CBSE Class 10 English The Rime of the Ancient Mariner Assignment

THE RIME OF THE ANCIENT MARINER

POEM AT A GLANCE

The ancient Mariner stops one of the wedding guests.
He wants to narrate his tale to him and unburden his grief.
The Wedding-Guest is in a hurry as he has to attend the wedding party.
The bright-eyed Mariner made the wedding-guest helpless.
He had no option but listen to his tale.
The old Mariner began narrating his story.
Their ship was cheered off the harbor happily.
There came a severe storm and it drove them southwards
Then it became very cold with both mist and snow.
The ship was surrounded by huge icebergs as high as the mast.
Then came the albatross from the fog.
The sailors cheered it as a ‘Christian Soul’.
The albatross’s arrival was auspicious as it brought a favourable south wind.
The sailors gave it food and it flew over the ship.
In a senseless fit, the ancient Mariner killed the albatross with his crossbow.
The fellow mariners cursed the old Mariner for killing an innocent and auspicious bird.
The weather worsened. The Mariners changed their opinion.
Now they justified the killing of the albatross as it had brought mist and snow.

Sadness prevailed all around.
The sun started blazing and the ocean seemed to rot.
The wind stopped blowing and the sails were dropped down.
The ship stuck at one point and didn’t move ahead.
It looked like a painted ship on a painted ocean.
Water was all around but the sailors didn’t have even a drop of water to drink.
The sailors saw in their dreams a spirit that was plaguing them.
They were in a hopeless situation and felt choked and dry in their mouth.
They held the ancient Mariner responsible for all their woes.
They all looked at him with “evil-eyes”.
The ancient Mariner was punished for his crime.
Instead of the holy cross, the dead albatross was hung around his neck.

Literary Devices in the poem

(i) Alliteration
(a) The furrow followed free
(b) Down dropt the breeze

(ii) Simile
(a) Like a three years child
(b) Red as a rose
(c) Like noises in a swound
(d) Like witch’s oils

(iii) Metaphor
(a) Snowy clifts
(b) The very deep

(iv) Repetition
(a) Glittering eye
(b) Water, water

(v) Personification
(a) Sun
(b) Storm blast

SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS (2 Marks)

(To be answered in not more than 30-40 words each)

1. How does the Wedding Guest feel while listening to the story of the Ancient Mariner?
Ans. The Ancient Mariner stops one of the three Wedding Guests and forces him to listen to his story. But the Wedding Guest is in a hurry. He is in no mood to listen to his story. The Ancient Mariner holds his hand and immobilizes him by placing him under a spell. The Wedding Guest stands still like a three years old child and listens to the Mariner’s story.

2. What role does the Albatross play in the poem ‘the Rime of the Ancient Mariner’?
Ans. The Albatross is a bird of good omen. It plays a significant role in the poem.The sailor call it a Christian Soul. It emerges from the fog and is welcomed by the sailors. They play with it and feed it with their hands the bird provides a good company to the sailors. So they all rejoice at its arrival they are filled with a new hope. But it brings suffering for the mariners after being killed by the Ancient Mariner.

3. Give in your own words the theme of the poem ‘the Rime of the Ancient Mariner’?
Ans. ‘The Rime of the Ancient Mariner’ is a supreme triumph of poetry. It is a poem of exquisite beauty. It has a moral which gives it a human significance:
“heprayeth well, who loveth well Both man and bird and beast.”
The whole poem illustrates the moral of an intimate kinship between all living things. God is on the side of pity and love. The poem is a ‘myth of guilt and redemption’. It clearly illustrates the theme of Christian concept of sin, punishment and redemption. This Christian concept of sin is clearly illustrated when the Rime of the Ancient Mariner kills the albatross and undergoes suffering.

