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

Long Answer Type Question

Q1. You are one of the crew on the ship. After the mariner kills the Albatross, you have to suffer and there is no hope of survival. Write a diary entry describing your feelings at this point of time.
Ans: Dear Diary,
I am fed up with being stuck into the slimy water of the sea for days. I don’t know what came into the mariner’s mind that he killed the albatross. I believe that the albatross was a holy spirit sent to help us. If we defy the orders of God it leads to disastrous results. I don’t think I will ever be able to see the land again. I will die of hunger and thirst or the evil spirits in the form of these creatures would kill me. I think we all are partners in Mariner’s crime as we also lauded him for killing the Albatross. May God forgive me for my sins so that I am able to reach my home and family.

Q2. When the albatross arrived, the mariners experienced a sense of joy and were infused with new hope. It was hailed as a Christian soul which brought hope to the ship. Comment.
Ans: When the ship moved southward, the weather deteriorated and they encountered mist, show and cold. Visibility was reduced and movement slowed down. They were in dangerous waters because there were icebergs all around and steering the ship through such tricky waters in poor visibility was a nightmare. At this crucial juncture in their journey, a lone albatross was spotted above the mist and was hailed as a Christian spirit because this bird heralded a turn in their fortunes.The sailors fed it and the bird encircled the waters even as icebergs kept crackling all around. The bird thus helped the steering team course through the waters, thereby strengthening the belief among the sailors that the bird was a lucky omen guiding their ship to safety.Also, a strong south wind blew after its appearance and helped to take the ship forward, with the albatross following above. The bird was thus an anchor hold of hope for the crew who were able to successfully sail through dangerous waters in such an inclement weather under the guidance of the albatross.

Q3. Respect for all forms of life is an essential value. Unmindful destruction of nature and its creatures deserves just punishment. Write in 80-100 words this essential value as brought out in the poem, ‘The Rime of the Ancient Mariner’.
Ans: After the storm, the temperature went down abruptly and the water began to freeze. The ship was unable to move and the lives of the mariners were at stake. Piercing the fog and mist, an Albatross appeared. All the mariners welcomed it considering it to be a Christian soul. They gave it the best food they had and began to play with it. As a creature of God it was welcomed, God became happy and the ice began to melt..The sailors found the situation favourable to move their ship. But when the Ancient Mariner killed the albatross without any provocation God became angry and the wind came to a stop. The mariners found that death fire was dancing before them. Then they took a judicious decision of punishing the culprit. They hung the , dead body of the albatross around the neck of the culprit to convey the message that killing any creature of God is a crime. It is our pious duty to love all the creatures made by God.

Q4. As the wedding guest, make a diary entry of your observations about the Ancient Mariner.
Ans: Dear Diary
9 p.m. 10 December 20XX
What a horrible encounter it was! I came across a lunatic person. He captured me when I was going to attend a wedding ceremony with two of my companions. He used his magic with his skinny hands. I was totally at his mercy. I asked him to free me. He dropped his hand and used his magic further using his eyes. He appeared to be a strange fellow. He wanted to confess his guilt by telling a story. His magic was so powerful that I began to listen to his story like a three years old child. On listening to the music caused by the musical instrument at the wedding spot I began to beat my breast. But he was rigid to tell his story. This bizarre caused me extreme agony of mind and heart as he deprived me of attending the marriage ceremony of one of my close relatives. I will never forget this tragic event of my life.

Q5. Describe the circumstances under which the albatross was hung around the Ancient Mariner’s neck
Ans: The Ancient Mariner had killed the albatross without any provocation. The fellow mariners were of the view that the albatross had brought good luck to them. So they held the Ancient Mariner guilty of committing a crime. After that there was an improvement in weather condition. The fickle-minded mariners told that the Ancient Mariner had done the right job by killing the albatross that had brought fog and mist. Then the wind came to a stop all of a sudden. The real ship in the i real ocean appeared to be a painted ship in the painted ocean. The mariners were surrounded by water from all sides but they had no water to drink. Rottening process started in the stagnant sea water. Slimy creatures began to move on the ship. The mariners began to think that they would die of thirst and starvation after finishing their limited water and food. Death fire began to dance at night. Some mariners .saw in their dreams that the spirit of the albatross was causing all these problems.Under these circumstances, all the mariners decided to punish the Ancient Mariner by hanging the dead body of the albatross around his neck.

Q6. The mariners were stranded in the silent sea with the hot sun above them. Describe their frightening experience at sea.
Ans: After the wind came to a sudden stop, the mariner were under the scorching sun. The blazing sun appeared to be like copper. The real ship in the real ocean seemed to be just like a painted ship in the painted ocean. The mariners were surrounded by water from all sides but they had no water to drink. The sea did rot and about to boil. The sea water was changing its colour and slimy creatures were sprawling on the ship. Death fire was dancing at night. There was no end to the predicament of the mariners. Some mariners dreamt that a spirit was plaguing them. Their throats became dry and choked. They felt themselves under the spell of a curse. They were of the view that their death was inevitable under the prevailing circumstances.

Q7. Describe the events that led to the hanging of the dead albatross around the mariner’s neck
Ans: The Ancient Mariner had killed the albatross without any provocation. The fellow mariners were of the view that the albatross had brought good luck to them. So they held the Ancient Mariner guilty of committing a crime. After that there was an improvement in weather condition. The fickle-minded mariners told that the Ancient Mariner had done the right job by killing the albatross that had brought fog and mist. Then the wind came to a stop all of a sudden. The real ship in the i real ocean appeared to be a painted ship in the painted ocean. The mariners were surrounded by water from all sides but they had no water to drink. Rottening process started in the stagnant sea water. Slimy creatures began to move on the ship. The mariners began to think that they would die of thirst and starvation after finishing their limited water and food. Death fire began to dance at night. Some mariners .saw in their dreams that the spirit of the albatross was causing all these problems.Under these circumstances, all the mariners decided to punish the Ancient Mariner by hanging the dead body of the albatross around his neck.

Q8. Describe the sufferings faced by the mariners in the silent sea.
Ans: After the wind came to a sudden stop, the mariner were under the scorching sun. The blazing sun appeared to be like copper. The real ship in the real ocean seemed to be just like a painted ship in the painted ocean. The mariners were surrounded by water from all sides but they had no water to drink. The sea did rot and about to boil. The sea water was changing its colour and slimy creatures were sprawling on the ship. Death fire was dancing at night. There was no end to the predicament of the mariners. Some mariners dreamt that a spirit was plaguing them. Their throats became dry and choked. They felt themselves under the spell of a curse. They were of the view that their death was inevitable under the prevailing circumstances.