The Rime of the Ancient Mariner

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Summary 

The Rime of the Ancient Mariner relates the experiences of a sailor who has returned from a
long sea voyage. The mariner stops a man who is on the way to a wedding ceremony and
begins to narrate a story. The wedding-guest's reaction turns from bemusement to
impatience to fear to fascination as the mariner's story progresses, as can be seen in the
language style: Coleridge uses narrative techniques such as personification and repetition to
create a sense of danger, the supernatural, or serenity, depending on the mood in different
parts of the poem.
The mariner's tale begins with his ship departing on its journey. Despite initial good fortune,
the ship is driven south by a storm and eventually reaches Antarctic waters. An albatross
appears and leads them out of the ice jam where they are stuck, but even as the albatross is
praised by the ship's crew, the mariner shoots the bird.
The crew is angry with the mariner, believing the albatross brought the south wind that led
them out of the Antarctic. However, the sailors change their minds when the weather
becomes warmer and the mist disappears.
However, they made a grave mistake in supporting this crime, as it arouses the wrath of
spirits who then pursue the ship "from the land of mist and snow"; the south wind that had
initially led them from the land of ice now sends the ship into uncharted waters near the
equator, where it is becalmed.
The sailors change their minds again and blame the mariner for the torment of their thirst. In
anger, the crew forces the mariner to wear the dead albatross about his neck, perhaps to
illustrate the burden he must suffer from killing it, or perhaps as a sign of regret:
Eventually, the ship encounters a ghostly hulk. On board are Death (a skeleton) and the
‘Night-mare Life-in-Death’, a deathly-pale woman, who are playing dice for the souls of the
crew. With a roll of the dice, Death wins the lives of the crew members and Life-in-Death the
life of the mariner, a prize she considers more valuable. Her name is a clue to the mariner's
fate: he will endure a fate worse than death as punishment for his killing of the albatross.
One by one, all of the crew members die, but the mariner lives on, seeing for seven days and
nights the curse in the eyes of the crew's corpses, whose last expressions remain upon their
faces. Eventually, this stage of the mariner's curse is lifted after he appreciates the sea
creatures swimming in the water. Despite his cursing them as "slimy things" earlier in the
poem, he suddenly sees their true beauty and blesses them ("a spring of love gush'd from
my heart, and I bless'd them unaware"); suddenly, as he manages to pray, the albatross falls
from his neck and his guilt is partially expiated. The bodies of the crew, possessed by good
spirits, rise again and help steer the ship. In a trance, the mariner hears two spirits discussing
his voyage and penance, and learns that the ship is being powered preternaturally:
The rotten remains of the ship sink in a whirlpool, leaving only the mariner behind. A hermit
on the mainland had seen the approaching ship and had come to meet it with a pilot and his
boy, in a boat. When they pull him from the water, they think he is dead, but when he opens
his mouth, the pilot has a fit. The hermit prays, and the mariner picks up the oars to row. The
pilot's boy goes crazy and laughs, thinking the mariner is the devil, and cries, "The Devil
knows how to row". As penance for shooting the albatross, the mariner, driven by guilt, is
forced to wander the earth, telling his story over and over, and teaching a lesson to those he
meets.
After relaying the story, the mariner leaves, and the wedding guest returns home, and wakes
the next morning "a sadder and a wiser man".

Summary - Part I

An ancient Mariner stops one of three people on their way to a wedding celebration. The
Wedding Guest, tries to resist being stopped by the strange old man with the ‘long grey
beard and glittering eye’. He explains that he is on his way to enjoy the wedding merriment;
he is the closest living relative to the groom, and the festivities have already begun. Still, the
Ancient Mariner takes his hand and begins his story. The Wedding Guest has no choice but
to sit down on a rock to listen like a three year old child.
The Ancient Mariner explains that one clear and bright day, he set out sail on a ship full of
happy seamen. They sailed along smoothly until they reached the equator. Suddenly, the
sounds of the wedding interrupt the Ancient Mariner's story. The Wedding Guest beats his
chest impatiently as the blushing bride enters the reception hall and the sound of singers
and musicians is heard.
However, he is compelled to continue listening to the Ancient Mariner, who goes on with his
tale. As soon as the ship reached the equator, a terrible storm hit and forced the ship
southwards. The wind blew with such force that the ship pitched down in the surf as though
it were fleeing an enemy. Then the sailors reached a calm patch of sea that was "wondrous
cold, full of snow and glistening green icebergs as tall as the ship's mast. The sailors were the
only living things in this frightening, enclosed world where the ice made terrible groaning
sounds that echoed all around.
Finally, an Albatross emerged from the fog and the sailors revered it as a sign of good luck,
as though it were a ‘Christian soul’ sent by God to save them. No sooner than the sailors fed
the Albatross did the ice break apart, allowing the captain to steer out of the freezing world.
The wind picked up again, and continued for nine days. All the while, the Albatross followed
the ship, ate the food the sailors gave it, and played with them.
At this point, the Wedding Guest notices that the Ancient Mariner looks at once grave and
crazed. He asked him what was troubling him. The Ancient Mariner responds that he shot the
Albatross with his crossbow.

