The Rime of the Ancient Mariner Question Answers | Class 10 Communicative English Chapter 10

by Meenu Saini | Jul 31, 2023 | General | 0 comments

CBSE Class 10 English Communicative- Interact in English Chapter 10 The Rime of the Ancient Mariner (Poem) Important Question Answers

Looking for The Rime of the Ancient Mariner question answers for Class 10 English Communicative- Interact in English Chapter 10 (Poem)? Look no further! Our comprehensive compilation of important questions will help you brush up on your subject knowledge. Practising Class 10 English Communicative question answers can significantly improve your performance in the exam. Our solutions provide a clear idea of how to write the answers effectively. Improve your chances of scoring high marks by exploring Poem: The Rime of the Ancient Mariner now. The questions listed below are based on the latest CBSE exam pattern, wherein we have given solutions to the chapter’s extract based questions, multiple choice questions, short answer questions, and long answer questions.

Also, practising with different kinds of questions can help students learn new ways to solve problems that they may not have seen before. This can ultimately lead to a deeper understanding of the subject matter and better performance on exams.

The Rime of the Ancient Mariner Question Answers – Book Questions, Extra Questions

Book Questions

Q1 Answer the following by choosing the right option from those given below:

1. The Ancient Mariner stopped one of the three wedding guests because…………
A he wanted to attend the wedding with him
B he wanted him to sit with him
C he wanted him to listen to his story
D he wanted to stop him from going to the wedding

Ans. C he wanted him to listen to his story

2. The wedding guest remarked that he was ‘next of kin’ It meant that ……..
A he was a close relation of the bridegroom
B he was a close relation of the bride
C he was next in line to get married
D he had to stand next to the bridegroom during the wedding

Ans. A he was a close relation of the bridegroom

3. ‘He cannot choose but hear’ means………
A ‘the mariner was forced to hear the story of the wedding guest.’
B ‘the wedding guest was forced to hear the story of the mariner.’
C ‘the mariner had the choice of not listening to the story of the wedding guest.’
D ‘the wedding guest had the choice of not listening to the story of the mariner.’

Ans. B ‘the wedding guest was forced to hear the story of the mariner.’

4. ‘The sun came up upon the left, /Out of the sea came he; This line tells us that the ship………………….
A was moving in the northern direction
B was moving eastwards
C was moving in the western direction
D was moving towards the south

Ans. D was moving towards the south

5. The Wedding-Guest beat his breast because…………
A he could hear the sound of the bassoon
B he was forced to listen to the Mariner’s tale when he wanted to attend the wedding
C the sound of the bassoon meant that the bride had arrived and the wedding ceremony was about to begin and he could not attend it.
D the sound of the bassoon announced the arrival of the bride and the start of the wedding ceremony

Ans. C the sound of the bassoon meant that the bride had arrived and the wedding ceremony was about to begin and he could not attend it.

6. The storm blast had been described as being tyrannous because……….
A it was so fierce that it frightened the sailors
B it took complete control of the ship
C the storm was very powerful
D the sailors were at its mercy

Ans. B it took complete control of the ship

7. The sailors felt depressed on reaching the land of mist and snow because……
A there was no sign of any living creature
B they felt they would die in that cold weather
C they were surrounded by icebergs and there seemed to be no sign of life
D everything was grey in colour and they felt very cold

Ans. C they were surrounded by icebergs and there seemed to be no sign of life

8. The sailors were happy to see the albatross because……..
A it was the first sign of life and therefore gave them hope that they might survive
B it split the icebergs around the ship and helped the ship move forward.
C it was a messenger from God and it lifted the fog and mist.
D it gave them hope of survival by splitting the icebergs.

Ans. C it was a messenger from God and it lifted the fog and mist.

9. The two things that happened after the arrival of the albatross were ……
A the icebergs split and the albatross became friendly with the sailors
B the icebergs split and a strong breeze started blowing
C the ship was pushed out of the land of mist and the ice melted.
D the albatross started playing with the mariners and ate the food they offered.