4. How do the Mariner’s fellow sailors become a party to the sin?
Ans. The ship enters the unfamiliar sea and comes to a standstill. The south wind drops suddenly. The sailors fear that a great misfortune will befall them. They condemn the killing of the bird of good omen. But nothing untoward happens. The sun appears bright and the favourable wind starts blowing. The sailors change their views. They say that the mariner has done the right thing in killing the bird. Thus they become a party to the sin.

5. What were the blessings which the mariners experienced when the albatross arrived on the ship?
Ans. When the albatross appeared the icebergs began to crack and split. The pleasant south wind began to blow and mist disappeared. The weather underwent a pleasant change. The mariners noted the changes and attributed these to the bird. They regarded the appearance of the bird as good omen. So they welcomed it. They fed the bird with their own hands. They thought that the bird was a good Christian soul.

VALUE BASED QUESTION (Solved)

(To be answered in not more than 100 words each) 

1. “The poem is full of strange, uncanny or supernatural elements.”

Discuss with reference to the extract given below:
‘About, about, in reel and rout The death-fires danced at night; The water, like a witch’s oils, Burnt green, and blue, and white.’
Ans. The poem is remarkable for its supernatural events. It is full of strange events and remote, romantic setting. It appeals to us greatly because we are transported from our familiar world to an unknown world. The voyage covers different kinds of seascape and weather. There is calm and quiet weather, stormblast, icy region and extremely hot region near the equator. The appearance of the albatross- a huge seabird- as an omen of hope is a product of fertile imagination. Its inexplicable killing by the old mariner by hanging the dead albatross round his neck. The dead albatross remains a constant reminder of his guilt. The glittering eyes of the mariner reveal that he has some extraordinary. Supernatural power. With the mesmerizing power of his eyes he transfixes a wedding guest and forces him to listen to his story. Thus, the whole poem is full of strange, uncanny or supernatural elements.

 

MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS (3 Marks)

(REFERENCE TO CONTEXT)

Read the extracts and answer the following questions by choosing the appropriate option:

Note: Text Question 3, 4, 5, and 6 are for class Activity.

(1)

With sloping masts and dipping prow,
As who pursued with yell and blow,
Still tread the shadow of his foe,
And forward bends his head,
The ship drove fast, loud roared the blast,
The southward aye we fled.

(i) Who are ‘we referred to here?
(a) The wedding guests
(b) Sailors on the ship
(c) Guests
(d) On-lookers

(ii) The poetic device used in the second line is
(a) Metaphor
(b) Onomatopoeia
(c) Personification
(d) Simile

(iii) The ship moved fast because of
(a) A storm
(b) A gentle breeze
(c) Its powerful engine
(d) Sailors

ANSWERS: (i) (b) (ii) (d) (iii) (a)

(2)

The ice was here, the ice was there
The ice was all around
It cracked and growled, and roared and howled,
Liked noise in a swound!

(i) The poetic device used in the first two lines is
(a) Metaphor
(b) Alliteration
(c) Repetition
(d) Refrain

(ii) The narrator wants to focus on
(a) The beauty of the landscape
(b) The noises produced by ice.
(c) The enormity or the ice scattered all around
(d) Weather conditions.

(iii) The ship was in the icy region in
(a) The South
(b) The north
(c) The east
(d) The west

ANSWERS: (i) (c) (ii)(c) (iii) (a)

EXTRACT BASED COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS (3 Marks)

Read the following extracts and answer the given question:

(1)

The sun now rose upon the right
Out of the sea came he,
Still hid in mist, and on the left
Went down into the sea.

(i) Who is ‘he’ in the second line?
Answer. ‘He’ refers to the sun.

(ii) What does the scene refer to?
Answer. The scene refers to the sunset.

(iii) Which direction is the ship moving to?
Answer. The ship is now moving towards north.

 

(2)

And I had done a hellish thing,
And it would work’em woe:
For all averred, I had killed the bird
That made the breeze to blow.
Ah wretch! Said they, the bird to slay.
That make the breeze to blow!

(i) What did the speaker feel on killing the bird?
Answer. The speaker felt repentant (remorseful) after killing the bird.

