Boston University

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Theses & Dissertations Dissertations and Theses (pre-1964)

1942

The supernatural in the poetry of

Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Barnaud, Ernest E.
Boston University

https://hdl.handle.net/2144/8528
Boston University
 BOSTON UN~Vl!:RSITY .
Graduate School
theeie
The Superna.tural in- The Poetry ot
Samuel Taylor Coleridge
by
Ernest E. Barnaucl
(A.B., Assumption College, 1941)
Submltted 1n partial fulfilment ot
the requirements tor the degree ot
Kaster ot Arts
1942
 lt\c..o J€ ~~
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t ~1 i9A?...

APPHOVEl>
b;r

F1re't Reader-
 Purpose ot the· Thesis and Methods used!'
The purpose ot this Thesis 1e to stUdf the supernatural
element in Coleridge :• s beat known poems: The Ancient Marin_e,..r.L
Chr1stabal and Kubla Khan. l am not eo much interested 1n the
eouroes of h1e tanjte.stic lines, which Mr. Lowes 1n his Ro8d ......
to Xanadu and Ur. .J ethercot in his }\oad to Trlerma.i.n~ have
more than adequately gleaned from 'the r- anci~nt Plotinus and the
ma1ssanee iurchae, am.o ng othe·r aouroee. l am more interested
1n the supernatural. o.haractera themselvee. Wh1oh are theyt
What type ~re they? Which lines in t h e poems have supernatural
s1gn1f1eence and how do they add to the weirdness and faraway-
,'

ness ot the poemsf

In a special chapter at the beg1nn1ng, I shall rekindle
the old problem ot the influence that opium had, (1t anr)
in the conception of Coleridge's supernatural poetr7, tor I.
believe that the influence of drugs in the creation ot the
Ancient Mariner and Ohr1stabel 1e an 1ntportant factor 1n
understa.nd1ng the weird nature ot the supernatural in these
poems.
The •ethod 1s both analytic and synthet1o. I have read
the supernatural poems or Coleridge as well as his letters,
note books and B1ograph1a L1teraria 1 wherein he expounds his
purpose in writing hie supernatural poems as well as the manner
1n which they were conceived. I have analysed his poems.,
segregated the supernatural elements and have come to personal
conolus1ons, s)'nthesizing the al into a super ural class-
1t1oat1on. Onl.y after that cUd X read what critics said ot
Coleridge's works~ espec1e.lly .LovH3 1 a The Roo.~- to Xanadu and
Nethel'Oot 1 a sequ~ l to 1 t The Roe..d to Tr•yerm~1n~,. Therein l
gleaned i nteresting patwngea th£tt I deemed »ould be sel·v1ce-
able and enlighten tho er.plane.t1on e.nd clase1f1oat1on c•f tl1e
eupernatural elements .1 n thosf' poel!s.
 II~

Ch _ t~ r • n'"1e Superngt ural as them~ . l-6

I. A un1 veranl theme. 1
.2. .L.tE:.tJ. li tiOl'l.l-f
A~ Btymologi cal.
B. Cot4par ison wtt h nat ural. .
c. Difference .!l th imagined and dre er. a.
D. ' he i raagi ned, ins t rumental.
J!. The supernatural humanized.
r. De ini t i on t o be used in t hesis.
3. Ooler1d~e and the SunernP,.turaL 5·6
.:.... PoeT a t h eox•y d erived from Qoler1dge.
B. Supernatu:rel, a romantic trend. ·
Oha.pter 11. The Op1u.m Add1et. 7·13
1. O.oleridge 1 s dec1e1on on aupernatural theae.
2. Such a decision in accord ith eccentric and
1mpraot1cal nature. ·
B. Opium habit.
3. Importance ot opium 1ntluence.s
4. Evidence or opium t aking. 9
A. N·ov. 28, 1791 •
.B. . arch 12, 1796.
c. Nov. 1796.
:0. . Nov. 22, 1902.
5. Opium dreams tn b1s poetry. 10
A. Feb. 1, 1801.
S. Nov. 22, 1802.
o.
Dec. 4, 1902.
6. The extreme Solutions ot 10•11
A. Robertson.
B. Lo t~ ea.
7. The ~via med1sl 12- 13
Chapter III. The Anoient Mariner. 14-24.
1. t"lupernatura.l data.
A. External ev1dence.14-lB
1~ Account. of conoept1on •. 14
2. Tbe Argument. 15
a. Ancient Mariner not supernatural.
b. Strange h~ppen1ngs.
3. 'l'he M~r1ner connecting link.
4. The albatross, and the neoplaton1c deemo
' c>. · n , aa.
told by LowetJ.
5. The problem ot the albatross.
B. Internal .ev1dtmce 17•22
1. 'I'uteiary spirits o~ the region, preeen.c e known
through etfecte.
• 1 breeze drops down•
b. 1 nor breath, nor mot1onM
 IV