Comprehension Questions - Part I

a) Whom does the Ancient Mariner stop and why?
The Ancient Mariner stopped one of the three wedding guests.
The mariner is compelled to narrate his story and to admit the wrong he has
done and he needs someone to listen to him.

b) Why does the Ancient Mariner immediately start on the story?
The Ancient Mariner is guilty of having killed an innocent albatross. He wants
to assuage his guilt by confessing the crime to someone. It is also a part of his
penance.

c) Why does the Wedding Guest not wish to listen to the Mariner’s story?
The Wedding Guest is going to a wedding and is getting late. He is the
bridegroom’s kin ,the guests had gathered for the wedding and the festivities
were about to begin.

d) What effect did the mariner have on the Wedding-guest?
The Wedding Guest listens spellbound to the Mariner’s story. He is powerless to resist him. He could not move as the look in the eyes of the mariner caused
a hypnotic effect. The Ancient Mariner is able to’ hath his will’ by forcing the
wedding guest to hear his story.

e) What made the wedding guest restless?
The wedding guest is restless as he can hear the noise of the festivities .The
ancient mariner has held him captive and is forcing him to listen to his story.

f) What sights did the sailors see as they started on their journey?
The sailors were in a good mood, They set sail southwards .The sun rose from
the left.They passed by the church, the hill and the lighthouse.

g) What kind of weather did the sailors enjoy at the beginning of their journey?
The weather was pleasant and the sun was bright day after day during the
initial phase of the journey. The sun came as if appearing from inside of the
sea.

h) How did the sailors reach the land of mist and snow?
The fierce storm forced the ship to reach the land of mist and snow.

i) What is the storm described as? What is the ship personified as?
The storm is described as an enemy who is very powerful. The ship is
personified as a man running away from his enemy who is pursuing him.

j) Explain: ‘Still treads the shadow of his foe.’
This line means to walk in the shadow of your enemy and not getting away
from him. Here it refers to the ship being unable to get out of the storm.

k) Describe the land of mist and snow.
The land was covered by mist and snow and was extremely cold. Large pieces
of ice, as high as the mast, floated past the ship. The ice pieces shone and
looked like green emeralds everywhere.

l) Explain: ‘dismal sheen:
The shine of the icebergs, though they were as bright as emeralds, the spread
sadness in the hearts of the beholders because they had blocked the of
escape.

m) What did the sailors do when they saw the bird?
The sailors were happy to see the bird as they had seen no one except ice all
around.
They hailed it as a ‘Christian soul’.

n) How did the bird help the sailors?
They flew round and round the ship. Due to the bird’s wings, the ice cracked, making way for the ship to move ahead.

o) ‘It perched for vespers nine’ — Explain.
It became a regular visitor and would come exactly at nine o’clock when
service in the church started.

p) Why does the Wedding Guest interrupt the Mariner?
The Wedding Guest sees an expression of horror and anguish on the face of
the Mariner. He wanted to know why the Mariner had that look on his face.

q) What was the terrible deed done by the Mariner? Why do you think he did it?
The mariner shot the albatross with his crossbow. It is not clear why the
Mariner killed the albatross. It can be assumed that the Mariner was annoyed
with all the attention which the Albatross was getting.

Figures of Speech- Part I

Alliteration  - 'By thy long grey beard and glittering eye

Repetition    - Below the kirk, below the hill, Below the lighthouse top

Personification - The Sun came up upon the left,

Out of the sea came he!

And he shone bright, and on the right

Went down into the sea.

And now the storm-blast came, and he

Was tyrannous and strong:

He struck with his o'ertaking wings,

And chased us south along.