Ans. B the icebergs split and a strong breeze started blowing

10. ‘It perched for vespers nine’ means………
A the ship stopped sailing at nine o’clock every day
B the albatross would appear at a fixed time everyday.
C the albatross would sit on the sail or the mast everyday
D the albatross was a holy creature

Ans. B the albatross would appear at a fixed time everyday.

11. ‘God save thee, ancient Mariner, /From the fiends that plague thee thus!- Why look’st thou so?’ means……….
A the mariner wanted to know why the wedding guest was looking so tormented
B the wedding guest wanted to know why the mariner was looking so tormented
C the wedding guest wanted to know whether some creatures were troubling the ancient mariner
D the ancient mariner wanted to know whether something was troubling the wedding guest

Ans. B the wedding guest wanted to know why the mariner was looking so tormented

Q2 Answer the following questions briefly

1. How did the ancient mariner stop the wedding guest?
Ans. The ancient mariner holds the wedding guest with his skinny hand and shining eyes.

2. Was the wedding guest happy to be stopped? Give reasons for your answer.
Ans. No, he wasn’t content. He was the bridegroom’s next-of-kin. He wanted to attend the wedding.

3. Describe the ancient mariner.
Ans. The ancient mariner has a terrified appearance. He has a long, grey beard, dazzling eyes, and slender hands. He serves as the poem’s main character. He appears to be insane from the outside. When he is in the mood to recount his tales, he grips the wedding guest firmly by the hand.

4. How does the mariner describe the movement of the ship as it sails away from the land?
Ans The harbour gave the ship a hearty farewell, and the sailors cheerfully sailed by the church, the hill, and the lighthouse.

5. What kind of weather did the sailors enjoy at the beginning of their journey? How has it been depicted in the poem?
Ans. At the start of the voyage, the sailors were blessed with good weather. This is suggested indirectly beginning at line 22 and continuing to line 30. It has been joyfully conveyed, as it states in line 22. “Merrily did we drop,” it said. This demonstrates that they were content with the way the journey was going.

6. How did the sailors reach the land of mist and snow?
Ans. In calm conditions, the sailors set out from the harbour and sailed south for several days. Then the weather changed, and a storm drove them in that direction. They were encircled by ice that reached the height of their ship’s mast, as well as snow and sleet. Their ship was soon engulfed in ice.

7. How does the mariner express the fact that the ship was completely surrounded by icebergs?
Ans. The mariner uses phrases like “ice, mast high, came floating by,” “as green as emerald” (denoting that it was reflecting the colour of the sea), “and through tre drifts the drifts,” “the ice was all between,” and “the ice was here” to describe this from lines 53 to 62 in a very picturesque manner. It “cracked and growled, and roared and howled,” and the ice was there and all around.

8. How do we know that the albatross was not afraid of the humans? Why did the sailors hail it in God’s name?
Ans. The albatross once flew through the fog and boarded the ship. It came when sailors called it, and it ate food. As a result, it had no fear of people. Since it was the first live thing they had seen since they arrived at the ice-filled sea, the sailors hailed it in the name of God. There, the albatross appeared to be God’s emissary.

9. What was the terrible deed done by the Mariner? Why do you think he did it ?
Ans. The mariner used his crossbow to kill the albatross. He shot it for a cause that he himself does not understand.

Q3 There are a number of literary devices used in the poem. Some of them have been listed below. Choose the right ones and write them down in the table as shown in the example. In each of the cases, explain what they mean.

Ans-

Q4 Answer the following questions briefly

1. In which direction did the ship start moving? How can you say?
Ans. Now heading north was the mariner’s ship. The remark that the sun rose on the right (East) and set in the sea on the left (West) illustrates this.

2. Why does the mariner say that ‘no sweet bird did follow’?
Ans. The ancient mariner had killed the sweet albatross, so no “sweet bird” was pursuing them.

3. How did the other mariners behave towards the Ancient Mariner at first? How many times did they change their mind about the Ancient Mariner? What does this tell us about their character?
Ans. The mariner was initially harshly criticised by the men for killing the albatross because it “had made the breeze blow.” Later, after the mist evaporated and the sun was blazing. The mariner’s killing of the bird “that bring the fog and mist” is praised by the crew. The crew again hangs the albatross over the mariners’ neck near the end of the poem, when there is no breeze and the ship is still, suggesting that killing the albatross has brought them terrible luck. As a result, the crew has a second change of heart regarding the mariner killing the albatross. This demonstrates the crew’s shallow character and fickle mindset, as they only give praise to behaviours that they perceive to be beneficial to them.

