Christabel

Samuel Taylor Coleridge, a key figure in the British Romantic Era of poetry wrote the Gothic narrative poem “Christabel” in two parts, the first in 1797, and the second in 1800. Though it was still unfinished, “Christabel” was published in 1816.

“Christabel” is Coleridge’s longest poem, at almost 700 lines. It is also the least edited of Coleridge’s work. Most of the poem contrasts the innocent piety of Christabel with the experience and supernatural abilities of Geraldine; at the same time, the poem’s intrusive narrator speaker offers commentary on the action and the characters, demonstrating that all are subject to the power of time.

Please note that the poem’s stanza breaks vary from publication to publication. This guide cites the line and stanza numbers from Representative Poetry Online, which is part of the University of Toronto Libraries.

Poet Biography

In 1772, Samuel Taylor Coleridge was born one of 14 children in Ottery St. Mary, Devonshire, in England. His father John Coleridge was a school-master who died when Coleridge was eight. In school, Coleridge fostered his love of poetry, learned Latin, Greek, and Hebrew, and met future fellow author Charles Lamb.

In 1791, Coleridge began his undergraduate studies at Jesus College, Cambridge. He struggled financially there and, in 1793, he dropped out to enlist in the military under the pseudonym Silas Tomkyn Comberbache. His brothers helped him leave the army and return to Cambridge after a few months of poor service. However, Coleridge soon left Cambridge a second time to establish a utopian group called Pantisocracy with poet Robert Southey. At Southey’s urging, Coleridge married Southey’s sister-in-law Sara Fricker in 1795.

By 1797, the Coleridges were living in Nether Stowey, Somerset, near poet William Wordsworth. Coleridge began taking opium, and the two poets collaborated on a now famous collection of Romantic poetry, the Lyrical Ballads (1798). The pair also traveled to Göttingen, Germany, where Coleridge studied German philosophical and religious ideas, which he brought back to England.

After 1799, Coleridge focused more on prose than poetry, writing many essays about society and politics, as well as poetry criticism. Coleridge also fell in love with Sara Hutchinson, separating from his wife in 1806.

Coleridge traveled for many years, attempting to cure his physical ailments. During this time, he produced a periodical called The Friend, lectures on Shakespeare, and the Biographia Literaria, one of his most famous prose works, as well as other writings. Coleridge died in 1834. He is now regarded as one of the great English poets of the Romantic tradition, and his work is widely taught and read the world over.

Poem Text

Coleridge, Samuel Taylor. “Christabel.” 1816. Representative Poetry Online.

Summary

Part I

The poem opens in the castle of Sir Leoline, in the middle of a cold, moonlit, early April night.

Leoline’s daughter Christabel wanders out to the forest near the castle gate. She prays there under a big oak tree until a mysterious moaning startles her. Could it be wind? No, there is not enough of a breeze to even move Christabel’s hair or the red leaf on the top of the tree. As speaker asks Jesus and Mary to protect Christabel, she puts her arms inside her cloak and investigates.

Behind the tree is a woman in a white robe, no shoes, with gems in her hair. She is very pale, and disturbingly beautiful. The woman begs Christabel for help and explains that she is Geraldine, a member of a noble family. Five men abducted her by tying her to a white horse and riding off into the night. Eventually, they left her under the oak tree, saying they would return. Christabel offers to take Geraldine to Sir Leoline. He will help her get back home because of the codes of chivalry.

Christabel slowly guides Geraldine to her castle, explaining that Sir Leoline is in ill health and should not be woken. She invites Geraldine to sleep in her room. At the threshold, Geraldine collapses, so Christabel must carry her through the gate. In the court, Christabel praises the Virgin Mary, but Geraldine says she is too weak to pray. When the women pass Leoline’s dog, the mastiff moans in a way Christabel has never heard. In the hall, as Geraldine crosses the dying fire, a flame leaps up. As they finally reach Christabel’s room, Geraldine collapses on the floor.

