15 June 2026
(8 May 2015) We’re back with another piece of Coleridge’s unfinished, supernatural poem, “Christabel”; the guest awoke first, and dressed, then wakened our heroine:
And Christabel awoke and spied
The same who lay down by her side—
O rather say, the same whom she
Raised up beneath the old oak tree!
Nay, fairer yet! and yet more fair!
For she belike hath drunken deep
Of all the blessedness of sleep!
And while she spake, her looks, her air
Such gentle thankfulness declare,
That (so it seemed) her girded vests
Grew tight beneath her heaving breasts.
‘Sure I have sinn’d!’ said Christabel,
‘Now heaven be praised if all be well!’
We learn through the eyes of our heroine that Geraldine this morning looks better today than she did last night, and our heroine attributes this improved state to a good night’s sleep! However, we know that Geraldine is, like Christabel’s mother, a supernatural creature, perhaps even a witch, and she has used her magical powers on our heroine, to what end, we are not sure. The poet draws our attention to this fact, with a hint of something more, by noting that this morning Geraldine’s vest fits less well than the night before, which is odd. And then, Christabel tells us that she has “sinned,” and we cannot help but tie this declaration to the overly tight vest in the previous line. Perhaps Geraldine, the witch, is reminding Christabel that she now has some hold over her, owing to the spell placed upon her the previous night. We are left to wonder, as we often do in this strange poem, what is going on between these two ladies. Come again on Wednesday for another installment of this supernatural poem by Coleridge. Good reading!
Clyde B. Northrup 
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