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Who said, "The ship was cheered, the harbor cleared, merrily did we drop below the kirk, below the hill, below the lighthouse top" in The Rime of the Ancient Mariner?
Quick answer:
The Ancient Mariner says, "The ship was cheered, the harbor cleared, merrily did we drop below the kirk, below the hill, below the lighthouse top" in "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner." He recounts this to a Wedding Guest, describing the ship's optimistic departure before the tragic events unfold. The Wedding Guest is compelled to listen, despite his impatience, as he is captivated by the Mariner's tale.
The Ancient Mariner says these words. We know this because the Wedding Guest to whom the Mariner tells his long story states:
And thus spake on that ancient man,
The bright-eyed Mariner.
The Mariner spoke these words. He said them to the wedding guest that he has stopped in Part I of the poem. He is telling the guest about the beginning of the voyage during which the Mariner killed the albatross. He is letting the listener know that the voyage had started out with the usual lightness and happiness.
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