Is Christabel innocent or not?

Christabel, by Samuel Taylor Coleridge Does anyone know what the meaning of the name Christabel is? Yes, of course it means Christian. Is Christabel really a Christian girl like Coleridge explains or not? Let’s find out. She doesn’t like to sin as Coleridge explains, but it’s not true, because Christabel sins throughout the poem in many different ways and who knows if she continued to sin in the future since the poem is not finished by Coleridge. Examples will be provided on how Christabel made sinful decisions.  First off everyone knows that “Christabel” poem is extremely long, and very confusing. It makes me feel “mad” and also “stupid,” because I don’t understand most of the words and phrases in it. Christabel ‘s behavior is not innocent and Christian, and at times it can also be called inappropriate. In the beginning of the poem Christabel is sneaking out of the castle. Wait, I have a question: why would a Christian girl go outside of castle to pray when she has a church at home?  As Christabel meets Geraldine, she doesn't feel that everything is right, but wants to be with her.  When Geraldine seems scared, “Then Christabel stretched forth her hand her hand/And comforted fair Geraldine” (Coleridge 5).  She comforts Geraldine and offers to take her to her house and have her father take her home. Yet Christabel stretching out her hand can also be referring to Eve stretching out her hand and taking the apple from the snake.  By stretching out her hand she is probably accepting evil and sin.  Later on in the story Christabel brings Geraldine to her room, offers her some wine and gets undressed  Is she trying to be friendly or she wants to manipulate her guest by offering her some “virtuous powers” wine? The guest sleeps over with Christabel , and it can be assumed they did far more than just sleep. Christabel is crying a lot throughout the poem perhaps because she knows that she has sinned and is regretting it. On the other hand she is hoping that her sins will be forgotten and nobody will know about them" by Alina Seminsky (article). Would this be considered taking responsibility for her actions?  Even though Christabel is being very inappropriate throughout the poem, Coleridge continues to provide excuses why she is innocent. Personally that’s not understandable for me.

Christabel, by Samuel Taylor Coleridge

My initial thoughts on Christabel part 1

This must be near a castle in a forest, it's late because an owl is hooting. This man has an old toothless dog that howls at something sixteen times. Could it be the ghost of his wife? Now the true setting is shown: its a cold night but the moon is out and this lights up the sky which is thinly vealed by a sheet of gray clouds. It is the month of April. This seems really eerie, well this poem is defiantly dark. Why is this woman in the forest? This lady is in the forest praying, but then she was scared? Christabel was scared by a tree?  No, it was what was behind the tree, it was a ghost. Was the ghost trying to frighten her?  When Christabel says "Mary mother, save me now!" that tells me she is scared. Was Coleridge writing a creepy ghost story? The white lady says to have no fear, so this lady is good. This lady tells Christabel about how she came to be a ghost. She takes this lady to the castle? So she lets the white lady in, then Christabel gets possessed.  Whats going on? Then she gathers herself and then shes fine.

Biography of Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Samuel Taylor Coleridge- well-known romantic poet, youngest of his ten siblings, didn’t have a pleasant childhood since he was bullied by his second youngest brother, and had brother and sister dying. He didn’t have the greatest mother in the world, and she didn’t care much about him. As many children would, Coleridge ran away from his house, and after he returned the next morning, he didn’t stay the same as he was before. Experiencing cold and dark night, Col had his views on our world in very different way than before running away. As Coleridge was growing up, his father passed away and Coleridge was sent to school in London. He had big interest in books and was one of the greatest students in his class.
Coleridge’s brother and sister died very young and Coleridge became very ill. He took some medicine for the treatment which contained opium, and began his lifelong journey using this drug. Coleridge was publishing poems and they were read by people, so it seemed like they were going to get him some fame that he was strongly hoping for. Fighting, fighting, and fighting to stay clean and wealthy; Coleridge had struggled to reach his goals and kept on failing. After not so great marriage, he had a son and was getting some work done to help his family, but all of a sudden his son (Berkeley) died. Berkeley had a reaction to treatment from smallpox. Sadly, Coleridge didn’t hurry to return home and help his wife with the loss of son. Not being able to become free from opium, Coleridge was just getting in bigger debt and opium was big influence on his work. Having horrible childhood, sad family experience, and drug problems, Coleridge was able to write one of the greatest poems, which are famous and read all over the world.
Coleridge summed himself in very meaningful and creative way:
 Beneath this sod
A Poet lies; or that which once was he.
O lift one thought in prayer for S.T.C.
That he, who many a year with toil of breath,
Found Death in Life, may here find Life in Death.