c. Min r ~ ~m~ n~ o uP d uer e K

d. *without a breeze, without a tide.~
~. • nl)a th 'lnd 'L fe 1 e .th ".
o. Natu~e ot supernatural element.
.. tH~ m oni c ~ up to Part v.
1.
2.
Angelic, V to the end.
2. An ppr eei etl o • 2~-24
A. Hie purpose acoompl1shed.
B. Supern . tu: rf~.l, me.ke s t!;1e 1mp.rcbab l e .
c. Yet, something fundamental brings poem to earth.
Sta.l lknecb.t & Brandl i nt ¢rprets.t 1ons.
WA queer and wei.rd melange of things both natu~al
a nd superna tur. l.•
Oh ttptcr 5. Chr1st &bel. 2o-3e
1. •·u ) ~ J:'na:t ural.
data..
• ...xternal evidence. 2 0. :~7
1. Coleridge h1mselt.
a. eRa~y on preternatural.
b. purpose expounded.
c. • e.;. ·o orr:nwn :r lli ry te.l e ..
2. H. N. Coleridge.
B. Internal evidence. 27-33
1. In general, exotic and enchanted world.
2. In .narticular.
~a . Gere.ld.1ne.
1. Qeserlption, not a betrayal
2. "the ls.dr sank"
s. the mast1tt moans
4. the tire spurt.s
6. the Virgin distresses
b. Ohrietabel's motber.
C. N~.t1.tre of supernatural element. 27.... 33
1. Geraldine, ev11 1 1n se• or poeaeeeed.
s. Ernest Hart·ley Coleridge.
b. Netheroot.
2. Ge:r . . ld ·: ne's character.
a. difte~s not from modern flapper
b . turning Ohr1tttbel into her like.
3. Chr!ete.bel' s mother.
4. Two oontend1n~ torces.
6. Comparison with Accient Mariner.
2. An a.ppr ~": O lat 1on. ~3· 36
A. l>e:Ber~eviezy's conception or St:pernaturnl.
B. Col~rldg(J' s e,oeompli ehment ..

Chapt er 5. Kubl a Khan. 37-42

l. Acoount ot con~eption 37
2. Not result of s. plan 38
A. A fragment.
B. Vision 1n a dream.
 3. The Superna"tul:'a1. 39
• n g e"t Ol'al, Veritable G~rdt.: n o "' ... "e n .
B. In ~arti cu l ar.
1. ~ aore d r iver.
2. Ot'_'O'e:r·ne me f1.sureles':t to man ..
3. :U.e.uwn l ov ex·.
4. Dane1ng ruck.
4. Apprec1a t1o , the utHBOl 'H d my ·~ery. 41.

Ohe pt er f . ConcluR1on. sttzttement.

Chap. I- The Supe :rnatur 1~ l as & Theme.

Oh.::.p. II- Coleridge, th.e <)p1um adciict, and tne liiupfll"nlltural.

Chap. III· •.the Ancient Mari.n er.

Chap. IV- Chr1etab ~ 1.

Chap. V- KublR Khan.

