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A classical poem by Samuel Taylor Coleridge with so many beautiful and memorable lines.

Being a ballad (i.e. it tells a story), it of course has beautiful characterization of all the subjects encompassed in it.

Here, I'll list the characters following with the lines that help us characterize and visualize them. Hope you like my work-

1- The Ancient Mariner

"By thy long grey beard and glittering eye,
How wherefore stopp'st thou me?"

"He holds him with his glittering eye-
The Wedding guest stood still"

"Instead of a cross, the Albatross
About my neck was hung."

The first two lines describe the physical and personality-wise traits of the old mariner. He was old, with wrinkled skin, watery eyes... etc. But, he did have a certain interestingness that didn't let the Wedding guest ignore him. He also, was pretty emotional as seen in the third line as after killing the good-luck bringing albatross, he couldn't free himself of the guilt.

*** *** *** ***

2- The Fellow sailors of the Ancient Mariner.

"God save thee, ancient Mariner!
From the fiend that plague thee thus!"

"'Twas right, said they, such birds to slay,
That bring the fog and mist."

"Ah! well a-day! what evil looks
Had I from old and young!"

The sailors were pretty superstitious as seen in the first line where they are scolding the Mariner for killing the "lucky" bird. The second line here, shows how gullible they were as they now started supporting the killing of albatross who they think brought the mist and fog.
Then again, in the third line, they turn their backs on the Mariner and blame it all on him after realising that they're gonna die. It goes on to show the crowd's fickleness.


*** *** *** ***

3- The Wedding Guest

"Hold off! unhand me, grey beard loon!'
Eftsoons his hand dropt he."

"And listens like a three years old child,
The Mariner hath his will."

The first line shows that the Wedding guest listening to the Mariner's story was in a real hurry as he flinched instantaneously as the Mariner grabbed him by the arm. The second line showed the guest's inability to resist offers- good or bad (a somewhat juvenile will power). Because, he was too easily hypnotised by the Sailor's "glittering eyes" and put aside something as important as a marriage party to listen to the Rime of the Ancient Mariner.

I hope this was what you were looking for. If it wasn't, my apologies.

2006-09-25 08:57:42 · answer #1 · answered by Abhyudaya 6 · 3 0

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