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Form And Structure Of The Mariner By James Coleridge

Decent Essays

Form / Structure This poem is written as a lyrical ballad, which tells a lengthy narrative. Like many lyrical ballads, this poem is written mostly in quatrains and follows a rhyme scheme in which the second and fourth lines rhyme, however, Coleridge does not strictly follow this format. His decision to not follow the lyrical ballad form precisely shows a rebellious side, similar to the rebellious nature of the mariner when he decides to shoot down the albatross. This rebellion signifies a rebellion against God which ultimately leads to harsh consequences. Repetition There is a lot of repetition present in this passage and the poem as a whole. In general, the mariner uses a lot of repetition to ensure the listener will remember the important details of his story. Most of the repetition is used to reiterate and accentuate the horrible things that the crew had to endure. By repeating this, it is drilled into the head of the reader and affirms all the awful things God has done to them as punishment for their sins. Meter The poem is written in iambic meter, with lines alternating from eight syllables in the first and third lines, and six syllables in the second and third lines. The meter symbolizes an up and down motion similar to that of waves which represent their journey and struggle while being stranded on the sea. The up and down motion that the meter provides also stresses the idea of the ups and downs the mariner and his crew have faced during their

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