Chap. Vl ... Concl usion.
 1

C1.1a.Ut 0r One,
'!'he :.:J,upsrne:tur al e.s t.i:. ~'h em f!&

Frow Anglo-Saxon t imes ·to t he pre ~ ~nt .er a of worl d. c on-

natur al element oun ·:oe fmmd in li 't ? r~i.tu .re. Throughout the
&gco ..-:e f ind tl~a t r ca-antic t h:t'e wi: The; !.1%'11. 1n e;trly ll!ng11eh

atanuscripa 1 ; enchantment s , Ula~ 1 c 1 R.n a , at xo ang e tran ~form a.t1ona

in the ol d roilianc es o f ~t .tv;a.lry 2 : te.1:r1es, w1 t ch.ee, .! Uld
ghos ts in Sh &~.kt';spec:~r·t< 3 • Th! e not;1cn ot supe rior bei ng e is
.nntun al to U.tJ. tl . 11 Th f1 :::pirit tee6. £ Ni myiit ery, it 11v~ e net
by t·act a lone 'b ut by tht unknowable, !\nd t h ere 1s no h1 gh eP.t

myster-y w1 thou ·t the su,p ernatural. • 4

But what 1s the supernatural? Th e r aot th r::: t the nerd.
comes fr•om the Latin 1 supe:r·" meani ng tta.hovett s nd "nat ure."

of the superns t ur&:l. M!·.. Hob tt~JJ Q.u i nn prud.ently expla.1ne the
m e~tung by c:mt l"asting 1 t ·J i th na.t Ul'"i;},l. Th e na t'Jral 1s
uc omprellended, 'l th.e $uperna!llral 1e ltapprehtl ; tled., • 5 The
eupernatural 1s beyond the general laws of nature. We can
know that suoh a th~l'lg exJ..ste or migh t e x19t, but we os n.
never unde:r·stand it. The natural pertains to the ph ye1e,gl
un1verae, and phy s to~l (t €'n n 1; e e m&teriel.. All m!-. t ~ r1 tt l t~ 1ngs

1.
2.
3.
4.

a.
t 2

have • -= ll d.~finet! e.nd. c~n c t :; nt ;:;cC.as of &otlon, which we os.ll

the phye1o~l or natural laws. "l~here 1e no effect without a
o·auae" 1s the ph1loeoph1ce.l a d.age. What t hen t:tre the causes
of t he s e pbys1cc.l 1~1:4> ~ Al l ~ll l nga ii Ot 1n accordance w1 th

l a:wa are the modi!~ of e.·ot1o n. or or~a ted na.turee e1nce the
JM.t ;;x•ial ie c r ea t ed., and douar·tur.e s !rom .ph;ye1oal laws are
!fhy a io ~lly ·i mpossi ble. I n Qther words,. no oreated power ee.n
~o t exo e:r;>t in o onf c.r roity w1th its o·m nt\ ture. i~or example,

1t :roll o"s that given his nature, man cannot jump into the
air and ~euaa1n susp.e nded there without some means ot support.
Such an act is physically 1mpose1 'ble. But is 1 t abeolu·t ely
1mposs1blef Let us see. llbfs1cal laws. I repeat, are the
mode& or aetion of created "Qatures. But everything created
depends on the powe,x- and the will ot its orealior. This author
-
of n~tu~e beeeuse ot OW.tl1potenoe oan a.r rect the action ot
all tha t he hae created {1! be Ju4gee 1t wise, of oout•ae).
The action ot this creator, then (i.e. suspending the action
ot a pllfsioal law or making a crea ture tollow other modes ot
aetion contrary to hie nature and even changing the very
natures or cre ~tcd th1nga ~ 1s ~ "lltal a supernatural ao·t ion and
the sut h or .~f t.h1s action is oe.lled ~ supernatural being. Now
thi e: s upr eme su:p ern.e.tural 'betng ea:n 1nterte:re with the work-
ings ot the physical laws in ~ i 'i;!ler or two ways: etther·
directly through himself or i mU t•t: c t;:i.y tlu"' vug~ 1nf ~ r1or super-
' ' na· u.ral beings d.ep~n<Sent on h111l. These beings ·' let us call
<!n Qr-r e·._].. ·.c•,.,
f .-~ , ,..., ~
0. •.&. '~ i·<J.J.'h- ::::.,# t<.L e r: • l' ""- ··C"·· ;.
~ q ;1 -.~..... ....
0¥" '!'•'i 'i_L..
-: -:. n- 'f' th'"'c'
•.. \ .)l;j ~
-.,.. '1
~'"'tt
j ... l ,....,.mb"'l..J,, lor '"'d
.-t.J.f CL ¥ ft
Q.