4. 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?
Ans. The wind ceased to blow. The ship’s sails fell to the ground. It was as depressing as possible. The sailors blamed the mariner for killing the albatross. They thought that the holy bird had cursed them.

5. What is indicated by the line ‘The bloody sun, at noon,/Right up above the mast did stand,/No bigger than the moon’?
Ans. This sentence makes it quite evident that something sinister is about to occur. The heat has gotten out of control and could potentially endanger the lives of the sailors. The Sun was hot, huge and directly over head. The ship was at a complete halt and there was no breeze.

6. How does the mariner describe the fact that they were completely motionless in the middle of the sea?
Ans. The following lines indicate that they were completely motionless in the middle of the sea –
Day after day, day after day, We struck, nor breath, nor motion
As idle as a painted ship Upon a painted ocean.

7. What is the irony in the ninth stanza? Explain it in your own words.
Ans. There was water (seawater, which cannot be drunk) present everywhere. However, there was no water left for them to drink because their supply of fresh water had run out. The irony here is evident.

8. What is the narrator trying to convey through the description of the situation in the tenth and eleventh stanza?
Ans. The sailors witness a number of unsettling images, and the narrator is trying to imply that the ocean itself starts to decay. Probably due to dehydration, he feels the need to mention that. If they do not gain access to fresh water, the sailors will quickly pass away and experience hallucinations.

9. What or who did the mariners feel was responsible for their suffering?
Ans. The other sailors believe that the shooting of the albatross by the mariner had caused them to suffer. He had killed the innocent holy bird.

10. Describe the condition of the mariners as expressed in the thirteenth stanza.
Ans. The lack of water caused the Mariners’ tongues to wither. They felt as though soot was choking their throats and were unable to talk any further.

11. Why did the mariners hang the albatross around the neck of the Ancient Mariner?
Ans. They hung the dead albatross around his neck as a symbol of his guilt because they believed he was to blame for their issues.

Q5 What is the rhyme scheme of the poem?
Ans. The rhyme scheme is ‘abcb’ in four line stanzas whereas, in six line stanzas, there is a slight variation. It is either ab c b d b or a aa b c b.

Q6 Here are some of the archaic words used in the poem; can you match them with the words used in modern English language that mean the same? The first one has been done for you as an example:

Ans.

Q7 Using the words given above rewrite PART I of the poem in your own words. The first stanza has been done as an example:

It is an ancient Mariner,
And he stoppeth one of three.
‘By thy long grey beard and glittering eye,
Now wherefore stopp’st thou me?

Ans. An old sailor stopped one of the three people passing by, who asked: “Old man, with your long grey beard and glittering eye, why are you stopping me?”

The bridegroom’s doors are opened wide,
And I am next of kin ;
The guests are met, the feast is set:
May’st hear the merry din.’

Ans. The man chided the mariner if he could not hear the happy sounds as he was a close relative of the bridegroom and the doors of the marriage venue were opened. He firnher added that the guests had arrived and the dinner was arranged.

He holds him with his skinny hand,
“There was a ship,” quoth he.
‘Hold off! unhand me, grey-beard loon !’ 6
Eftsoons his hand dropt he.

Ans. But the old man held him with his skinny hands and said: There was a ship…. The man at once freed his hand from the old man’s grip and said, “stop you mad old man. leave me.”

He holds him with his glittering eye
The Wedding-Guest stood still,
And listens like a three years’ child:
The Mariner hath his will.

Ans. The mariner hypnotized the wedding guest with his glittering eyes and the guest could not move. He listened to the old mariner like a small child of three and the mariner had his will.

The Wedding-Guest sat on a stone:
He cannot choose but hear;
And thus spake on that ancient man,
The bright-eyed Mariner.

Ans. Not having any other option, the wedding guest, helplessly sat on a stone and so the ancient mariner spoke continuously.