Simile  - The bride hath paced into the hall

Red as a rose is she
And ice, mast-high, came floating by,
As green as emerald.

Metaphor -   He struck with his o'ertaking wings,
And chased us south along.
(storm compared to a strong bird with large wings)

Oxymoron - And through the drifts the snowy clifts
Did send a dismal sheen:

Onomatopoeia -  The ice was all around:
It cracked and growled, and roared and howled,

Summary - Part II

The Mariner said that after he shot the Albatross, the ship began sailing northward, while the
south wind was blowing behind. The Sailors feel the absence of the bird, and they cry out
against the Mariner for his hellish deed. But when the sun rose, the Sailors felt the Mariner
was justified in killing the bird that brought mist and fog.
For a little while the ship sails with a good breeze and without mist, but suddenly, the wind
dies down and the sea becomes extremely calm. Below a ‘hot and copper sky’ and the Sun
overhead, the Mariner and the Sailors become stranded in the ocean without water.
Ironically, they are surrounded by water that they cannot drink.
During this period of dryness, completely stuck and increasingly thirsty, the Mariner cries out
to Christ in terror afraid of the slimy creatures crawling on the surface of the sea. These
strange creatures give way to the realization that an invisible Spirit, a supernatural being
responsible for influencing the natural world, has followed them from the Pole and is
plaguing the ship.
The sailors were so thirsty that they couldn’t speak. All the Sailors gave the Mariner evil
looks. They hang the body of the dead Albatross, in place of a cross, around the Mariner’s
neck.

Comprehension Questions- Part II

a) In which direction did the ship start moving?
The ship was moving northward. The sun was seen rising on the right.

b) How is the sun different from what it was when the sailors were sailing southwards?
At the time when sailors were sailing southwards, the sun shone brightly but
now the sun was hidden behind the mist.

c) Was the wind favourable for the ship?
The south wind that flew from behind was favourable because it took the ship
in the forward direction.

d) What hellish thing had the ancient mariner done? Why was it hellish?
The ancient mariner had killed the albatross. It was hellish because the bird has
been described as a Christian soul and thought to be a good omen and the
Mariner had killed it for no reason.

e) What was the reaction of the other sailors to the Mariner’s deed?
The other sailors condemned the Ancient Mariner for killing the bird that had
brought the breeze.

f) What did the ancient mariner feel about his act?
He was guilty and felt his cruel act would bring all of them misery because they
were cursed.

g) Did the sailors change their mind about the mariner’s deed? What does this tell
about their character?
First, the sailors accused the mariner, then they said he had done the right thing
because the bird was responsible for the fog and mist. They were fickle-minded.

h) How does the narrator create the impression of speed as the ship came into the
silent sea?
The mariner creates the impression of speed by describing the movement of the
ship which cut through the waves, leaving a track on the surface of the water
with the formation of the foam.

i) What happened when the ship came to the silent sea?
Everything stopped, the breeze dropped, sails sagged as though life had come
to a standstill. The mariners could not understand this sudden change. The only
sound the sailors could hear was the sound of their own voice.

j) How does the narrator describe the sun when the ship is in the silent sea? How is it
different from the sun in the land of mist and snow?
Earlier the sun has been described as being bright and glorious. When the ship
was in the silent sea near the equator, the sun was overhead at noon, right
above the mast. The sun’s heat was at its peak in the afternoon. It gave out so
much heat that the sky also became hot and copper in colour. In size, though it
was like the moon but the heat given out was excessive and unbearable.

k) How does the narrator convey the motionless state of the ship?
The mariners had been stuck for a long time in the middle of the sea because
of lack of breeze to help them move forward.

The repetition in the first line day after day - emphasises the lack of motion.
Further, the ship has been compared to a still picture of a painted ship standing
in a painted ocean.

l) How does the narrator describe the sea and the creatures?
The sea has been described as rotting, as the water had come to a standstill. All
living beings and the vegetation were decaying. There were slimy and repulsive
creatures crawling about. The water was like witch’s oils and shone in green,
blue and white. It appeared as if death fires were dancing around the ship.

m) Why were the sailors miserable?
The sailors are stuck in the middle of the sea with no water to drink and no
breeze to enable their ship to move forward. The excessive heat and lack of
water caused their tongues to dry up and they couldn’t speak. Just as the
chimney pipe gets choked with soot so also the throats were parched.

n) What were the sailors sure about?
The sailors were being troubled and tortured because there was no breeze to
help them move and there was no water to drink. They were sure that the spirit
of the slain albatross had followed them and was the cause of their misery.

o) What did the mariners hang around the speaker’s neck and why?
The mariners hung the dead body of the albatross around the neck of the
speaker. They did this to make him repent for his mistake. The dead body of the
albatross would be a constant reminder of his guilt.

