1. The accounts of the Wedding Guest's reactions in Parts I and VII serve as a kind of frame for the Mariner's tale by giving it a beginning and an end. To what extent does the presence of the Wedding Guest influence your own reactions to the poem?
It's strange; while reading "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner", I seemed to have totally forgotten about the Wedding Guest's presence. The reader gets so caught up in the rising action of the story that they forget about the frame of the story. When the guest was mentioned, I quickly snapped back and remembered that he was listening to the Mariner's tale. As soon as the Mariner continued with his tale, however, I got right back into the flow of poem and the presence of the Mariner slipped my mind entirely. I like this aspect of the poem because it makes it seem very magical. It draws the reader in and engulfs them into the world of literature.
4. The Mariner is punished for his contempt of living things.
a) Which lines in Part IV show that he continues to despise or hate living creatures?
In Part IV,
b) At which point in the poem does his salvation or rebirth begin?
I think the Mariner's salvation begins in Part V when the rain comes. The rain symbolizes freshness and it is washing away his curse. It's interesting that he is a Mariner and it is water that sets him free.
c) How might the word unaware in line 285 suggest that the Mariner's salvation comes from heaven? What else might this word suggest about the sources of human motivation?
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