“The ship was cheered, the harbour cleared,
Merrily did we drop
Below the kirk , below the hill,
Below the lighthouse top.

Ans. The old mariner continued telling his story. We started our journey by the sea cheerfully and the ship sailed below the church, below the hill and below the lighthouse top.

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.

Ans. The sun rose everyday from the left and set on the right after shining brightly for the whole day.

Higher and higher every day,
Till over the mast at noon
The Wedding-Guest here beat his breast,
For he heard the loud bassoon

Ans. “Everyday the sun rose higher until it was just above our head at noon,” the old man dreamily said. By now the guest was getting impatient on hearing the sound of the bassoon, a musical instrument.

The bride hath paced into the hall,
Red as a rose is she;
Nodding their heads before her goes
The merry minstrelsy

Ans. The bassoon itself signified the rosy bride had entered into the hall accompanied by a band of happy singers and musicians.

The Wedding-Guest he beat his breast,
Yet he cannot choose but hear;
And thus spake on that ancient man,
The bright-eyed Mariner.

Ans. The guest was too eager to go from there and was cursing himself as well as was getting irritated but he had no other option than to listen to that ancient man who spoke continuously.

“And now the storm-blast came, and he
Was tyrannous and strong:
He struck with his o’ertaking wings,
And chased us south along.

Ans. The old man continued: “We were chased towards south by a severe and strong sea-storm that completely overtook us.”

With sloping masts and dipping prow ,
As who pursued with yell and blow
Still treads the shadow of his foe,
And forward bends his head,
The ship drove fast, loud roared the blast,
And southward aye we fled.

Ans. The old mariner recalled his horrible experience: “The ship’s front part dipped in the sea and the masts dropped down. The storm drove the ship southward with such force that the ship seemed to chase an enemy fiercely with a bent head.

And now there came both mist and snow,
And it grew wondrous cold:
And ice, mast-high, came floating by,
As green as emerald.

Ans. The old man narrated his tale of woe unaware of the state of the mind of the wedding guest. “It grew icy cold with mist and snow everywhere. The ship was surrounded by big, bright green pieces of floating ice.

And through the drifts the snowy clifts
Did send a dismal sheen :
Nor shapes of men nor beasts we ken –
The ice was all between.

Ans. The ancient mariner said that the floating ice-bergs and their surface reflected the sunshine that made them gloomy. They could see neither man nor an animal as there was only ice surrounding the ship.

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!

Ans. The mariner recalled that they could see nothing but ice all around them. The storm howled loudly like a man in a fit and the ice also cracked making horrible noises.

At length did cross an Albatross,
Through the fog it came;
As it had been a Christian soul,
We hailed it in God’s name.

Ans. Amid the havoc, an albatross came emerging from the fog. The sailors thought it to be a messenger of God and called it on the ship.

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!

Ans. The albatross ate the food that it had never eaten. It became friendly with the sailors and flew in circles about the ship. Miraculously, the ice split making a thunderous noise and the helms man was able to steer the ship in the right direction.

‘God save thee, ancient Mariner,
From the fiends that plague thee thus!-
Why look’st thou so?’-“With my crossbow
I shot the Albatross.”

Ans. The wedding guest exclaimed that God had saved the mariner from the devils that troubled him and other sailors then why was he looking so wretched. The mariner repentandy answered that, it was he who shot the albatross with his cross bow.

Q8 Find examples of the use of interesting sounds (Onomatopoeia) from the poem and explain their effect on the reader.

Ans.

Q9 The poem is full of strange, uncanny or supernatural elements. Discuss how these elements appear in the poem. You should consider:
– the strange weather;
– the albatross as a bird of “good omen”
– the spirit from “the land of mist and snow”
– the strange slimy creatures seen in the sea
– the ocean appearing to rot
– the death fires and sea water being referred to as witch’s oil
Now write a paragraph about the supernatural elements in the poem and how they add to the events that take place in the poem.

Ans Supernatural el.ements make the poem interesting and there are surprises and surprises for the readers. The poet could have said this very incident in a simple manner. Use of these supernatural elements such as the albatross being a sign of good omen, ‘the ocean appearing to rot’, ‘the death fires dancing’ etc keeps the suspense and thrill alive, besides creating a lot of visual imagery.

