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Irony in The Rime of the Ancient Mariner

Irony Examples in The Rime of the Ancient Mariner:

The Rime of the Ancient Mariner in Seven Parts

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"Water, water, every where, And all the boards did shrink; Water, water, every where, Nor any drop to drink...."   (The Rime of the Ancient Mariner in Seven Parts)

Coleridge uses a literary device called situational irony in this stanza. The irony is that the ship is surrounded by water, but the sailors cannot drink the saltwater. Coleridge's use of irony here helps to emphasize just how dire the situation is for the sailors.

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