Samuel Taylor Coleridge was a poet during the Romantic Period in England during the eighteenth century. Coleridge began writing the “Christabel” in 1797 and finished in 1800. Coleridge’s longest poem, “Christabel” has many different interpretations and feelings you get when reading it. Before reading, it is important to take into consideration that the name “Christabel” means a beautiful Christian. The poem starts off by describing a chilly, April night with crowing cocks and a massif dog sitting outside a castle. There is this beautiful young woman, Christabel, who leaves the castle and goes into the woods. The woods are a quiet place for her to pray, for what she dreams about; a husband. As she is praying, she hears a noise and goes to investigate it timidly. In the distance on the other side of the oak tree, she sees someone. Brave Christabel decides to go see, and as she approaches this person or thing, she realizes its a “damsel bright.. silken rode of white…unsandl’d…wildly glittered here and there, the gems entangled in her hair…”. After being questioned by Christabel, we find out that this women is named Geraldine and has been kidnapped from her own kingdom. Christabel, being innocent and kind, decides to bring Geraldine to her castle and allow her to sleep in her room with her because Geraldine proclaimed that the kidnappers would come back for her, Christabel promised that in the morning they can get help from Christabel’s father, Sir Baron. When headed to Christabel’s “chamber”, she convinces Geraldine to be as quiet as possible and when passing the massif, she growls when she senses Geraldine, which was abnormal to do. After they arrive in Christabel’s room, she prays to Mary, but Geraldine does not participate with her. Due to what happened in the forest to Geraldine, she was anxious, so Christabel gives her wine that her dead mother made. As Geraldine drinks, she realizes that she owes Christabel for her kindness and claims she would do anything to repay her. Christabel then lays in bed but can not fall asleep and Geraldine’s clothes fall off her body. Geraldine than approaches Christabel and lays down beside her. The two women, one older than the other, did sexual acts in Christabel’s room. Christabel thinks about what she has done, as much as she is happy, tears form in her eyes.
The next day, Geraldine wakes up from loud bells ringing slowly. Sir Leoline has them ring everyday to mourn the loss of his wife, who died at Christabel’s birth. Christabel takes Geraldine to meet her father. After discussion, Geraldine reveals that her father is an old friend of Sir Leolines. He realizes two things, one being that Geraldine is beautiful and reminds him somewhat of his wife, and that if he helps her, he can possible regain the friendship of her father. Sir Leoline asks Bracy the bard to escort Geraldine home, which he denies because he claims he has had a dream with a snake that prevented the journey from being successful. After hearing this, Sir Leoline comforts Geraldine and she looks at Christabel. Her eyes are described like a serpents. This makes Christabel faint and go into a nervous wreck. She begs her father to take Geraldine away on her mothers soul and her father gets mad at her for being disrespectful to her guest. The poem finishes with Sir Leoline deciding to take Geraldine on the route home and asks Bracy to take care of Christabel.
When reading, there were several things that surprised me. One of the things I found very ironic is the fact that Christabel went to the woods in order to pray to find a husband, but ends up having an encounter with a woman. Also, when Geraldine asks what Christabel’s mother would think about her, Christabel describes that on her mothers death bed, she claimed that when “strike twelve upon my wedding-day” that her mother would be present. This is also ironic because Geraldine felt the spirit of Christabel’s mother that night and asks her to leave. I found these two ironic because the only reason the mother would be there is on Christabel’s wedding day, which is what she longed for. It was strange that after praying, Geraldine is found and then suspects that her mother is with them in the room as well. Another thing I found interesting is that Christabel’s name means a beautiful Christian, which I interpret as innocent and pure. This definition of her name allows a reader to understand the reason she prayed so hard, and helped Geraldine because she is seen as kind. Also, she has a room decorated with angelic lamps and other decorations that refer to her as a young girl who couldn’t do anything wrong. The reason this is ironic is how can someone so pure be lead to sin and end up not as innocent as seemed. Christabel had sexual relations with an older woman that she doesn’t know. She sinned, yet she constantly prays. Another thing that foreshadowed Geraldine being seen as something evil was when the girls were quietly coming into the castle and the massif let out an angry moan and the fireplace that was dying lit up when Geraldine passed it. This shows that the dog suspected something strange happening with this woman, and the fire symbolizes rage or jealousy. I felt that Geraldine was slightly jealous of Christabel because of the fact that she is younger and innocent. Although Christabel lost her mother, she hasn’t experienced anything like Geraldine, being kidnapped and left in the forest. Christabel is home and free, and that’s what Geraldine wants. This is shown in the repeated line “So free from danger, free from fear…”.
