Symbolism In Christabel

Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s narrative poem, Christabel, published in 1816, embodies many of the themes associated with the Gothic, such as the setting of the gloomy castle, the doubling of characters, and the curse upon Geraldine. The poem was originally part of Coleridge and Wordsworth’s Lyrical Ballads, although the poem was replaced shortly before the book was published, as it was still unfinished. This passage from Christabel can convey crucial information to the reader through the ambiguous nature of some of its phrases, its references to the supernatural, and the words Coleridge chose to illustrate his scene.
The instances of ambiguity within the first few lines are very important to the possible interpretations of the passage. For example, Coleridge’s description of a hall that “echoes still” has two possible meanings (154). The simplest explanation of this phrase might be boiled down to a simple inversion of words, meaning that the hall still …show more content…
In the lines, “when the lady passed, there came / a tongue of light, a fit of flame,” Coleridge’s metaphors call to mind images intrinsically linked with the idea of the supernatural. The “tongue of light” that flares up in the flames of the fireplace calls up image of a devil-like forked tongue, perhaps hinting at Geraldine’s possible association with demonic forces (159). The “fit of flame” has a similar effect; the use of the word “fit” gives the reader the impression that some sort of possession may have occurred. The impression that Geraldine isn’t what she seems, established by the supernatural effect of the fire’s sudden restoration to life, is also emphasized by the following line, in which Christabel “saw the lady’s eye, / and nothing else she saw thereby” (160-1) This apparent hypnotizing quality of Geraldine’s eyes supports the idea that Geraldine isn’t as innocent as she appears even before Coleridge gives the reader any