For Friday: Coleridge, Cristabel (handout--take one from my office door if you missed class)

Answer TWO of the following:

Q1: Cristabel, though unfinished, seems to explore the idea of “innocence” through the unformed, child-like character of Cristabel.  How might we read her character metaphorically, as a journey of childhood inexperience into the “dark woods” of adult sexuality?  (and yes, any knowledge of Freud is welcome here!) 

 

Q2: In Richard Holmes’ book, Coleridge: Early Visions (1989), he writes that Cristabel is “chant-like, trance-like.  Its power derives from a haunting suggestiveness of atmosphere, an incantation of psychological symbols and spells, which defy any normal narrative development” (287).  How does the poem achieve these “trance-like” effects?  What sounds, images, metaphors, or other features make it seem more like a spell or a dream than an actual story or poem? 

Q3: What is the difference between Part I and Part II of the poem?  Literally, Part I occurs during midnight, while Part II occurs the following morning.  Does this basic distinction change the general tone/focus of each part?  Why do you think Coleridge separated the poem into two parts when the entire poem was left incomplete?  Does something tangible change from one part to the next? 

 

Q4: Why might Geraldine the earliest form of a character that has since become extremely popular in fantasy and horror fiction?  What kind of character is she, and what about her description, actions, or motives might suggest other, more modern characters/types?  Consider lines such as, “Deep from within she seems half-way/To lift some weight with sick assay,/And eyes the maid and seeks delay;/Then suddenly, as one defied,/Collects herself in scorn and pride,/And lay down by the Maiden’s side!--/And in her arms the maid she took” (30).