Christabel by Samuel Taylor Coleridge is a poem that precious itself of being ambiguous. This is because, apparently, its author had conceived it as a larger poem and said to have the complete plot in mind. However at some point he gave up his idea of writing it complete and published the first two parts. The highlights of these two parts is what I pretend to comment on inthe following text.
The thing that called my attention the most about the poem is its vivid, if somewhat dark, imagery. At the beginning ofthe poem we see Christabel, the daughter of Sir Leoline, master ofthe castle, wandering near the woods, praying for her lover s welfare. The night is chilly and the owls awake the cock (in an inversion of natural behavior, where it is usually the cock who awakens others).
An in this way the mood is created and we a reintroduced to Christabel, we know that for sure something extraordinary is going to happen, the strange setting has hinted that for us. And that is correct, while praying Christabel hears a moan as near can be and soon discovers a beautiful lady in distress that begs for her help, the lady introduces herself as Geraldine. Again in this part of the poem, Coleridge s imagery is marvellous, when painting the portrait of the beautiful pale lady who is barefoot and with jewels in her hair.
Gerladine tellsChristabel her story, she was abducted from her home by five warriors who brought her to the oak tree and then left her, vowing to return. Christabel being an innocent girl believes he rand helps her. She offers to take her to the castle with her. At the entrance Geraldine falls down and must be lifted over the doorstep, but strangely, after entering the house she is able to walk noramlly, as she were not in pain. This is the first hint of Gerladine s true nature, evil spirits (we never know for sure whether she is a witch, a demon or what is most commonly assumed, a vampire) cannot pass on their own through a doorway o where the blessed live, the must be aided by the innocent. During the next paragraphs we start to notice some other hints, perhaps more powerful, for example Geraldine s weak excuse forgot praying to the Virgin with Christabel to thank her for being safe, that of the watchdog not barking at her as he should in front of a stranger, or that of the ashes in the fireplace suddenly flaming up as Geraldine passes by.
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The next scene occurs in Christabel s room, where they both undress for sleep. There they talk of Christabel s mother, who died in childbirth, and Christabelconfides how much she trusts in her mother s protection. Afterwards they lay down in bed and Christabel founds herself in Gerladine s arms. As she sleeps, Geraldine says a kind of a spell an din this way, turns Christabel s mother s protection away from her.
This is the end of the first part and where the reader finally sees his suspects of Geraldine being an evil being confirmed, it is followed by a conclusion by the author resuming Christabel s difficult position but at the same time giving us hope, as he says that saints will aid if men will call. The second part begins the next morning. Geraldine and Christabel rise and dress. But Christabel is feeling somewhat strange, as if she could percieve something strange coming form Geraldine, she feels as if she had sinned. Sinned how, we can only imagine. Still, she takes Geraldine to visit her father, Sir Leoline.
To him, Geraldine introduces herself as the daughter of Lord Roland de Vaux of Tryermaine. The name brings Sir Leoline back many memories, Lord Roland had been his best friend in youth, but whispering tongues can poison truth and they had separated. But whatever had seemed so unforgettable in youth looses its importance in the middle age, or so I think, because Sir Leolinelloks back at the story not bitterly, more like with regret, for he says that he could never find a friend like Lord Roland. Of course, all this leads Sir Leoline to be in mediately fond with Geraldine, the daughter of his long lost friend. Geraldine also plays her part and embraces and kisses Sir Leoline, in front of the bewildered eyes of Christabel. Terribly moved, Sir Leoline asks bard Bracy to go to Lord Roland s castle and invite him to his castle.
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Bard Bracy s reply is my favorite part of the poem, and it brings what for me is the most powerful and clear imagery of the poem. He replies that though he is faithful to him and in other moment would gladly carry out his wish he is incapable of doing so at that moment force had a dream that wouldn t let him go in peace. And then he proceeds to relate his dream -or vision- of a dove (Christabel) threatened by a bright green snake (Gerladine) that coiled around the dove s wings and neck. As I mentioned before, this passage is painted marvelously and moreover, it represents what has been developing between Christabel and Gerladine. Sir Leoline, now totally bewitched by Geraldine doesn t really pay attention to what bard Barry says, instead he turns to Gerladine and thinkings he s the dove of the story promises with the help of her father to kill the snake. Seeing Gerladine s influence over her father Christabel asks that the guest be sent to her home at once.
But Sir Leoline is totally captivated by Gerladine and his daughter s words only achieve to wake up his fury and answers angrily to her. Christabel cannot do anything, cannot try to explain her fears tower father, in part because survey he would not be able to understand them -as bewitched as he is- and in part because Geraldine s spell over her tongue. She cannot then ask for the help that gave us hope in the conclusion of the first part. The second part ends with the poet s meditation about the irrational anger of a parent toward an innocent child.
And in this way the poem ends. What happened next, here the story might have led if Coleridge had finished it is something left for the readers imagination. But what was indeed written is indeed enough for us to have an insight of Coleridge s thoughts. The duality among Christabel and Geraldine is something really special transmitted in the poem, two ladies with much in common yet one is totally pure, the other is totally evil, which leader the reader s mind, or at least mine, to endless speculations. Did the pure won over the evil Did the evil won over the pure Or are they still in endless struggle.
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