Coleridge

One of today's lessons was on the "Rime of the Ancient Mariner", part six of it, to be precise. I preferred not to go into too much detail with my student as far as metaphors and allegories are concerned and only outlined the 'plot' , which is quite complex in its own right. 

Coming across the figures of the Pilot, the Pilot's Boy and the Hermit I was unable to give him and myself a satisfactory interpretation, though. What are they, sentinels, symbols for ordinary people, parts of Coleridge's personal mythology? Hard to say...