Samuel T. Coleridge...need help

[mmm...pondering]

hi there,

new to the site as well. but i was wondering if anyone out there could help me out. i have to study coleridge's Rime of the Ancient Mariner and I've gotta write a 3000 word essay on it. I need a little help in finding notes on what some of his other poems mean cos I'm a little bit clueless as to where to begin. any sites that could give me a hand would be great.

thanx

[Shea]

I read that one a looong time ago and really didn't pay attention, but what's the topic of your essay?

[mmm...pondering]

thanx for the response,

well i'm doing A levels (british) and this is for coursework. i've gotta study the poem, then write the essay arguing about some point. but i don't know enough of coleridges' poems to argue a point.

hope that helps.

[Shea]

I looked it over a bit, but don't remember going in depth on studying the poem when I read it for school. I'm confused about why you need to know other works. What I'd like to know about the poem is why did he use a wedding guest as the listener? What was the symbolism in the dead men? the albatross? Maybe I missed it, but what was the voyage for? If you've ever read the Narnian series by C.S. Lewis, in "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader", didn't an Albotross guide the ship from the dark island? Maybe there are other writers who used this poem as inspiration in some way or other. Was Coleridge inspired by anything? I hope I hit the mark somewhere.

[mmm...pondering]

thanx once again.

i think you have hit the mark somewhere. i needed a start, just couldn't think of it. my teacher has recommended that i read some of coleridge's other works and even though i've heard of the narnia books by C.S. Lewis, I've never really liked fantasy so unfortunately i've only ever read one of them.

thank you for your help.