(ii) What was the reaction of the crew?
Answer. The crew condemned the old mariner in fear.

(iii) What had the crew though of the bird?
Answer. The crew had thought that the bird was lucky.

 

(3)

Nor dim nor red, like God’s own head
The glorious sun purist
Then all averred. I had killed the bird
That brought the fog and mist.
‘I was right, said they, such birds to slay
That bring the fog and mist

(i) What poetic device is used in the first line?
Answer. It s simile

(ii) Why did the crew justify the killing of the Albatross?
Answer. The crew justified the killing of the albatross as they thought that the bird was responsible for their sufferings.

(iii) What attitude of the crew is revealed in these lines?
Answer. It shows their fickle-mindedness 

Q: What were the suffering that the mariners had to undergo after the Albatross was killed?
Answer. The bird brought the favorable wind. The wind stopped the later and the misfortune overcome them.

Q: What impression do you form of the Ancient Mariner from the poem……..?
Answer. Overflow with grey beard skinny hands and glittering eyes, abnormal crazy character. The dead Albatross was hung around the neck of the Ancient mariner as a punishment .

SUMMARY

Mrs. Slater scolds her daughter Victoria for loitering around in a fancy-colourful dress when her grandfather is lying dead upstairs.
She asks Victoria to wear a white frock with a black sash.
Her Aunt Elizabeth and Ben are coming and they will not like her in such a dress.
Mrs. Slater wants to grab/steal the things that belonged to grandfather before the Jordans come.
She asks her husband Henry to use new slippers of grandfather.
She has eye on the old man's bureau and wants to bring downstairs in her room.
Mrs. Slater knows that her sister Elizabeth is very sharp and clever and will drive a hard bargain over things left by grandfather.
Henry doesn't seem much interested but gives in soon.
When Henry and his wife are bringing the bureau down, Victoria asks if they were stealing it.
Mrs. Slater tells a lie that the bureau was given by Grandfather before he died.
Then Mrs. Slater brings the man's beautiful clock downstairs.
The Jordans come and they ask how the old man died.
They are annoyed that Mrs. Slater didn't call any other doctor when
Dr.Pringle,the family doctor was not available.
Mrs. Slater tells that he was well in the morning, had his breakfast and then left for the insurance office to pay his premium.
Mr. Jordan shows no emotion and says everybody has to die sooner or later.
They talk about giving announcement in the paper.
Mr. and Mrs. Jordan are more interested in having tea than going up and seeing the dead man.
Mrs. Jordan wants that a list must be made of the things left by the old man.
Henry tells them that the old has not left any jewelry or valuables
Mrs. Jordan reminds that he must have left a gold watch for Jimmy because he was very fond of him.
Mrs. Slater is not pleased .Ben asks for receipt for the premium paid that morning.
He calls grandfather the drunken old beggar when he realizes that premium has not been paid.
Victoria goes upstairs to fetch the bunch of keys when she finds her grandfather moving.
She starts shouting Mother! Mother! Grandpa's getting up.
Soon Mr. Abel Merryweather comes down and they are transfixed with amazement.
He is surprised to find Henry wearing his new slippers.
He finds Elizabeth, Amelia, Henry and little Victoria wearing dresses for mourning.
Abel Merryweather is again surprised to see his bureau and clock downstairs.
Mrs. Jordan tells grandfather that Mrs. Slater and Henry have stolen his bureau and clock.
Mrs. Slater tries to silence her but Mrs. Jordan is relentless.
She tells her father what was going on in the house when he was dead.
Mr. AbelMerryweather understands why all of them were in black.
Grandfather declares that he is going to make a new will.
He will leave his belongings to the person with whom he will be living at time of his death.
The selfish and greedy daughters compete with each other to keep the old man with them.
Abel Merryweather comes to know what his greedy daughters think of him.
Grandfather declares that on Monday he is going to do three things.
First he will go to his lawyer to change his will.
Then he will go to the insurance office to pay the premium.
In the end he will go to St.Phillip's Church and get married.
Everyone is shocked and surprised and Mrs. Slater that the old man has gone out of senses.
Mr. Abel Merryweather declares that he is going to marry Mrs. John Shorrocks,who keeps the Ring- o-Bells.
He invites all of them at the wedding at twelve oclock at St.Phillip's Church.