After reading, Anya Taylor’s article called “Coleridge’s “Christabel” and the Phantom Soul, many of the ideas in the poem were made clearer and some were pointed out, that I did not realize. Taylor breaks down the psychological way that Coleridge thought about when writing this poem. For example, she claims that Coleridge wanted to provide an example of what it was like for children who didn’t have any support growing up, versus children who have that. This allowed me to realize that is exactly the problem with Christabel. She grew up without a mother, which is hard because you don’t understand what happens to your body when it changes and you have no one to relate to. Also, Christabel’s father is said to love her a lot, but doesn’t really care for her, which Taylor explains in detail. She states that Sir Leoline is self-consumed in his sorrow for the loss of his wife, and doesn’t even pay attention to Christabel. Taylor gives the example that Christabel can just leave the castle and good into the woods at midnight by herself, with not a single person stopping her. Also, this lack of relationship allows readers to understand why Sir Leoline react to Christabel’s fit at the end of the poem. He doesn’t give her time to explain or confide in him, which makes Christabel feel sorrowful and doesn’t help her sense of self and personality develop. This is also another reason that she wants to help Geraldine so badly. She never had a woman in her life that was so praising and loving of her. This new feeling made her do the things she did, because of her “hunger for love”. When reading the poem itself, I did not think that anything that Christabel did was seen as something that was intentional, but Taylor claims that giving her the wine, she intentionally got Geraldine drunk and made it seem that was Christabel’s intention, to take advantage of her. I was so surprised by this comment because to me Christabel is not seen as someone who is deceiving. I thought because of her youth, she was not aware that anything bad would happen, even though her curiosity allowed her to sin. Another thing that Taylor claims that Coleridge did was talk about the power struggles with men and women. He does this through experience with many of his female friends and what happened to his sister. this point is understood by showing the power struggle between an older women and a younger one, and the father and the daughter. Overall, Taylor’s article helped me understand the poem in a more effective way and was interesting.
Discussion Questions:
- What do you think that Coleridge was trying to say about exploring your sexuality?
- Do you think that Christabel’s intentions in her bedroom were intentional?
- Do you think that Coleridge displays the view of psychology in a realistic manner?
- Did Coleridge display how women are powerless to men? Or that men are weak in compared to women?
Coleridge illustrates the exploring of one’s sexuality in the dark and confusing way that perhaps many young people who are rising into their adult forms find themselves exploring it. Young people often know not fully what they do in these contexts, or know it only partially, and are left feeling ashamed as they shoulder off the already falling-away cloak of innocence and protection a young age *should* afford most people. This vulnerable time, like the few days after ecdysis of an insect, where the exoskeleton has yet to harden, is when predators are most a threat. Geraldine represents one such predator.
There is also a thought, I’m not sure where from, that those who are abused or abuse tend to be abused, or abuse, in the future. It was lightly hinted at in the beginning that Geraldine may have been raped upon her kidnapping, and now, as she is take into Christabel’s chambers, defiles Christabel. (Whether or not Christabel consented I’m still unsteady on. The “happiness” she feels afterwards could be a strange representation of the involuntary reactions of her body to such an event. Regardless of consent, Geraldine decidedly preyed upon an innocent and naive Christabel, who only seemed to know enough to be sure that what had happened was wrong, and yet was committed, by fear, shame, and/or and actual spell, to silence, a state that many victims of rape and abuse will find extremely familiar.)
Christabel’s father is taken in by Geraldine’s spell very quickly, and seems chained down by past events, like Christabel’s mother’s death, and his feud with his old friend who he longed for. However, the female mastiff, though toothless, reacted to Geraldine, as did Christabel’s dead mother, who even tried to interfere. Christabel is young and vulnerable, and is exempted from this consideration for this reason. Geraldine, though probably evil, is perhaps the strongest force in the poem as it stands so far. Females seem to have most of the strength in this poem.
Geraldine definitely implies that she was raped — but are we sure we can trust what she says? Or is it possible that she’s making up a story that she knows will appeal to Christabel’s sensibilities? In either case, Christabel certainly responds to what she perceives to be Geraldine’s sexual vulnerability or violation. Could that relate to your understanding of Christabel’s own vulnerability, and how it shapes the patterns of her attraction?
