Rime of the Ancient Mariner - Authorial Methods Flashcards
frame narrative
a story ‘outside’ a story, which forms a beginning and an end - often in order to make gothic or supernatural stories more believable
allegory
a story with a hidden meaning, most often a moral or political one
subjective account
an account based on personal feelings, experience and opinions
unreliable narrator
a story-teller whose credibility has been seriously compromised (e.g. because they are untrustworthy)
symbol: albatross
the albatross can be seen as a symbol of Christ, of nature, or the mariner’s forgiveness
symbol: eyes
the eyes can represent the power of storytelling, the judgement of others, or the willingness (or not) to see the truth
symbol: moon and sun
the sun and moon could represent nature, God and judgement, or the pagan gods of the natural pre-Christian world
trope
a recurring theme or idea in a text (like semantic field)
cyclical structure
a text whose ending refers to the beginning of the story
penance
a punishment inflicted on oneself to show repentance for wrong-doing
absolution
formal release from guilt and punishment, usually given by a priest
sublime
producing an overwhelming sense of awe and extreme emotion
feverish
displaying extreme excitement or energy
hyperbolic
deliberately exaggurated
primal
relating to an early stage in evolutionary development
