1. It has been said that "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" is about twice as long as it needs to be. What would be the effect of reducing the poem's length?

Specifically what passages might you delete, and why?

2. Symbols are important in this poem.

Traditionally, snakes have represented both good (as on the symbol for the medical profession, where they represent healing powers) and evil (as with the serpent in the Garden of Eden). After checking at the library for other examples of the symbolic use of snakes, explain why you think Coleridge involved a water snake in the poem's climax.

3. In literature and folklore the human eye is typically considered a mirror of the soul. Discuss Coleridge's use of this tradition, examining each of the incidents in which eyes are mentioned in the poem (including lines 3, 12, 139, 144, 215, 228, 251, 255, 260, 332, 416, 436, 440, 485, 560, 567, and 618).

4. In...