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The Rime Of The Ancient Mariner > Quotes And Analysis > Flashcards

Quotes And Analysis Flashcards

1
Q

The Rime of the Ancient Mariner

A

Alternate spelling of rhyme - the ancientness of his status suggests the kind of eternal wisdom as if the Mariner has something to share with the readers.
Rime can also mean “frost”, an icy substance that can form sails and ships. Antarctica evokes this frosty image.

“The Ancient Mariner” - Mariner’s character can be identified with a number of archetypes: the wise man, the traitor, etc….
Great importance in the way he manages to balance the spiritual and temporal worlds.

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2
Q

“Glittering eye”

A

Heightens gothic quality
Although he is clearly human, the Ancient Mariner seems to have a touch of the otherworldly in him.

Lures the wedding guest in.

Glittering hope of redemption

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3
Q

“And listens like a three years’ child”

A

Mariner will corrupt his innocence

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4
Q

“He cannot choose but hear;”

A

Hypnotised by the Mariner

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5
Q

After line 20 the narrative

A

Shifts away from the omniscient narrator

When the narrative begins

Immediately launched into the story

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6
Q

“The sun came up on the left”

A

Takes the wedding guest and the reader abruptly into the natural world, using the changing position of the sun to show the planet’s orientation and vastness at once.

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7
Q

“Beat his breast”

A

Frustration that he is missing the festives

With the motif of the wedding, the “mundane” tries to assert itself over the sublimity of nature, but it fails to overpower the story.

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8
Q

Lines 29-32 back to normal world

A

The temporal world interjects itself into the storytelling haze.

The temporal world with its “petty” pleasures tempts the wedding guest. However, the Ancient Mariner cannot enjoy the temporal world because he is condemned to perpetually relive the story of his past.

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9
Q

“The storm-blast came, and he was tyrannous and strong”

“And ice, mast-high, came floating by”

A

The powerful storm and the dangerous beauty of the South Pole exhibit the essence of the Romantic ideal of the sublime. The storm overpowers the ship and forces it to the pole, where it meets potential peril from the ice.

Storm is a warning from god of his capabilities - self-sabotage as the anger of god is too quickly forgotten in the force of his grace.

Terrifyingly beautiful and majestic, tyrannous and strong - power of nature

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10
Q

“An Albatross”

A

Seen by sailors as a sign of good luck and as a bad omen. Sailors often thought the albatross carried the souls of dead sailors.

They would protect the ship or bring good winds but just as often they thought the bird to be a death omen.

Ethereal/ benevolent

The albatross functions more as a symbol than a character but its both

Functions as a Christ-like figure innocent of any wrong doing. - likely broke the ice what trapped the ship

Killing of the albatross can seen as a crime against god and an attempt to control nature.

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11
Q

“I shot the Albatross”

A

PIVOTAL MOMENT

So abrupt - no emotion, motiveless malignancy

Transgressive nature of the act

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12
Q

“The sun now rose upon the right”

A

Boat has turned around? Heading North?

Change of trajectory after pivotal moment of the killing of the albatross

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13
Q

“No sweet bird did follow”

A

Guilt

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14
Q

“And I had done a hellish thing”

A

Religious imagery - recognition of severity of the act

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15
Q

“Ah wretch”

A

Crew initially condemned the Mariner

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16
Q

“‘Twas right, said they, such birds to slay,”

A

Change their mind - he was right to kill the bird

Humanity is depicted as selfish and cruel

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17
Q

Line 107 onwards

A

Significant change in the fortunes of the crew

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18
Q

Lines 119-122

A

Being mocked by nature

Implies a torturous death

Ironic that he’s surrounded by water

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19
Q

“O Christ!”

A

Exclamations of horror

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20
Q

“Yea, slimy things did crawl with legs”

A

His initial response to nature is disguising - loathing/ contemptuous

He doesn’t appreciate the sublime revealing itself to him

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21
Q

Lines 127-130 spirits

A

Spirit plaguing them from beneath the sea
Humans are powerless and insignificant

22
Q

Nature from line 107

A

Nature became a punitive force as it tortured the men to ‘utter drought and total dehydration’.
The physical tortures were exacerbated by the psychological torment as their dreams were invaded by a mystical spirit nine fathoms below seeming to pursue and plague them. Image of the albatross hung around the Mariners neck at the end of part 2 becomes a significant symbol of his status as sinner and criminal.

23
Q

“Instead of the cross, the Albatross About my neck was hung.”

