Poet’s Corner: Coleridge–Christabel 24

1 July 2026

(26 June 2015) We greet all as we continue our analysis of Coleridge’s unfinished, supernatural poem, “Christabel.” Last time we commented on what Christabel actually saw in Geraldine, and what it might mean, particularly the fact that one of Geraldine’s ‘spells’ prevented her, or her father, from seeing Geraldine as she truly is–a supernatural creature, or a witch. Now we continue as Christabel insists that a messenger be sent at once to Geraldine’s supposed father:

Yet he, who saw this Geraldine,
Had deemed her sure a thing divine:
Such sorrow with such grace she blended,
As if she feared she had offended
Sweet Christabel, that gentle maid!
And with such lowly tones she prayed
She might be sent without delay
Home to her father’s mansion.
‘Nay!
Nay, by my soul!’ said Leoline.
‘Ho! Bracy the bard, the charge be thine!
Go thou, with sweet music and loud,
And take two steeds with trappings proud,
And take the youth whom thou lov’st best
To bear thy harp, and learn thy song,
And clothe you both in solemn vest,
And over the mountains haste along,
Lest wandering folk, that are abroad,
Detain you on the valley road.

We note first that Christabel’s father, the Baron, does not see through the illusion Geraldine presents, and so he sees her as heaven sent, an angel come to grace his household with her divine presence. On the other hand, Christabel, who has had glimpses of Geraldine’s true nature, insists that her father send a messenger at once, to which the Baron readily agrees; we must point out that his reasons are much different from his daughter’s–the one motivated out of a lost friendship and concern for the daughter of his former friend, while our heroine desires to get Geraldine away from her person as quickly as possible. We then meet the fourth, named character, Bracy the bard, the court musician, who is sent with the message of Geraldine’s rescue. They are to go with music, to show their intentions are peaceful, dressed in their finest, and with the bard’s best apprentice–this is “the youth whom thou lov’st best.” To the music and the dress, the Baron adds “a somber vest” to indicate to the wandering folk–the gypsies, no doubt–that their embassy cannot wait or be delayed. We will see that this leads directly into Bracy’s embassy, as the Baron’s directions, quite smoothly, change to the bard on the road. Until then, good reading!