1. Point of View
1.1. First-Person Narrative
1.1.1. The Mariner narrates his own story directly to the Wedding Guest.
1.1.2. The story is told retrospectively, providing the Mariner’s personal reflections and emotions.
1.2. Frame Narrative
1.2.1. The outer story is about the Mariner stopping the Wedding Guest, while the inner story is his recount of the journey.
2. Theme
2.1. Sin and Redemption
2.1.1. The Mariner's act of shooting the Albatross and the quest for atonement.
2.1.2. Consequences of one's actions and moral responsibility.
2.2. Nature and the Supernatural
2.2.1. Respect for nature (Albatross as a symbol of nature).
2.2.2. Supernatural forces controlling the ship's fate.
2.3. Isolation and Suffering
2.3.1. The Mariner's physical and emotional isolation after his sin.
2.3.2. Suffering as a path to wisdom and salvation.
3. Supernatural Elements
3.1. The Albatross
3.1.1. A mysterious, almost mystical bird that brings good fortune.
3.2. Curses and Omens
3.2.1. The Mariner’s killing of the Albatross brings about a supernatural curse.
3.2.2. Spirits seem to manipulate the winds and sea, punishing the Mariner.
4. Plot
4.1. Introduction
4.1.1. The Mariner stops the Wedding Guest to tell his tale.
4.2. The Voyage Begins
4.2.1. The ship sails smoothly, but soon encounters a fierce storm.
4.3. The Albatross
4.3.1. An Albatross appears, bringing good luck; the ship escapes the ice.
4.4. The Mariner’s Sin
4.4.1. The Mariner shoots the Albatross without reason.
4.5. Consequences
4.5.1. The crew suffers from lack of wind and fresh water.
4.5.2. The ghost ship arrives, the crew dies, leaving the Mariner alone.
4.6. Redemption and Return
4.6.1. The Mariner blesses the sea creatures, breaking his curse.
4.6.2. The Mariner is rescued and returns to land but must wander and retell his story.
5. Setting
5.1. The Sea
5.1.1. The primary setting; vast, unpredictable, and dangerous.
5.1.2. Shifts from calm and beautiful to a place of terror and desolation.
5.2. The Wedding Feast
5.2.1. The outer frame of the narrative, providing contrast to the Mariner’s grim tale.
5.3. Supernatural Environments
5.3.1. The frozen seas, the nightmarish elements that surround the Mariner's suffering are eerie and otherworldly.
6. Characters
6.1. The Ancient Mariner
6.1.1. Main character; commits a grave sin and seeks redemption.
6.1.2. Haunted by guilt; must tell his story to relieve his suffering.
6.2. The Wedding Guest
6.2.1. Initially reluctant, he becomes captivated by the Mariner's story.
6.2.2. Represents the ordinary person being confronted with profound truth.
6.3. The Crew
6.3.1. Shipmates who support the Mariner at first but later curse him for the Albatross's death.
6.3.2. They die as a consequence of the Mariner’s sin.
6.4. The Albatross
6.4.1. Symbol of nature and good fortune; killed by the Mariner.
6.4.2. Its death triggers the Mariner’s curse and suffering.
7. Poetic Form
7.1. Ballad Form
7.1.1. Written in quatrains (four-line stanzas).
7.1.2. Alternating rhyme scheme (ABCB).
7.2. Meter
7.2.1. Primarily written in iambic tetrameter (four beats per line).
7.3. Repetition and Refrain
7.3.1. Repetition of lines like "Day after day, day after day" adds to the rhythmic and haunting effect of the poem.