I'm reading The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, and was wondering what was meant by the action of beating one's breast.
eg.
The Wedding-Guest here beat his breast,
For he heard the loud bassoon.
and
The Wedding-Guest he beat his breast,
Yet he cannot chuse but hear;
I assume it's some expression of frustration/distraction/impatience. What does it mean precisely?
Best Answer
"To beat one's breast" (see definition 18 at the linked site) literally refers to striking your fist against your chest as an expression of sorrow, anger, or woe. Hardly anyone actually beats their breast any more, but the expression survives as a poetic expression that describes any act of public bewailing.