The second question — about the degree to which Christabel’s actions in the poem are intentional — is such a crucial question for understanding this poem, and for thinking about Coleridge’s poetry generally. Because of Geraldine’s spell, Christabel is unable to communicate her experience narratively — that is, she can’t retrospectively assign intentionality or purpose to her own actions, or to Geraldine’s. Does that mean she acted without intention? Or without being aware of her own intentions? And is there a difference? I’m not sure the poem resolves the questions it raises — rather, it highlights the limits of our ability to comprehend intentional actions — even our own.
1. I believe Coleridge didn’t have one specific view on sexuality, but rather an openness to whatever someone’s preference might be. This was very strange during his time era, where people only accepted heterosexuality.
3. I think Coleridge’s view of psychology is fairly realistic. It gets a little misconstrued due to the elements of magic involved in “Christabel,” but I think overall his intentions are straightforward, and with reason. He masks real life issues in this “story,” staying true to what he believes.
The fact that Samuel Taylor Coleridge wrote about sexuality in this form was fascinating on its own because during this time it was not written like this. I feel like Coleridge was ahead of his time and was not afraid to explore and discuss topics that might not have been considered normal or acceptable at that time.
It seems like in this poem Coleridge was showing women in a very powerful view. Just look at Geraldine, she is the most powerful figure. She puts a spell on Christabel and the father. Even though Geraldine is much more powerful in the wrong ways she still is the most powerful figure in this poem.
Psychology is about individual interpretation of what is happening. Realism is secondary to psychology and cannot be used comparatively because all people are different. They will have applied there own interpretation and perception to a moment in life and therefore will have slightly different versions of the circumstances. I think it is that idea that we are all different and therefore interpret the same scenarios differently that is important here. Christabel and Geraldine were two different people in the same shared moment but were described as reacting to this moment in different ways.
This leads into the next question about sexuality and intention. It was implied that Geraldine held Christabel under her spell but that is what a connection, that which goes deeper than sex, feels like. When meeting ones supposed soul mate for the first time the butterflies in the stomach and odd need to please that person are the drivers behind some of our actions. It could be argued that despite an understanding that a husband was the traditional “love” Christabel fell in love with Geraldine the minute she saw her. All subsequent actions were driven by this love and her desire to please Geraldine despite her complete confusion as to why she feels this way. I don’t think that Coleridge was implying a gender power struggle but rather a power struggle that we have with our emotions and the things we are willing to do as a result. We are powerless to our desires to love and be loved.
And that powerlessness can be terrifying!
1,2)I believe that Coleridge was a strong advocate of female rights. It is possible that the scene with Christabel and Geraldine served to portray Coleridge’s thoughts on same sex partnership. I personally think that he was encouraging woman to explore their sexual desires and not to be confined with the norm of society during the period that Christabel was written. After the night where the two ladies engaged “sexual activities,” Christabel wakes up crying and smiling at the same time. It may be the case that she was happy in a sense because that was what she truly desired however sad at the same time because she went against what was acceptable to society. I also certainly believe that her intentions in the bedroom were intentional. It may have been Christabels plan the whole time and that is why she did not wake her father up the night she found Geraldine in the forest, but waited until the following morning.
4) In my opinion, Coleridge does not portray woman as inferior. Instead he tries to demonstrate how they are in fact powerful beings that are capable of dominating. Geraldine, who is first presented as a weak character is able to manipulate the castle and take over. I believe that metaphorically, Geraldine served to show how woman are no less powerful than men.
In response to your last question, i don’ believe he is showing either. The structure in which power is held in this poem is arguable. Geraldine does seem to have the upper hand in controlling what goes on, yet Christabel seems completely powerless. Her father does seem to be somewhere in the middle. But with how this poem is unfinished I don’t believe it can be said that Coleridge has set up a specific gendered power dynamic.
1. I think he was just going against the norm of his time, I can’t say he supported homosexuality. But he did acknowledge it and gave the reader the option to interpret his acknowledgment.
And yes there are many references to male power in this story. This is clear when the narrator depicts Christable praying for the well-being of her husband; Once Christabel is in the woods, she “kneels beneath the huge oak tree” (Coleridge, Stanza 37). An oak tree is the largest and strongest European tree, it is usually associated with masculine energy. Although kneeling during the prayer usually signals humbleness and honour for God, in the context of Christabel it is possible to interpret her kneeling before the symbol of masculinity as a sign of her submissiveness to men. Woman from England in the 18th and 19th centuries could have expected to be submissive to her father and then to her husband, in almost all aspects of her life.