PLOT OF THE PLAY
Mrs. Slater discovers that grandfather is dead.
Mrs. Slater instructs her daughter to put her white frock on a black sash.
Mr. Slater fetches the bureau and the clock from the upstairs.
The Jordans arrive and know in detail about grandfather's demise from the slaters.
The family sits down to have a tea.
They discuss about obituary announcement in the papers and the insurance premium payment.
Victoria is asked to fetch the bunch of keys to the bureau to look for the insurance receipt.
Grandfather comes down and is surprised to see the Jordans.
Grandfather comes to know how his daughters were in hurry to divide his belongings between them.
Grandfather announces his intention to change the will and to marry Mrs.Shorrock.

DIFFICULT WORDS AND THEIR MEANINGS
• PEARSON'S WEEKLY - A British weekly magazine founded by Sir Cyril Pearson

(1866-1921) in 1890.
• Precocious - a person whose mental attitude is developed beyond his/ her age.
• Gallivanting - go about seeking pleasure.
• Colours - wearing gay dress
• Drive a hard bargain - to argue in an aggressive manner and force somebody to
agree on the best possible arrangement.
• Money-grubbing - seeking greedily to obtain money at every opportunity.
• Ostentatiously – showily
• Piqued - experienced indignation
• As merry as a sandboy - extremely happy and care free.
• Poetic license - freedom to change facts or normal rules of language.
• 'Ring-O-Bells' - the name of a restaurant.
• Tomfoolery - foolish behavior
• Dickens - informal way of saying that you are annoyed or surprised.

MAJOR CHARACTERS IN THE PLAY

MR.ABEL MERRYWEATHER
Victoria's grandfather, an old widower.
Enjoys life,used to drinking.
Knows people have many faces.
Has an affair with Mrs. John Shorrock
Destroys his will and gets married again, leaving nothing for his daughters.

AMELIA SLATER/MRS. SLATER
Abel's daughter.
Looks after her father only for his possessions.
Is more interested in what mourning dress she should wear to out-stage her sister than having genuine feelings for her father.
Detests her sister and doesn't want her to gain anything for their father's will.
Steals her father's belongings so that her sister can't have them after his supposed death.

HENRY SLATER
Henry Slater, the husband of Amelia.
He is a stooping, heavy man with a drooping moustache.
He is not mean like his wife but he has no strength to contradict what his wife says.
When Amelia asks him to put on the slipper of grandfather, he is reluctant to do it.
He is a selfish and cunning, but not to the extent his wife is.

VICTORIA SLATER
Ten-year-old daughter of the Slaters.
Different from her parents and aunt.
Ignorant to the intentions of her mother.
Shows a streak of goodness despite being young.
Is fond of her grandfather

BEN JORDAN
Ben Jordan is the husband of Elizabeth.
He is a jolly little man accustomed to be humorous.
He has bright Chirpy little voice. Chirpily he remarks, We have all got to die sometime or other.
Even on a grave occasion, He humorously remark about the grandfather, If there was one thing he couldn't bear, it was water.
Internally he is very timid.
More money minded than Henry-throughout the play what keeps him worried is to find the receipt of the premium that the grandfather had paid at the insurance office.

ELIZABETH JORDAN
She is Ben's wife, Amelia's sister and Abel's daughter.
Equally insensitive, impolite and money minded like her sister. She is real hypocrite.
She has a habit to drive a hard bargain over whatever she likes
Has a habit of grabbing all good things in the world-eyed on her father's valuable gold watch.
She does not leave any chance to disgrace her sister to get his father's property.