A

Cross Christ died on - crucifixion

Serving as an atonement of sin

Martyred figure

Burden of shame/ powerful punishment - a mark he’s carrying to identify him as a criminal figure

The crew ostracise him - social isolation/ loneliness - imprisoned within his own thoughts.

24
Q

“At first it seemed a little speck,”

A

Ghost ship approaching

Believe the ship might save them - death ship - no wind but this ship is moving supernatural

25
Q

“I bit my arm, I sucked the blood”

A

Sucked blood from his arm so he can speak

Pays a price in blood - reinforces Christian references all throughout the poem

Christ blood turns into wine during the sacrament of the eucharist via transubstantiation

26
Q

“Her lips were red, her looks were free”

A

Desire leads to death - form of mockery - heightens torment

Fem fatale figure

Siren like figures luring the men in - lust

27
Q

“Her skin was as white as leprosy”

A

She represents the curse of liminality - embodies life in death.

28
Q

“And the twain were casting dice;
The game is done! I’ve, I’ve won!”

A

Luck whether they get to live or die - game decides whether they are guilty or not guilty

Mariner lives forever, all 200 crew members die - injustice? Punishment exceeds the weight of the crime.

Mariner in purgatory place between heaven and hell - in limbo

29
Q

“They fled to bliss or woe!”

A

Heaven or hell

30
Q

“Alone, alone, all, all alone”

A

Painful lament

Repetition and assonance

31
Q

“My soul in agony.”

A

Emphasises the effect of the punishment - the essence of his being is in agony

Mariners paradoxical relationship between life and death - corrupted by what he’s experienced

32
Q

“The many men, so beautiful!”

A

Death appears beautiful

33
Q

“My heart as dry as dust”

A

Tries to pray but now he can’t - he chose life away from mortality and god

Denied access to retribution and comfort of confession

Spiritual and physical isolation felt

34
Q

257-262

A

Deviates from quatrain to sestet

35
Q

“Blue, glossy green, and velvet black

A

Transformation of attitude towards nature - punishment acted as a catalyst

Imagery is rich and opulent

Beauty - life affirming moment

36
Q

“And I blessed them unaware”

A

Selfless act after all his selfish acts

37
Q

“Sure my kind saint took pity on me”

A

Reconnected with god

Perhaps reaching a moment of absolution

Through punishment and confession we get mercy

38
Q

“Gentle sleep from heaven”

A

Ability to sleep suggests the souls at ease

39
Q

“And when I awoke, it rained.”

A

Holy water

Comes to satisfy his thirst

Baptism - new life/ reborn

Feels like redemption

40
Q

“I hear a roaring wind”

A

Nature has been a punitive force which has mocked him.

Provides a wind which fills the sail but doesn’t move the ship.

41
Q

Fortunes of the mariner change again after line

A

382

42
Q

410-430

A

Interlude upon the chronology of the narrative

Voices seem to come to the Mariner in dream

Reminds us of the supernatural and spiritual dimension

Voices offer no comfort - heighten feelings Mariner must suffer more punishment

43
Q

“I could not draw my eyes from theirs,
Nor turn them up to pray”

A

He’s powerless

Forcing him to confront what he doesn’t want to confront.

44
Q

“Like a meadow-gale of spring -
It mingled strangely with my fears,”

A

Constant fear that will never go away

Imagery lifted from the darkness of isolation and fear to one of relief and comfort.

45
Q

“It was a joy
The dead men could not blast”

A

Allowed to contemplate temporarily complete absolution

46
Q

“It is the Hermit good!”

A

Religious figure who would inhabit the woofs and forests outside of towns dedicating his life to prayer.

Image of purity - who the Mariner wants to be

He believes the Hermit can provide him with absolution

47
Q

“The Devil knows how to row.”

A

Believes the Mariner is a manifestation of the devil - accentuates the idea of the Mariners status

48
Q

”What manner of man art thou?”

A

He’s a physical manifestation of the punishment he’s endured

49
Q

“Which forced me to begin my tale;
And then it left me free”

A

Tale is the catalyst for the temporary relief of guilt

50
Q

“I know the man that must hear me:
To him my tale I teach”

A

He ascends to become a figure of wisdom and experience

Moral high ground

He recognises those who are morally deficient

51
Q

“The Mariner, whose eye is bright”

A

The Mariners relation to time - transgression

crime - redemption

52
Q

“A sadder and a wiser man,”

A

Innocence corrupted by aged figure

The Rime Of The Ancient Mariner (10 decks)

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