ship’s position in lines 175-176 foreshadow?
9. Who is the woman?
10. The word lifeblood is being used how? What is the effect?
11. Summarize Part III
12. Do the Wedding Guest’s suspicions that he is talking to a spirit seem reasonable? Why or why not?
13. Some critics see this poem as a tale of sin and Christian redemption. How might the Mariner’s
physical isolation reflect his spiritual condition?
14. What does the Mariner notice about the water snakes? Why might this be important?
15. Why does the albatross drop from his neck at this point?
16. In the second stanza in Part V the drought is broken. What is the metaphor?
17. What events occur on page 824?
18. What supernatural events occur in the first two stanzas on page 825?
19. What is moving the ship?
20. Summarize Part V
21. Who are the voices?
22. Find three literary devices on page 829. What are their effects?
23. In lines 485-500 what is happening?
24. Is the shift to the focus on the Hermit effective? Why or why not?
25. What is the climax on page 833?
26. Paraphrase lines 582-585.
27. What is the theme or moral of the poem?
28. Is the theme still relevant today?
29. Why is the wedding guest sadder but wiser after hearing the Mariner’s tale?
30. This ballad is famous for its use of figurative language and memorable sound devices. What do you
think are several especially effective examples of simile, metaphor, personification, alliteration,
assonance, and internal rhyme?