Christabel shares some of her mother’s wildflower wine. Christabel’s mother died shortly after she was born. Christabel wishes her mother was still around, but Geraldine suddenly orders the mother’s ghost to leave—Geraldine is afflicted with the ability to see the dead.

Christabel assumes that the abduction has unsettled Geraldine. Geraldine drinks some more wine and says she will try to repay Christabel. Christabel undresses and gets into bed, but she cannot sleep, so she watches Geraldine undress. In the lamplight, Geraldine looks like she is filled with sorrow or illness, but then she defiantly gets into bed, takes Christabel in her arms, and uses her touch to cast a spell that prevents Christabel from sharing any of Geraldine’s secrets and shame.

As Part I concludes, the speaker expresses dismay at the pious Christabel in bed with the harmful Geraldine. The two women resemble mother and child curled up together. Time passes like a star rising and setting. In the morning, Christabel smiles, sheds a few tears, and prays like a female hermit. The vision she had while entranced seems to be positive. However, Christabel’s mother—her guardian spirit—is absent.

Part II

Every morning, church bells reminder Sir Leoline of the day his wife died. Bell pullers time bell tolls by how long it takes to say 45 prayers on the rosary. The bell can be heard between Bratha Head and Wyndermere; Bracy the bard claims that Langdale Pike and Witch's Lair are fouled by the bells as three ghosts of sinful bell-ringers echo the sound to their still-living brother. After that, the devil mocks them from Borodale.

When the bell sounds, Geraldine gets out of bed, dresses, and fixes her hair. She has confidence in her spell. When Christabel wakes, she first thinks Geraldine is more beautiful than before; then, after gazing at Geraldine’s clothes and heaving breasts, she believes she has sinned. Christabel takes Geraldine to meet Leoline.

Baron Leoline hugs Christabel and welcomes Geraldine. When Geraldine reveals that her father is Lord Roland de Vaux of Tryermaine, Leoline goes pale. The two men had been friends when they were young. Due to vanity, rumor, and life’s difficulties, they had a heated argument, exchanged insults, and never saw each other again. Still, some fond feeling remains deep underneath.

Leoline swears revenge on Geraldine’s abductors. He will broadcast their evil nature, and if they deny their wrongdoing, he will challenge them to a tournament where he will kill them. Leoline is electrified, seeing his old friend in Geraldine.

Meanwhile, Christabel has a terrifying vision of an old, cold bosom, but after the vision ends, the comforting feeling of being in bed with Geraldine washes over her.

Leoline, enchanted by Geraldine, orders Bracy the bard to go to Roland’s castle and invite Roland to Langdale Hall. Leoline and his men will meet Roland along the way. Leoline regrets ever insulting Roland—he has never had a better friend. Geraldine falls to the floor and embraces Leoline’s knees, and cries.

Bracy does not want to go on this quest: He had a prophetic dream about Leoline’s dove moaning in the forest in distress. In the dream, Bracy found a green snake coiled around the bird, tightening its grip. Even now, Bracy cannot shake this nightmare; he vows to play music in the forest to clear out any unholy presence.

Leoline, distracted by Geraldine while Bracy was talking, calls Geraldine a dove and declares that he and Roland will crush the snake. Geraldine’s eyes turn snake-like for a moment and Christabel falls into a trance. After she recovers, she begs Leoline to send Geraldine away. However, the spell keeps her from saying why.

Part II concludes by focusing on Leoline’s emotions. He is enraged that Christabel does not want to offer Geraldine hospitality. Christabel, he feels, is dishonoring him. He believes Christabel is jealous. Leoline orders Bracy to carry out the quest he commanded earlier. Bracy obeys. Leoline turns from his daughter to lead Geraldine. The speaker describes a child as an elf and a fairy: It creates visions in a father’s eyes until he becomes so filled with love that his words contain unintended bitterness. In a sinful world, the speaker laments, the heart becomes giddy through rage and pain, so speech remains unchanged despite changes in the heart.