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Short Summary of the Poem: The Rime of the Ancient Mariner
An old sailor, called the Ancient Mariner, stops a wedding guest to tell him a story. The guest wants to go to the wedding, but he feels like he has to listen.
The mariner tells how he once sailed with his crew on a big ship. At first, the weather was good and sunny. Then a strong storm came and pushed the ship far into the icy land of mist and snow, where huge green icebergs were everywhere.
In this cold place, a beautiful bird called the Albatross appeared. The sailors were happy to see it, and they believed it was a sign of good luck. The bird followed their ship, and soon the ice broke, and the ship moved forward with a strong wind.
But suddenly, the Ancient Mariner shot the Albatross with his crossbow. This made everyone sad and angry. After that, bad luck began. The wind stopped, the sea was still, and the sun was very hot. The sailors had no water to drink, even though they were surrounded by sea water.
Strange things happened. The sea rotted, slimy creatures appeared, and the sky looked copper red. At night, the water shined in green, blue, and white, like witch’s oil. The sailors believed they were being punished because the mariner had killed the holy bird.
Finally, the sailors hung the dead Albatross around the Mariner’s neck to show that he was the one to blame.
This poem teaches us that we should respect nature and all living things. If we do something wrong, we may have to suffer for it, just like the mariner did.
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Detailed Summary of the Poem: The Rime of the Ancient Mariner
1. The Mariner Stops the Wedding Guest: An old sailor, called the Ancient Mariner, stops a man who is going to a wedding. The man is one of the three guests and says he is the bridegroom’s close relative. But when he looks into the Mariner’s shiny eyes, he cannot move. He sits on a stone and listens to the Mariner’s story like a small child.
2. The Ship Sails Smoothly at First: The Mariner begins his tale. He says the ship sailed out happily from the harbour. It passed the church (kirk), the hill, and the lighthouse. The sun rose on the left and set on the right, which means the ship was sailing southward.
3. A Terrible Storm and Icy Land: Soon, a strong and cruel storm hit the ship. It pushed the ship far into a cold land full of fog and snow. There were tall green icebergs all around. The ice made loud sounds like it was alive cracked, growled, roared, and howled. The sailors were scared because there were no signs of life—no animals or people—only ice everywhere.
4. Arrival of the Albatross: Suddenly, an Albatross (a large white sea bird) appeared from the fog. The sailors felt happy and hopeful. They thought the bird was a good sign and a messenger of God. They gave it food, and it followed the ship. After the bird came, the ice split, the wind blew, and the ship moved again.
5. The Mariner Does a Terrible Thing: The Mariner suddenly shot the Albatross with his crossbow. The other sailors were shocked and angry. They believed the bird had brought good luck by helping them escape the ice.
6. The Curse Begins: After the bird was killed, the wind stopped. The ship stood still in the middle of the hot ocean. The sun was bloody red, and the sky was like copper. The ship looked like a painted ship on a painted sea. There was water everywhere, but none to drink. The sailors were very thirsty and weak.
7. The Strange Sea and Supernatural Signs: The sea became dirty and slimy, and creepy creatures were seen crawling in it. At night, the water shone in strange colours like blue, green, and white fire. The sailors believed that a spirit from the icy land was now following them and punishing them.
8. The Albatross Around His Neck: The sailors were angry with the Mariner. They blamed him for their suffering. As a punishment, they hung the dead Albatross around his neck to remind him of his sin.
Message of the Poem: This poem shows that we must respect nature and all living beings. If we harm nature, we may face great punishment. It also teaches that our wrong actions can bring sorrow not just to us, but to others too.
Pointwise Summary of the Poem: The Rime of the Ancient Mariner
1. An old sailor (Ancient Mariner) stops a wedding guest to tell him a story from his past.
2. The Mariner’s ship once sailed happily but was soon caught in a terrible storm.
3. The ship was pushed into a land of mist and snow, where huge green icebergs surrounded them.
4. An Albatross (a large white bird) appeared and gave the sailors hope and joy.
5. After the bird came, the ice broke, and a strong wind helped the ship move again.
6. But the Mariner killed the Albatross with his crossbow, which shocked everyone.
7. After the bird’s death, the wind stopped, the sun was hot, and the ship became stuck.
8. The sailors had no water to drink, even though they were surrounded by sea.
9. The sea became strange and slimy, and the sailors felt a spirit was punishing them.
10. The sailors hung the dead Albatross around the Mariner’s neck to show he was guilty.