Extract Based Questions

Extract-based questions are of the multiple-choice variety, and students must select the correct option for each question by carefully reading the passage.

A Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow:

“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.”

1. Why is the sun referred to as being glorious?
Ans. The Sun is referred to as being glorious because it had just appeared after a long period of time. The atmosphere had been hazy and misty before this.

2. Name a poetic device employed in the above lines.
Ans. Simile “Nor dim nor red, like God’s own head.”

3. These lines indicate a change in the sailor’s attitude. What is that change?
Ans. The sailors had earlier denounced the killing of the bird since it was believed to be a favourable omen and had led the ice to break and the breeze to now be blamed for bringing the fog and mist.

4. Explain: ‘Glorious sun’ and ‘like God’s own head”.
Ans. It is the blazing sun, which is illuminating everyone equally. The halo that surrounds the sun is like the halo that surrounds God’s head. After several days of fog, the sun was shining gloriously.

B Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow:

“The fair breeze blew, the white foam flew,
The furrow followed free;
We were the first that ever burst
Into that silent sea.”

1. In what way does the narrator convey the sense of speed?

Ans. The mariner accomplishes this by explaining how the ship moved through the waves, leaving a trail of foam formation on the water’s surface.

2. Name a poetic device employed in the above lines.

Ans. Alliteration has been used in the lines “The fair breeze blew, the white foam flew. The furrow followed free”.

3. What happened after this?

Ans. The mariners reached the silent sea.

4. Explain: ‘furrow followed free”.

Ans. The ship divides the water in half as it sails freely, leaving a furrow in its wake.

C Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow:

“Down dropped the breeze, the sails dropped down,
‘Twas sad as sad could be:
And we did speak only to break
The silence of the sea!”

1. Why did the sails drop down?

Ans. The sails dropped as there was no breeze.

2. What was the sole noise the sailors could hear?

Ans. The sound of their own voices was the only sound the sailors could hear.

3. What, in the sailors’ opinion, was the cause of this predicament?

Ans. The sailors attributed the predicament to the Ancient Mariner’s killing of the albatross.

4. What effect did it create?

Ans. As though life had come to a complete stop, everything stopped, the breeze diminished, and the sails sagged. They were unable to comprehend this abrupt change.

D Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow:

“Day after day, day after day,
We stuck, nor breath nor motion;
As idle as a painted ship
Upon a painted ocean.”

1. Who was stuck and where?

Ans. The Ancient Mariner and his companions were stuck in the middle of the sea.

2. What is the effect of the repetition in the first line?
OR
What is the significance of Pay after day, day after day?

Ans. The first line’s repetition highlights the absence of momentum. The sailors had been marooned in the middle of the sea for a very long period.

3. How does the narrator communicate the idea of being becalmed?

Ans. By drawing comparisons between the ship and a still image of a painted ship standing in a painted ocean, the concept of being becalmed, or the completely stationary state, has been conveyed.

4. Explain the phrase: “Painted ship upon a painted ocean”.

Ans. The ship was still, the sea was silent, and everything appeared to have been painted.

E Read the following extract and answer the questions that follow:

“Water, water, everywhere,
And all the boards did shrink:
Water, water, everywhere,
Nor any drop to drink.”.

1. Explain the phrase: “Water, water, everywhere, And all the boards did shrink. ”
Ans. The heat of the sun dried the boards and shrunk them.

2. What sufferings did the sailors undergo?
Ans. Overhead, the sun was beaming. It was quite hot. The sailors lacked access to water. The ship was caught in the middle of the ocean with no breeze.

3. What do you mean by shrink?
Ans. Shrink means to become smaller in size.

4. Why was there no drop to drink?
Ans. All the water was saline, not even a single drop of water was there fit for drinking. This was the irony.

