Poet’s Corner: Coleridge–Christabel 16

12 June 2026

(1 May 2015) We return to Coleridge’s supernatural poem, “Christabel,” and join the ladies as they wake up and prepare for another day:

The air is still! through mist and cloud
That merry peal comes ringing loud;
And Geraldine shakes off her dread,
And rises lightly from the bed;
Puts on her silken vestments white,
And tricks her hair in lovely plight,
And nothing doubting of her spell
Awakens the lady Christabel.
‘Sleep you, sweet lady Christabel?
I trust that you have rested well.’

Geraldine wakes up to the sound of the bells, perhaps because she is unused to the daily ringing of the bells at sunrise. We see that Christabel sleeps through this daily morning racket, as she is used to it, and so no longer hears it. On the other hand, considering the supernatural character of Geraldine, this witchy character would not be able to sleep through any bell ringing, for as we noted in an earlier post, bells were used to drive away evil spirits & creatures. We are reminded of this in the line, “Geraldine shakes off her dread,” referring back to the “merry peal” of the bells. We also take note of the ‘spell’ Geraldine has placed upon Christabel. Notice how Geraldine carefully dresses and fixes her hair, assuring herself that the spell, whatever it is, is still working before she wakes Christabel–why? What does this order of actions tell us about Geraldine? We will find out more next week as we continue to examine this unfinished poem by Coleridge. Good reading!