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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. All of the sailors, including the Mariner, are mute by extreme thirst. How does he tell them what he sees?

2. Which word does the Mariner NOT use to describe the object he spots at the Line?

3. Who is the Mariner eager to see on the rescue boat?

4. What does the form of the spirits attract?

5. What is the first strange thing noticed about the movement of the object that approaches the Ship at the Line?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the Mariner's initial reaction to his surroundings in Part IV? Why is this significant?

2. Describe what the Mariner sees when he turns his eyes back to the deck of the Ship, after describing the harbor in Part VI.

3. What does the Mariner mean when he says, "O let me be awake, my God! / Or let me sleep alway," in the middle of Part VI?

4. How does Coleridge use colors in Part IV of the poem? What are some of the colors he uses?

5. At the beginning of Part IV, what is the Mariner's relationship to prayer?

6. Why does the Guest interrupt the Mariner in Part V? How does the Mariner respond?

7. What are the sounds the Mariner hears towards the end of Part VI, and how are they received by him?

8. What do the two spirits discuss at the end of Part V?

9. In your own words, what is the simile the Mariner constructs after the marginal notes say the curse is expiated?

10. For how long does the Mariner suffer? How is this significant?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The Line, the name used for the equator in the poem, is a location where many events of significance occur in the poem. Examine these events and analyze the particular importance of them occurring at the world's equator. In particular, analyze how the Line acts as a physical nexus for all kinds of action, natural and supernatural.

Essay Topic 2

Religion is an important theme in the story. Analyze its presence and influence on the characters and actions throughout the poem. Be sure to include the importance of prayer, the cross, the kirk, and the Hermit.

Essay Topic 3

Present an in-depth analysis of the presence and importance of prayer in the story. Expound on the centrality and efficacy of prayer for the Mariner. Be sure to keep any and all judgments within the context of the poem alone.

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