Short Answer Questions

In this post we are also providing important short answer questions from Chapter 10 The Rime of the Ancient Mariner (Poem) for CBSE Class 10 exam in the coming session

Q1 “The sailors are fickle-minded.” Justify this statement with reference to the poem.
Ans. The sailors are confused because at first, they blamed the mariner. Then, they praised him. They thought that the killing of the albatross brought them great woe. When the sun rose they felt he had done the right thing. They did not judge the killing of albatross by any standard of reasoning but by the change in the weather.

Q2 What crime had the mariner committed and how did it prove hellish?
Ans. The innocent bird that had brought new hope and the blowing of the south breeze had been killed by the mariner. The Mariners’ ship was stranded in the midst of the scorching sea when the bird was killed. They went through a lot of physical and mental suffering because they had no water to drink and no sign of hope to cheer them up.

Q3 How did the sailors react to the killing of the albatross by the ancient mariner?
Ans As a kind of retribution for killing the albatross, the mariner was forced to carry the dead bird. The other sailors were upset with him because they believed the bird to be a gift from God and a sign for their good fortune.

Q4 What is the poet trying to convey through this poem?
Ans. Our emotional discomfort is brought on by our careless behaviour. We ought to be a little more courteous and thoughtful of others. If not, we will eventually be made to pay for our wrongdoings. The price we pay for our careless behaviour is the weight of our guilt. Asking for forgiveness by acknowledging our guilt can go a long way towards allowing us to fully redeem ourselves.

Q5 What did the Mariners hang around the speaker’s neck and why?
Ans. The albatross’ dead body was draped over the speaker’s neck by the Mariners. They did this to force him to atone for his error. The dead albatross would serve as a persistent reminder of his wrongdoing.

Q6 Who was held responsible for their misery? Was it correct to do so?
Ans. They blamed the Ancient Mariner and that he killed the albatross which led to their suffering. The sailors had a point when they held him accountable for their suffering.

Q7 How did the sailors react to the killing of the Albatross by the Ancient Mariner?
Ans. First, they blamed him. Then they praised him. They believed that the death of the albatross had caused them considerable suffering. They believed he made the right decision when the sun dawned. They used the weather change instead of any other standard of logic to evaluate the killing of the albatross.

Q8 How did the other Mariners behave towards the Ancient Mariner at first? How many times did they change their mind? What does this tell us about their character?
Ans. The Ancient Mariner was initially chastised and vilified by the other sailors for killing the albatross that had caused the breeze to blow. They commended him for killing the bird when the sun rose in the sky. They twice had second thoughts. This demonstrates their poor mentality and gullibility.

Q9 Why does the Ancient Mariner compel the wedding guest to listen to his story?
Ans. The fact that the Ancient Mariner had killed the albatross bird had caused him much distress. He felt prompted by his shame to tell the wedding guest about his experience since he thought that confessing his wrongdoing would result in its atonement.

Q10 The crew hangs the albatross around the sailor’s neck. What was the significance of this act?
Ans. When the crew became lost in the polar zone, the albatross started to pursue the ship. It was welcomed with tremendous jubilation and hospitality and was seen as auspicious. In a fit of rage, the Ancient Mariner shot the albatross with a crossbow. It was believed that doing so would curse the ship, which did experience awful misfortunes.

Q11 Why did the Ancient Mariner shoot the albatross?
Ans. The albatross was a sociable animal. Every day, it went to the ship to eat and play. He was murdered by the Mariner with his bow and arrow. It was a hasty action. The mariner might have been wary of the bird’s persistent presence. It wasn’t a planned action.

Q12 How did the Ancient Mariner move to hold back the wedding guest?
Ans. With his intense gaze, the Mariner hypnotised the wedding guest. The visitor, terrified by the Mariner’s peculiar demeanour, remained still throughout the story like a three-year-old who was not present for the wedding.

Q13 Which three elements of Romantic poetry are evident in S.T. Coleridge’s “The Rime of Ancient Mariner”?
Ans. The supernatural aspect, love of nature, and the literary form—using quatrains that rhyme together, varying the amount of lines in some stanzas, as well as the rhyme scheme—are the three components of romantic poetry which have been used in this poem.

Q14 Why was The Ancient Mariner made to carry the dead Albatross around his neck?
Ans. As retribution for killing the albatross, the mariner was forced to carry the dead bird. They believed the band was sent by God and brought them good omen, the other sailors were upset with him.

