Class 10 Literature Reader Chapter 11 Extra Question Answers - Chapter 11 - The Rime of the Ancient Mariner

Extract Based Questions

Q1. Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow.
He holds him with his glittering eye
The Wedding-Guest stood still,
And listens like a three years’ child:
The Mariner hath his will.
(a) Why did the mariner hold back the wedding guest?
(b) Why was the wedding guest unable to move?
(c) What does the word, ‘glittering’ mean?
Ans: (a) The mariner held back the wedding guest as he had to confess his guilt of killing an innocent bird.
(b) The mariner had hypnotised the wedding guest using his magic which he had learnt for this purpose.
(c) The word ‘glittering’ means ‘shining’.

Q2. Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow.
‘Ah! well a-day! what evil looks
Had I from old and young!
Instead of the cross, the Albatross
About my neck was hung. ”
(a) Who is the speaker in these lines?
(b) Why did others give him evil looks?
(c) What does the word ‘evil’ mean?
Ans: (a) The ancient mariner is the speaker in these lines.
(b) He had caused them problems by killing an innocent bird whose arrival had brought good luck to them.
(c) The word ‘evil’ means ‘morally bad’ or ‘wickedness’.

Q3. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:
“In mist or cloud, on mast or shroud,
It perched for vespers nine;
Whiles all the night, through fog-smoke white,
Glimmered the white moonshine. ”
(a) Where were the mariners?
(b) Who is the ‘It’ referred to in these lines?
(c) What does ‘vespers nine’ mean?
Ans: (a) The mariners were in the south sea. Their ship was now moving as the ice had begun to melt.
(b) In these lines ‘It’ refers to the albatross.
(c) ‘Vespers nine’ means ‘a fixed time every day (the evening church service)’

Q4. Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow.
He holds him with his skinny hand,
“There was a ship, ” quoth he.
(a) Who does ‘He’ refer to in the above extract?
(b) What do we know about the speaker’s feelings?
(c) Why is his hand called ‘skinny’?
Ans: (a) ‘He’ here refers to the ancient mariner.
(b) The speaker was repenting. Hence he wanted to confess his guilt.
(c) He is very old and his pouch of skin is hanging .

Q5. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:
And some in dreams assured were Of the Spirit that plagued us so;
Nine fathom deep he had followed us
From the land of mist and snow.
(a) Where were the mariners?
(b) Which is the Spirit referred to here?
(c)Why has the Spirit followed them?
Ans: (a) The mariners were in the sea near the south pole.
(b) The spirit is referred to the spirit of the albatross.
(c) The spirit has followed them for food and play.

Q6. Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow.
‘God save thee, ancient Mariner,
From the fiends that plague thee thus!
Why look’st thou SO?’
(a) Who is the speaker?
(b) Why do fiends plague him?
(c) Which word in the above lines means the same as ‘to trouble’?
Ans: (a) The Ancient Mariner is the speaker.
(b)Evil sense prevails upon him and that gives chance to friends to plague him.
(c) Plague

Q7. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.
Write the answers in your answer sheet in one or two lines only. Number the answers correctly.
But no sweet bird did follow,
Nor any day for food or play Came to the mariners’ hollo !
And I had done a hellish thing,
And it would work ‘em woe:
(a) Who is the speaker?
(b) What is the ‘hellish thing’ done?
(c) Explain : “work, ‘em woe.”
Ans: (a) The Ancient Mariner is the speaker.
(b) The killing of the albatross by the Ancient Mariner was the hellish thing as it had brought good luck for the mariners.
(c) The heinous act of killing the albatross by the Ancient Mariner caused a lot of problems for all the mariners on the ship.

Q8. Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow.
The fair breeze blew, the white foam flew,
The furrow followed free;
We were the first that ever burst
Into that silent sea.
(a) Why is the sea called ‘silent’?
(b) What according to the mariners was the reason for their fate?
(c) Which poetic device is used in these lines?
Ans: (a) The sea is not causing any problem in the sailing of the ship. It is not stormy.
(b) The fickle-minded mariners said that they got a better fate after the Ancient Mariner killed the albatross.
(c) The poetic device used in these lines is ‘alliteration’.

Q9. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow. Write the answers in your answer sheet in one or two lines only. Number the answers correctly.
It ate the food it ne’er had eat,
And round and round it flew.
The ice did split with a thunder-fit;
The helmsman steered us through!
(a) What is ‘It’ referred to here?
(b) What difficulties did the mariners face before ‘it’ arrived?
(c) How did their fate change after its appearance?
Ans: (a) Here ‘it’ is referred to the albatross.
(b) The ship of the mariners had been stuck in ice. It was unable to move.
(c) The ice began to melt. Now the ship of the mariners could resume its return journey.