Figures of Speech

Alliteration
• Furrow followed free
• It would work’ em woe
• Down dropped the breeze, the sails dropped down
• The fair breeze blew, the white foam flew

Repetition
Water, water, everywhere,
And all the boards did shrink;
Water, water, everywhere,
Nor any drop to drink.

Simile 
• As idle as a painted ship
• The water like a witch’s oils
(ingredients used by witches to make their broth)

Inversion
• Instead of the cross, the Albatross
About my neck was hung.
• The naked hulk alongside came

Personification
The Sun now rose upon the right:
Out of the sea came he,
Still hid in mist, and on the left
Went down into the sea.

PRACTICE QUESTIONS

Q1 Read the extracts and answer the questions that follow.

(a) And some in dreams assurèd were

Of the Spirit that plagued us so;

Nine fathom deep he had followed us

From the land of mist and snow.

i. Who was being followed and by whom?

The sailors were being followed by the spirit of the albatross.

ii. Why was the spirit following them?

The spirit was following them to avenge its death.

iii. Why did they feel they were being plagued?

They felt they were being plagued because the ancient mariner had killed the

albatross which had been a good omen. The spirit of the albatross had bought

them misery.

iv. Find the antonym of ‘shallow’

deep

(b) ‘It ate the food it ne’er had eat,

And round and round it flew.

The ice did split with a thunder-fit;

The helmsman steered us through!’

i. What did the albatross do with the sailors?

The albatross came to the sailors every day at a fixed time and played with them

and also accepted the food they offered it.

ii. Why had the albatross not eaten the food it was now given before?

The albatross was used to eating fish from the sea. It had never eaten the cooked

food that the mariners gave it.

iii. How did the bird help the sailors?

The sailors were stranded with their ship and were unable to move ahead because

of ice all around. The bird flew round and round and the ice split and the navigator could steer the ship away from the land of ice and snow.

iv. Give the synonym of ‘steered’

guided/ directed

(c) The Wedding-Guest he beat his breast,

Yet he cannot choose but hear;

And thus spake on that ancient man,

The bright-eyed Mariner

i. What was the ancient man telling the Wedding- Guest?

The ancient mariner was telling a story about his voyage.

ii. Why was Wedding-Guest beating his breast?

He had come to attend the wedding of his kin and the festivities had begun but he

was forced to listen to the ancient mariner.

iii. How had the ancient man compelled the Wedding-Guest to hear?

The ancient man had waylaid the wedding guest as he was about to go to the

wedding festivities of his kin by holding his hand and by his glittering eye.

iv. Give the synonym of ‘mariner’

Sailor/ seaman

(d) Nor dim nor red, like God's own head,

The glorious Sun uprist:

Then all averred, I had killed the bird

That brought the fog and mist.

'Twas right, said they, such birds to slay,

That bring the fog and mist.

i. Why has the sun been described as ‘glorious’?

The sun has been termed ‘glorious’ because it appeared after a long spell of foggy

and misty weather.

ii. What has the sun been compared to?

The sun’s light spreading everywhere is compared to a halo around God’s head.

iii. Who has been referred to as ‘they’? What did they feel about the killing of the bird?

The sailors on board the ship along with the ancient mariner are being referred to

as ‘they’.

The sailors felt that the ancient mariner had done right by slaying the bird

because it had bought the mist and fog.

iv. Give the antonym of ‘averred’

denied

Q2 Answer the following in about 30 to 40 words.

i. How did the other mariners feel about the killing of the albatross by Ancient Mariner?

What does this tell us about their character?

The other mariners changed their opinions as per the changing weather. When the

weather was favourable, they hailed the Ancient Mariner for killing the albatross.

But when the weather was not favourable, they cursed the Ancient Mariner. It

shows that they were fickle -minded. Human beings often interpret something as

per their convenience.

ii. How did the sailing conditions change after the ship had moved out of the land of mist

and snow? What or who did the mariners blame for this change?

Once the ship came out of the land of mist and snow, it had to withstand a

condition of complete lull. The wind was still and the ship could not move an inch.