Q15 Why does the wedding guest beat his breast while listening to the Ancient Mariner’s story?
Ans. The wedding guest beat his breast because he could hear the music and the merry sounds at the wedding announcing the arrival of the bride. He was getting delayed by the story of the Mariner. He was held to the spot by the hypnotizing effect of the Mariner’s glittering eyes.

Long Answer Questions

Q1 Why does the crew hang the albatross around the Mariner’s neck?
Ans. The breeze that once carried the sails has stopped, and the vengeance for the albatross’ death has begun. No one could drink the water, and slimy monsters were sprouting from the decaying sea. As an expression of their guilt for their situation, the crew forces the albatross to hang around the Ancient Mariner’s neck. The crew thought they were being followed by the albatross’ ghost pursuing them and being the root of their current problems.

Q2 Examine the ideas of crime and punishment in the poem.
Ans. Without giving a good cause, the Mariner killed the albatross. This killing of the harmless bird infuriated the sailors. But once the fog cleared, they claimed that killing the bird responsible for the fog and mist was the right decision. They begin to applaud the act of murdering the bird and join forces in crime rather than denouncing it. As the winds calm down and they become stranded aboard the ship, without any water to drink and feel as though they are choking in soot, they feel that they are being punished by God for their transgression. With the albatross’s weight around his neck, the sailors punished the Ancient Mariner. The value that this incident provides is that harming an innocent creature has terrible repercussions.

Q3 Write the theme of ‘The Rime of the Ancient Mariner’. Answer in 150 words.
OR
What is the theme of the poem “The Rime of Ancient Mariner”?

Ans. The theme of “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” is, in reality, weaved throughout the entire narrative. It is also easily understood through the symbolic representation of the bird Albatross, other seafarers, and the Ancient Mariner. Sea becomes another symbol. The poem is based on the idea of sin and atonement. The old mariner’s remorse at killing the albatross, which he considers to be sin, haunts him in the shape of odd natural and paranormal occurrences. He changes his mind and regrets his conduct after one horrific incident.

The theme of The Rime of the Ancient Mariner is sin and natural forces’ retaliation. When the innocent Albatross is killed, the Ancient Mariner sins. His shipmates initially become furious with him for this callous deed. However, they defend the killing when they discover that the weather has improved since the albatross was killed. As a result, they join the Ancient Mariner in committing a crime. Natural forces exact revenge for this crime and calm the ship. There was no water to drink, and it was extremely hot. The sailors suffered a great deal.

Q4 What is the poet trying to convey through this poem?
OR
What happens when we do things without giving a thought?
OR
How do we pay for our thoughtless or reckless acts?

Ans. We are forced to bear the repercussions of our careless acts whenever we act or behave in a careless manner. Our own conscience is the one that holds us accountable. We struggle to find joy. Our daily lives become challenging. As the saying goes, “A continual Christmas is a clear conscience.” We only confess our sins once it is too late. You cannot reverse what has already been done. A heart burdened with guilt is denied the simple joys of happiness. He walks around with a lowered head when he knows he has sinned. Part of one’s penance is to share one’s guilt. Accepting responsibility for one’s actions equates to innocence.

A person who feels guilty wants to share their suffering and wanders around seeking a sympathetic ear. He may feel lighter after doing this. The anguish can be eased by acknowledging one’s error, pleading for pardon, and making a firm commitment never to repeat the wrong. The sinner is also redeemed by confession of sin.

Q5 Discuss the significance of the title of the poem “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner.”

Ans. Here, “rime” refers to a rhyme, poem, or song. Ancient denotes something that is old and unusual from a long time ago. The poem makes a few allusions to archaic ideas and customs. It is undeniably true that even his rhyme in is older than the mariner. One cannot infer the poem’s time period from a single reading. To make it seem old, Coleridge purposefully chose certain antiquated terms. The poem tells the tale of the mariner’s transgression, punishment, and atonement. The description is connected to the story of the ancient mariner’s tale, and the entire poem deals with the tale of the ancient manner and all the activities. Thus, the term is both appropriate and evocative.

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