EXTRACT BASED QUESTIONS
1. I am amazed at you, Victoria; I really am.How you can gallivanting about in the street when your grandfather is lying dead and cold upstairs, I don't know. Be off now, and change your dress before your Aunt Elizabeth and your uncle Ben come. It would never do for them to find you in colours.

a) Who is the speaker of these lines?
b) Why does the speaker ask Victoria to change her dress?
c) What does the word amazed mean?
Ans. a) The speaker is Mrs.Slater.
b) The speaker asks Victoria to change her dress because Aunt Elizabeth and Uncle Ben would be upset to see her in coloured dress as her grandfather is lying dead upstairs.
c) Surprised.

2. Elizabeth's that sharp she'll see m after it, and shell drive a hard bargain over it.Eh,what it is to have a low money grubbing spirit!
a) Who is the speaker of these lines?
b) Who will drive a hard bargain and why?
c) Who has a low money grubbing spirit?
Ans. a) Mrs. Slater is the speaker here.
b) Aunt Elizabeth will bargain hard over things which her sister is trying to get.
c) Elizabeth has low money grubbing spirit

3. No, for myself it's such a relief to get into the black. And now perhaps you'll tell us all about it.What did the doctor say?
a) What is a great relief for the speaker?
b) What does the speaker mean by telling us all about it?
Ans. a) To get into the black dress for mourning is a great relief for the speaker.
b) It means that they want to know how grandfather died.
c) Mrs. Jordan is the speaker of these lines.

4. Well he must have gone round to the Ring-O-Bells afterwards ,for he came in as merry as a sand-boy.I says, We are only waiting for Henry to start dinner. Dinner, he says I don't want no dinner. Am going to bed!
a) Who must have gone to the Ring-O-Bells?
b) What is the Ring-O-Bells?
c) What does the word Sand-boy mean?
Ans. a) Abel Merryweather must have gone to the Ring-O-Bells.
b) It is a restaurant owned by Mrs.Shorrock.
c) Happy and jolly.

5. Amelia and Henry.They have stolen your clock and bureau. (Working herself up.)They sneaked into your room like a thief in night and stole them after you were dead.
a) Who is Amelia?
b) How did they steal the clock and the bureau?
c) Give the meaning of the word sneak?
Ans.
a) She is Mrs. Slater.
b) They entered like thieves into grandfather's room after he was dead and stole the clock and the bureau.
c) Without being seen or heard.

ADDITIONAL EXTRACT BASED QUESTIONS

1. don't want to be hard on anyone. I will tell you what I am going to do. Since your mother died, I've lived part of the time with you, Melia, and part with you, Lizzie.
Well, I shall make a new will, leaving all my bits of things to whomever I'm living you with when I die. How does that strike you?
a) How had the speaker been living since their mother died?
b) Who is the speaker?
c) What is the meaning of the word will?

2. To Mrs. John Shorrocks who keeps the Ring-O-Bells. We've had it fixed up a good while now, but I was keeping it for a pleasant surprise.(He rises). I felt I was a bit of burden to you, so I found someone who'd think it a pleasure to look after me. We shall be very glad to see you at the ceremony.
a) Who is the owner of Ring-O-Bells?
b) What have they fixed up a good while now?
c) Give the meaning of the word ceremony?

SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

1. Why does Mrs. Slater scold Victoria?
Ans. Elizabeth and Ben have been informed of grandfather's death by Amelia and will be there soon. Victoria is gallivanting about in the street.Mrs. Slater wants Victoria to go away and change her dress before her Aunt Elizabeth and Uncle Ben arrive as they would not like her to see in colourful dress on the day of mourning.

2. Why does Mrs. Slater decide to shift the bureau from grandfather's room before the arrival of the Jordans? How does Henry react to the suggestion?
Ans. Mrs. Slater decides to shift the bureau from grandfather's room because she knows that Elizabeth is a hard bargainer. She must have the bureau before Elizabeth arrives.Moreover, she always wanted to have it after he died. (enry asks her that she must arrange with Elizabeth when they are dividing the articles of grandfather.