The mariners blamed the killing of the albatross for this change.

iii. Why were the mariners relieved to see the albatross?

The mariners were relieved to see the albatross because they had seen only the

ice for many days and had not seen any living being. When the albatross came,

the ice split and a good wind sprang up behind, enabling them to finally leave the

polar region.

iv. How did the storm affect the ship?

The storm overpowered the ship and pushed it in the southward direction in the

land of mist and snow. Here, the storm is personified as a huge bird with large

wings. The wind created by its large wings pushed the ship southwards. The storm

is described as being tyrannical and strong.

v. What crime had the ancient mariner committed? What did he feel about the act?

The ancient mariner had killed the albatross for no reason It was ‘hellish’ thing to

do because the bird has been described as a Christian soul and a good omen. The

ancient mariner felt guilty and feels his cruel act would bring all of them misery,

they were cursed.

vi What was the condition of the sailors in the silent sea?

The sailors are stuck in the middle of the sea with no water to drink and no

breeze to enable their ship to move forward. The excessive heat and lack of water

caused their tongues to dry up and they couldn’t speak. Just as the chimney pipe

gets choked with soot so also the throats were parched.

vii. How does the narrator describe the sun when the ship is in the silent sea?

Earlier the sun has been described as being bright and glorious. When the ship

was in the silent sea near the equator, the sun was overhead at noon, right above

the mast. The sun’s heat was at its peak in the afternoon. It gave out so much heat

that the sky also became hot and copper in colour. In size, though it was like the

moon but the heat given out was excessive and unbearable.

Q3 Answer the following in about 100-120 words.

(a) Discuss the themes of crime and punishment in the poem.

The Mariner killed the albatross for no apparent reason. The other sailors were

initially outraged at the death of the bird of good omen. But once the fog

dissipates, instead of condemning the act, they say that it was the right thing to

do and hence become partners in crime. They are punished for this misdeed as the

winds die down and they are stranded on the ship with no water to drink and no

breeze. In this condition, the crew blamed the ancient mariner for their misery and

punished him by putting the dead Albatross around his neck.

(b) How did the sailors reach the land of mist and snow? Describe the land and what

happens with the arrival of the albatross?

The fierce storm forced the ship into the land of mist and snow just as an enemy

chases its foe. The land was covered by mist and snow and the weather was

extremely cold. Large pieces of ice, as high as the mast, floated around the ship.

The ice pieces shone and looked like green emeralds. The surroundings spread

sadness in the hearts of the sailors because their escape was blocked. They saw no

other men or beasts around, only ice.

When an Albatross emerged from the fog, the sailors revered it as a sign of good

luck, as though it were a ‘Christian soul’ sent by God to save them. No sooner than

the sailors fed the Albatross did the ice break apart, allowing the captain to steer

out of the freezing world. The wind picked up again, and continued for nine days.

All the while, the Albatross followed the ship, ate the food the sailors gave it, and

played with them.

(c) How does the ancient mariner describe the journey of the ship till it reaches the land of

snow and mist?

The Ancient Mariner explains that one clear and bright day, he set out sail on a

ship full of happy seamen. They sailed along smoothly until they reached the

equator. As soon as the ship reached the equator, a terrible storm hit and forced

the ship southwards. The wind blew with such force that the ship pitched down in

the surf as though it were fleeing an enemy. Then the sailors reached a calm patch

of sea that was "wondrous cold, full of snow and glistening green icebergs as tall

as the ship's mast. The sailors were the only living things in this frightening,

enclosed world where the ice made terrible groaning sounds that echoed all

around.

(d) Describe the circumstances under which the albatross was hung around the ancient

mariner’s neck.

The ancient mariner had killed the albatross without any reason. The fellow

mariners were of the opinion that the albatross had bought them good luck. So

they held the ancient mariner guilty of the crime.Thereafter the weather

conditions improved. The fickle minded crew told the ancient mariner that he had

done the right thing by killing the bird that bought the fog and the mist.

Then, the wind came to a stop all of a sudden and everything was still. The ship

appeared to be a painted ship in the ocean.

The mariners were surrounded by water from all sides but they had no water to

drink. Things began to rot in the stagnant water. Slimy creatures were moving

about and death fire began to dance at night. The mariners thought they would

die of thirst and starvation. Some mariners dreamt that the spirit of the albatross

was causing all the problems. Hence, the mariners decided to punish the ancient

mariner by hanging the dead albatross around his neck.