Day 1

The Rime of the Ancient Mariner Lesson Plan

Discussion of Thought Questions

  1. 1

    Why does the Mariner stop the Wedding Guest?

    He wants (or needs!) to tell his story. At this point in the narrative, the Mariner's motives aren't entirely clear, nor is it apparent where his story is going, so encourage your students to speculate. Why is he so insistent that the Wedding Guest hear his tale? Why this particular man, and why this particular story? These questions won't be answered by the text, but they should be kept in mind as the narrative unfolds.

  2. 2

    Why do you think Coleridge chose to write in such archaic language?

    The language of the poem echoes the ancient decrepitude of its narrator. Even for the year in which it was written (1797 -...

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