THE RIME OF THE ANCIENT MARINER
I. Read the following and write the most appropriate option from the ones given to you.
1. It is an ancient mariner,
And he stoppeth one of three
By thy long grey beard and glittering eye,
How wherefore stopp’st thou me?
(i) Whom does the ancient mariner stop?
(a) someone from the wedding band (b) a wedding-guest (c) some sailor (d) the bridegroom
(ii) Where were they going?
(a) To sail in the sea (b) To a friend’s house (c) To the wedding (d) For some party
(iii) What is the most striking feature of the mariner?
(a) his shabby clothes (b) thick beard (c) glittering eyes (d) weak hands
(iv) How do the looks of the mariner affect that person?
(a) intimidating (b) mesmerizing (c) impressive (d) ineffective
(v) Point out the poetic device used in the third line of the above stanza.
(a) Simile (b) Alliteration (c) Metaphor (d) personification
Answer : (i) (b) (ii) (b) (iii) (c) (iv) (b) (v) (b)
2. He holds him with his skinny hand,
‘There was a ship,’ quoth he, hold
off! Unhand me, grey-beard loon!
Eftsoons his hand dropt he.
(i) Why does the mariner use physical force to hold on to that person?
(a) he is very strong (b) he likes the wedding-guest (c) the wedding-guest does not wish to be detained
(d) He wants to impress him
(ii) Explain the reaction of the other speaker. What is the reason of his anger?
(a) he hates the mariner (b) mariner is very dirty and shabby (c) he is desperate to attend the wedding
(d) he is tired
(iii) Point out an archaic word from the above stanza.
(a) unhand (b) eftsoons (c) loon (d) dropt
(iv) Explain ‘grey-beard loon’.
(a) dirty appearance (b) old and sick looking (c) crazy and mad (d) eccentric
Answer : (i) (c) (ii) (c) (iii) (b) (iv) (c)
3. The ice was here, the ice was there,
The ice was all around.
It cracked and growled, and roared and howled
like noises in a swound!
(i) The above stanza is known for its musical sounds. Mention the words that create the sound effect.
(a) swound (b) cracked and growled (c) around (d) there
(ii) What do the first two lines convey?
(a) feelings of happiness (b) feelings of wonder and surprise (c) helplessness of being trapped
(d) feeling of coldness
(iii) What is the poetic device used in the first line?
(a) Irony (b) Transferred epithet (c) Alliteration (d) Imagery
(iv) Describe the atmosphere created by being trapped by ice
(a) strangeness (b) horror and loneliness (c) isolation and hope (d) defeat and hopelessness
(v) Name the poetic device that helps create the effect of sound words.
(a) Alliteration (b) Onomatopoeia (c) Imagery (d) personification
Answer : (i) (b) (ii) (c) (iii) (d) (iv) (d) (v) (b)
4. At length did cross an Albatross,
Through the fog it came,
As if it had been a ‘Christian soul’
We hailed it in God’s name.
(i) How is the coming of the albatross favourable?
(a) It relieves the sailors of boredom (b) It is good-looking
(c) They wish to pet him (d) It brings south wind to help the ship to move
(ii) Why was the albatross called ‘A Christian soul’?
(a) Christianity teaches charity (b) They wish to show compassion like true Christians
(c) The bird brought new hope like Lord Jesus (d) The bird was very gentle
(iii) What reception does the albatross receive?
(a) It angers the mariners (b) It is welcomed as a blessing (c) It is driven away (d) It is beaten up
Answer : (i) (d) (ii) (c) (iii) (b)
5. Water, water everywhere
And all the boards did shrink;
Water, water everywhere
Nor any drop to drink
(i) The repetition of the word, 'water' in the above lines conveys
(a) the ship was in water (b) the water was saline (c) the ship was sinking in the water
(d) there was a large volume of water surrounding them
(ii) At this point of time, the sailors yearned to
(a) drink water (b) repent (c) return home (d) move forward
(iii) The irony in the above line is that
(a) there is water everywhere yet sailors can't swim ashore. (b) there is water everywhere yet sailors can't drink it.
(c) there are slimy creatures all around. (d) the sea had started rolling.
Answer : (i) (d) (ii) (a) (iii) (b)
6. And now there came both mist and snow,
And it grew wondrous cold,
And ice, mast high, came floating by
As green as emerald.
(i) It grew wondrous cold because
(a) of the change of weather (b) of the floating ice
(c) the sun did not appear in the sky for days together (d) the ship had reached the Polar region
(ii) The floating ice was
(a) breaking into pieces (b) producing a rumbling sound (c) as high as the mast of the ship
(d) wondrously cold
(iii) The poetic device used in the last line is
(a) Simile (b) Metaphor (c) Personification (d) Alliteration
Answer : (i) (c) (ii) (c) (iii) (a)
Please click on below link to download CBSE Class 10 English The Rime of The Ancient Mariner Worksheet
