Coleridge's Christabel

Part 1 of this poem had a very sexual tone. One of the first things that Geraldine tells us is that “Five warriors seized me yestermorn,” (line 81) and her story immediately makes the reader think of what was going to happen to Geraldine, those men were going to rape her and probably kill her. Geraldine had the white angelic dress and the perfect story to draw Christabel in, almost like a siren. The two women sneak into Christabel’s house, giving a secretive and forbidden feel to the fact that Geraldine is staying with Christabel. There is an emphasis on Christabel seeing Geraldine undress, which serves a double purpose of adding to the sexual nature of the poem and to show Geraldine’s mark on her side. Then they lay together, with Christabel in Geraldine’s arms as Geraldine whispers in her ear.

The supernatural and superstition both played a very important role in the poem, especially in Part 1. The dog barks at the oak tree, which we later discover that Geraldine is hiding behind, right away signaling to Christabel and the reader that something is not right. Geraldine is dressed in all white, intentionally portraying herself as an angel and innocent figure, as a positive, religious supernatural figure. However, Geraldine can not walk “over the threshold of the gate,” (line 132) so Christabel carries her over it. The belief at the time was that supernatural beings (witches, vampire, demons, etc) could not walk over the threshold into a home, and the fact that Geraldine is then fine to walk, “as she were not in pain,” (line 134) shows that she was faking so that she could get into the house. She then claims that she is too tired to pray to Mary with Christabel, because supernatural beings could not pray because they had the devil within them. The dog later made “an angry moan” (line 148) in her sleep as Geraldine walks by, again showing the reader that even in his sleep, the dog knows there is something wrong with Geraldine. Other instances of this supernatural include: the fire suddenly lit itself as Geraldine walks by (line 159); Geraldine asks the spirit of Christabel’s mother to leave them alone (line 205) because this hour belongs to Geraldine (line 211); the “sight to dream of,” (line 251) as some kind of marking on her side.

Part 2 continues with the homoerotic subtext of the poem. Christabel has such a good dream that she thinks she must have sinned, implying that Geraldine could have done something while Christabel was asleep. This homoerotic subtext could even be read into the old friendship between Sir Leoline and Lord Roland and their unexplained falling out. The role of the supernatural is also present when Geraldine sees “upon the soul of Christabel, / the vision of fear” (lines 452-453) and when Bracy the bard’s dream had a dying bird named Christabel. Oddly, Geraldine seems concerned at both of these instances in which Christabel could be in danger, as if she has changed her mind about whatever evil purpose she may have originally had. Sir Leoline states that he and Lord Roland would kill anything trying to harm Christabel, not realizing that Geraldine was the snake to kill Christabel from Bracy the bard’s dream, shown when her eyes become “a serpent’s eye” (line 588). After recovering from Geraldine’s snake eyes, Christabel seems to understand the danger in Geraldine and prays on her mother’s soul for her father to send Geraldine away, but Sir Leoline does not see the danger and rebukes Christabel for her rude behavior. Part 2 ends as “Sir Leoline / led forth the lady Geraldine!” (lines 656-657).

The Conclusions to Part 1 and Part 2 both serve for Coleridge, through the poem’s speaker, to step back and comment on the rest of the poem. The Conclusion to Part 1 goes back to describe how beautiful Christabel looks praying at the beginning of the poem, and compares it to the scene at the end of Part 1 when Christabel is sleeping. While the Conclusion to Part 2 still allows the speaker to comment on the poem, Coleridge does so by writing another short poem to parallel the relationship between Christabel and her father.

Questions:

1. Why do you think Coleridge chose to write the two conclusions?
2. How do you think the 3 year time difference between writing Part 1 and Part 2 shows up in the poem?
3. What do you make of Geraldine’s intentions and supernatural status?