ARAVALI INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

FARIDABAD
SUBJECT – ENGLISH
GRADE VIII
POEM – The Rime of the Ancient Mariner (Answers)

Summary
This poem is based on the theme of how rash actions can lead to terrible consequences. This
extract from the ballad by Samuel Taylor Coleridge narrates the story of the mariner and the
albatross who had befriended the other sailors of his ship. It ends with the shocking revelation of
the arbitrary killing of the bird by the mariner.

Comprehension
A. 1. The mariner was an old man, therefore the word ‘ancient’ has been used for him. He had
unusually hypnotic eyes and a long grey beard.

2. The wedding guest sat on a rock. The wedding guest was hurrying to the wedding feast.

3. The bride walked into the hall for the marriage ceremony after the bassoon was sounded.

4. Mast and prow have been mentioned here.

5. The phrase ‘beat his breast’ means to lament a great deal about something. The guest could
not be a part of the festivities of the wedding feast that is why he was upset.

6. Two examples of repetition are, ‘Below the kirk, below the hill,/Below the lighthouse top’ and
‘The
ice was here, the ice was there,/The ice was all around’. These repetitions serve to emphasise the
central idea of the lines. The first example suggests the gradual way in which the ship sailed
away from the harbour, while the second example suggested that the ship was completely
surrounded by ice at sea.

7. The albatross perched itself for nine evenings. The mariner shot it down with his crossbow.

B. 1. a. At first, the mariner held the guest with his skinny hand. When he was asked to let him
go,
he seemingly hypnotised the wedding guest with eyes into listening to his story.

b. The wedding guest was hypnotised by the eyes of the mariner and listened to his words as a
three year child would do.
c. The wedding guest had initially been curious about the mariner. Later, he had actually been
rude while trying to get rid of him.

d. The mariner was desperate to share his story with someone, therefore, he stopped the guest.

2. a. The old mariner is the speaker here. He is narrating his story to one of the guests attending a
wedding.

b. The voyage had generally been smooth till the storm hit the ship.

c. The ship steered itself away from the direction of the storm. Its masts bent under the force of
the gale, and its prow dipped into the rough seas. The ship was being compared to a man
running away from his enemy and yet being pursued hotly.

d. The ship found itself in a sea of mist and was surrounded by ice on all sides.

3. a. The albatross is being referred to as ‘it’. The albatross showed great trust in the crew of the

ship, perching itself on the mast and eating from the hands of sailors and playing with them.

b. The ice around the ship melted and the sailors experienced fair weather with a strong wind
propelling the ship forward.

c. The albatross was compared to a Christian soul that is a pure-hearted person. It ate the food
offered by the mariners and circled the ship, as if breaking the spell of bad luck.

d. The wedding guest was shocked at the expression on the face of the ancient mariner.
The mariner looked sorrowful and pained at the memory of his cruel deed.

Ponder
C. 1. Nature is given a persona of her own in this poem. She is relentless and powerful, beyond
the control of man. The lines that demonstrate this are:

a. ‘And now the storm blast came, and he

Was tyrannous and strong:/He struck with his
o’ertaking wings,/And chased us south along.’ and

b. ‘The ice was here, the ice was there,/The ice

was all around:/It cracked and growled, and roared
and howled,/Like noises in a swound!’

2. The mariner probably wanted to share his incredible tale of crime, punishment and retribution
with someone. Perhaps he thought by recounting the tales of his crime to others, he might be
freed of his guilt.

3. It was a mindless act of violence. The mariner himself did not know what possessed him to act
in that manner.