YEAR 12 LESSON THIRTY-ONE [23rd Jan 15]: Homework

This session continued our journey through the mind of Sam Coleridge and considered the VAST significance of the FOURTH section of the poem. This section of the poem is so important as it represents The Mariner's SPIRITUAL ISOLATION FROM GOD.
There are a lot of very important moments in this section as the magical character with the 'glittering eye' looks 'to Heaven, and tried to pray; But or even a prayer had gusht, A wicked whisper came, and made My heart as dry as dust.' However his perception of the 'slimy things' changes and his ability to perceive these creatures as beautiful reconnects him with God and he is able to 'pray'. This reconnection is symbolised with the Albatross falling from his neck. THIS IS A VERY SIGNIFICANT SECTION AS ANY READING OF THE PLAY AS A DIDACTIC CHRISTIAN FABLE CAN USE MOMENTS FROM THIS SECTION TO SUPPORT THIS READING. The fact that 'A spring of love husht from my heart, And I blessed them unaware!' is a key moment.
The rest of the session considered possible content for the question:
HOW DOES COLERIDGE TELL THE STORY IN THE OPENING SECTION OF TROTAM?

HOMEWORK: Complete the 'How does Coleridge..' question. Remember, the only assessment objective is AO2 and you will only have 30 minutes to construct this response in the exam.
POTENTIAL ESSAY STRUCTURE:

• LANGUAGE: This should be a relatively simple paragraph as Coleridge uses simile, metaphor, and onomatopoeia to represent nature as fierce, beautiful and sentient. The whole aim of the poem is to suggest to the reader that 'He prayeth best, who loveth best All things both great and small; For the dear God who loveth us, He made and loveth all.' In this poem Nature is a symbol of God's divine power and beauty. The 'STORM-BLAST' is metaphorically represented as being a terrifying winged creature that is 'tyrannous and strong'.The ice is described as being beautiful and rare as it is 'as green as emerald' and is also metaphorically presented as being a dangerous and intimidating animal as onomatopoeia is used to suggest it is a presence worthy of respect. The ice 'growled, and roared and howled' and seems to be a living creature. MAN, in the form of The Mariner seems unaware of the vast power of nature and unaware that this world reflects the power of God. The Albatross, like the ice, is created by God, and The Mariner's inability to perceive that all creatures are the product of divine design is the CRIME for which he is PUNISHED. Coleridge uses figurative language to represent the idea that all God's creatures are worthy of respect. ******** Please note...Coleridge also uses figurative language to describe the magical physical appearance of The Mariner...but you can't write about every feature of the opening section!!!! 

• FORM: This paragraph needs to deal with the ballad form and how Coleridge subverts the traditional four line ballad stanza to suggest that nature is such a powerful force that its strength cannot be contained by the boundaries of the traditional ballad form. In the first section, the ballad stanza that represents the ship's attempt to escape the STORM-BLAST is A SIX LINE STANZA and this change in verse structure symbolises the idea that nature is so powerful that it cannot be constrained. The change in ballad form could be considered to be a symbol of nature's power.  This change in form occurs throughout the poem and this irregular use of the traditional and regular ballad form serves to amplify the irregular nature of the world within which The Mariner finds himself after he kills Albert. THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT ARGUMENT. Below is a podcast that ALL students should digest. I EXPLAIN THE SIGNIFICANCE OF FORM WITHIN THIS PODCAST. 12 minutes into the podcast i explain the significance of the ballad form BUT you should listen to the full podcast. ALSO, READ THE NOTES I HAVE GIVEN YOU THAT EXPLAIN THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE BALLAD FORM.
• https://soundcloud.com/fishymedia/literature-podcast-two-the

• STRUCTURE: This paragraph could explore Coleridge's use of The Wedding Guest at the beginning and end of the opening section. Coleridge deliberately places the voice of the Wedding Guest at these key points in the poem to shape the narrative. At the beginning of this section the ability of The Mariner to control The Wedding Guest and 'hold him with his glittering eye' and magically control the alarmed Wedding Guest [' 'Hold Off!' unhand me, grey beard loon!' '] to the point that 'He can not chuse but hear', IS MASSIVELY SIGNIFICANT. The use of The Wedding Guest allows Coleridge to present the mysterious power of The Mariner and immediately introduce to the narrative a sense of dramatic mystery. Furthermore, Coleridge provides The Wedding Guest with a voice at the end of the first section to reinforce the idea that The Mariner is almost reliving the horror of the tale as he narrates his story to The Wedding Guest. The Wedding Guest's voice interrupts The Mariner's tale and he exclaims dramatically 'God save thee, ancient Mariner! From the fiends that plague thee thus!- Why lookst thou so?' This question suggests that The Mariner appears to be troubled in some way with the tale he is offering, and the recounting of the narrative is inspiring him to show signs of physical discomfort.  All this occurs before the last line of the first section which is such a key line as The Mariner's punishment is the consequence of killing Albert. Coleridge uses The Wedding Guest to illustrate the fact that The Mariner is clearly suffering discomfort as he shares his tale therefore suggesting that this will be an emotional and dramatic narrative that is linked to the killing of the Albatross. Again, this helps Coleridge create a sense of mystery, create a dramatic conclusion and encourage the reader to move into the second section to find some answers to the mystery that is presented to the reader in the first section.

• The conclusion needs to state briefly why this section is significant within the context of the whole poem.

FINALLY....A HUGE THANK YOU TO THE STUDENTS THAT PRODUCED THE VISUAL REPRESENTATIONS. SOME OF THE WORK IS JUST MAGNIFICENT. SPECIAL SHOUT TO AMY D....UNBELIEVABLE WORK. CHEERS. I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR HARD WORK. SOME OF THE WORK APPEARS AT THE TOP OF THE BLOG.