The way this poem is read gives me a better understanding of the feeling the poem is supposed to convey. The feeling it gives me is a feeling of slight dismay, however it also strikes me as huge and boisterous. The part were the poem says, "Kubla heard from far," tells me the Kubla is a person. I didn't understand that when i was reading it the first time. The pleasure dome is sunny, yet it has caves of ice, this could be a metaphor for someones heart. They are nice to some, however if you get to know that person they are mean and crewel. Now, at about 2:20 the caves of ice sound good. Just after that he reads, "his flashing eyes, his floating hair," and I wonder, when someones eyes flash that means they're mad right?  "Weave a circle round him thrice," this seems like a protective act like a spell. Then he reads "And close your eyes with holy dread, for he on honey-dew hath fed."  Honey dew? Whats so bad about honey dew? It says that you show dread him because he ate honey dew. And drunk the milk of Paradise? Is that bad? Does it corrupt you? The really sad part is that the poem is unfinished. So I guess we will never know the truth behind the poem.  This post was written on December 27, 2010 by Stephen henley.

What The Rime of Ancient Mariner Symbolizes

The Rime of Ancient Mariner is one of the best poems in the English literature. When Coleridge wrote it, people didn’t care much about it. Now it’s a poem that is read all over the colleges in American culture. What makes this poem to be so special and significant? When I first read it, I was shocked of how complicated it is and many words in it are unknown to me. First off, The Mariner is a sailor who tells the tale of his adventures in the ocean with all the ship crews and the albatross. Obviously the tale symbolizes something significantly important, because it’s not as simple as many would think who just read it their first time. A question people might ask is why The Ancient Mariner story is on the ocean, by Antarctica, and it’s in the coldest climate on the planet Earth. The Mariner and his crew members on the ship seem to search for something, and they look for a way to get out of the cold, cruel place in Antarctica. Then they see an albatross that is showing them the way out of the horrible situation, but Mariner shoots it and albatross dies. Most likely the crew members of the ship symbolize people who wanted Jesus to help them out, and give them the needs necessary for living. Albatross probably symbolizes Jesus Christ, because albatross is treated like a person and Jesus Christ was often times compared to a bird metaphorically. The Mariner made a huge mistake by killing the albatross and it was so bad that it counted as a sin. Albatross was the help for the crews on the ship and Mariner too, he was the light in the dark and a life saving hero. The only thing men on the ship had to do is follow the albatross and he would save their lives and make them happy. Albatross symbolizes Jesus Christ, because Jesus showed people a way out of their problems and he was leading them to happiness and salvation, but they chose to kill him. All of the people on the ship die and this symbolizes the people who crucified Jesus Christ and after He died the people were on their own without help from Him.

the type who write in sleep

The poem kubla kahn was written while Coleridge was in a trace and most likely high on opium.  When read it sound like he is turning the heavenly act of sex, in to a scenic view over a country.

'A savage place! as holy and enchanted

As e'er beneath a waning moon was haunted

By woman wailing for her demon-lover!

And from this chasm, with ceaseless turmoil seething,

As if this earth in fast thick pants were breathing,

A mighty fountain momently was forced'

This makes me wonder if Coleridge was a "player" or if he was a lady's man.  Of course he did smoke a lot of opium. He was probably high and had sex.  This might cause the opium dream / vision.  What strikes me as strange is the fact that he had no recollection of ever writing the poem.  How can he write without opening his eyes or if they were open then why didn’t he see them?  And if it’s only a fragment then why does it sound complete?  Was Coleridge an outcast from society? Did he have problems with his family?  Did he write this to a girl that he liked? Did Coleridge talk to anyone other than Wordsworth?  How many other poems were written like this? Was Coleridge talking about the east because in the 13th-century the Yuan dynasty was ruled by Kublai Khan?  Have you ever written something you didn’t know you had written?  My guess is that you haven’t because we normally know when we are awake.  I have never written anything in my sleep or if I just woke up and written something, however my father has and it too was a poem.  My father’s poem was about whales and whaling ships. I will probably add a poll to this post.  Ok so, here is the question: have you ever written something that you did not remember?  This post was written by Stephen Henley, on December 26^th 2010. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from the super rainbow trouts.  Sorry Mr. Turner this is not three hundred fifty words, I got close though.

The first of many

Hello and thank you for reading this blog about Samuel Coleridge.  His poems influence many artists in several aspects.  So read on and we hope you get a better understanding of Coleridge.