3. Why does grandfather think of destroying the old will and making another will? What does he intend to do?
Ans. When Henry asks grandpa if he made a will Abel replies that it was locked up in the bureau. He is thinking of destroying it and making another. He doesn't want to be hard on any one. He will leave all his belongings to whomever he is living with when he dies. He will not live alternatively with one of his daughters as he has been doing since his wife died.

4. What three things grandfather is going to do on next Monday?
Ans. Abel Merryweather declares what he is going to do on next Monday. First of all he will go to his lawyer and alter his will. Then he will go to insurance office and pay his premium .In the end he will go to St.Phillips Church to get married. He is going to marry Mrs. John Shamrocks who keeps the Ring-O-Bells.

5. What do the Slaters and Jordans talk about the old man's insurance?
Ans.Mrs Slater informs the Jordans that grandfather went to pay his insurance after the breakfast.Ben supports his act as a good thing.Mrs. Jordan considers her father too honourable to have gone without paying the premium. But later on they doubt that hes not paid it.Ben calls him the drunken old beggar.Mrs. Slater calls it nothing sort of swindling.

ADDITIONAL SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS
1. Why does Victoria come down shouting Mother! Mother!?
2. How do his daughters and their husbands react after seeing Abel alive?
3. Who is Victoria? What is her role in the play?
4. How do Amelia and Elizabeth compete with each other to keep grandfather with them after they come to know of the terms of the new will?
5.4. Why didn't the Slaters call the doctor? What three things grandfather is going to do on next Monday?

LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS/VALUE BASED QUESTIONS

1. Give a character sketch of Mrs. Slater comparing her with her sister Elizabeth.
VALUE POINTS:
1. Both the sisters-many traits common-insensitive, inhuman-greedy and money minded. Amelia is vigorous, plump red-faced and self-centered woman--Elizabeth is a stout -- complacent woman--. Both understand each other very well-- Amelia grabs grandpa's new pair of slippers-- bureau and clock before Elizabeth arrives -- she knows Elizabeth is very sharp -- will drive a hard bargain. Elizabeth – insensitive-- prefers to have tea first than going upstairs to see her father-- accuses grandfather of not paying the insurance premium. -- considers him a burden-- leaves no chance of humiliating Slaters-- exposes Amelia and Henry-- a real hypocrite.

2. Write the theme of the play The Dear Departed.
VALUE POINTS
Social drama-depicts the social message-advocates of giving due respect and love to old/elderly people - suffer loneliness and emptiness in their lives. The playwright aptly satirizes -the degradation of moral values in families - people give more importance to money and materialism –destroying the old culture of family ties-- running after money-- insensitivity defeating family bonds-disregarding decency and modesty to compete in this world—inhuman attitude--leaving their duties and responsibilities towards old people-humiliating humanity for the sake of money.

3 .Elderly/old people need to be treated with great care and love. How can we take care of elderly people?
VALUE POINTS:

1. Elderly people –must be treated with great care and love-materialistic people-no thought for modesty, decency and filial obligations-desire to move with time makes insensitive-forgetting our responsibility towards old people-think them burden—old people feel neglected and dull without a smile on their faces-suffer from loneliness- we need to take proper care—understand their needs—we should try to be a good caretaker—provide them better food and medicine –give emotional support and love.

ADDITIONAL LONG ANSWE TYPE QUESTIONS/VALUE BASED QUESTIONS
1. Write a character sketch of Henry comparing with Ben Jordan.
2. The play The Dear Departed shows inhuman attitude of Amelia and Elizabeth towards their father. Explain.
3. Mr. Abel Merryweather decides to change the will and get married with Mrs. Shorrock at the end of the play. Do you think his act is justified?
4. Your parents misbehave with your grandparents and never look after them properly.
How you are going to change the behavior of your parents?