But '.'lt.~.t of· the ev i l ! ,ru s t :.. e therf'J e.r e g_o cd eup er·n~t ura.la,
The!"\
so th. .re ~re ovll i crces, lt:t U f! c~ l . " evil r.. Lik.e· t).ngele,

o. n l~. e l s J ""hi s power 1o depenoer...t rjn th.:~ sup re e ev - erne.t ure.l

being.
uper. e.turH.l, t h e:reto "e, connot es ttSp1r1 t ua.l as opposed
t o ma. t e:ri e.l .,. 6 But the 1m,~.g tned is ap 1r1tu al &nd d r eams are
sp1ri t u a l..- True, bu t t h i? 1ms.g 1ned fl.re organi c images ot
e1 ther s ensibl e ob ..,ect e o:r object s never p e r oe1-ved. They
find the: ir rl);lll ... y i n the phys ica l universe. In the case ot
t h e sens ible cbJeots , t h.i:! i maginations reproduce former
ims.ges exac tly a s 1 t knew t h e m, ,9.!ld i n the oase or t h e objects
nevel" perceived, t he 1mo.g1 nat1 on "crea tes" b y oomb1nd. ng
fO l'"lller 11 images u Y!h 1 oh h ave been d _,r i v ed from t he s ensual

ob s ervation of the phyg 1 c~l un 1v ~ rse. Dr e ams ere phantasms,

too , repr oduc ed a nd combined, but while the body i s in the
ete.t e of slee-p ..
Dre ams and the im!:'.gi neo. ~. re 1mmnt; e:r1 til, but t hey are not
sup ernatural tor t he supermrtural be e~1dee connoting "spiritual
a s oppo seO. to i!l<It ert ~'-1 '' also connote s "divine a e opposed to
huma n 1' , and there1n t h e 1 n; ~gln at 1 on , t~A.th er t han bei ng euper-
nat u.ra.l i. t s~l f 1 becomes P.n instrument 1n i nt erpre ting in a
ma t er,.al fa.af'.t.1on t h e ~ up~rne. tur R. l . Yes, ttl t h ough man cannot
comprehend t he invisibl e, h e oqn, .1th. hi e all powerf ul
6. Century Dict1ona.r y.
be like. The !rne.g1na t1otl ia, th ~n , a powerful faculty. Not
cnl.y Cffn 1·t reproduce pt1s t exper1.t:mces ex:aotl y o.s it kn ~'tt;i

them, but bet tel:- £>till, 1. t can cr eH.t e new wor.l4s, not e
crea t'ion 11 ex n1h1lo.*, but a creAt i on f'rom r)rev1oue erpertencee.
All the sensor1 gleanings cooperate, then, and trQ.nelate
man• e conception ot the s vpern;.tura l 1nt<> i n'ag ee, ~nd these
i mage s he matet'"1allzes. The novelist or po~t wor~e them 1nt o
literary master pieces.
p
Francis T o~ on. in !!,.ound or UAA.Ven. says; "Nature Ct}:nn ot
.......................-~ . ' " "1$...... 3 '

slake our draugh t." '7 For this reaso.n , man turn~ to t he
aupe rn · tur::1.l. He oa 1110t see 1 t, he cannot t ouch 1t: yet. he
knows it exists. Mise Scarborough i n d1oe~aa1ng supernatural
be1nge e .ys 'tha t sh e •marv61S at their 1nt1n11ut V&.rtety, • and
that e!!e is *touched b y t h .1r h .manity a nd t heir likA\ ee~ to
mo:rt't~ lf! ." 8 .But how el .te c ''uld m.u11 oiot:ur . thf!lse supax-._

t0<1 nmoh w1 th us; a thf.;.t 1& why ottr conc eptions ot thE; ~upf!r­

natural o.r· e eo humuri1~e •

S u pE'!'nPtu.r~ l, tb.ell !!if; it J? 11 · ;€ utH'<1 itt t :ttl f:' tb~f! 1e,

can te d~finP~ ~~ t h~ t ~ ~ p~r 1 or f orce, b th sp1r ltusl and

7. J:ioun~ ! li~ £rv· en

8. .S ca:rl>orougJ': p.c il-!')• 4.
 6

through "Uf,cl s or d$mons or de parted ep1l"! ts.

chon:~ d ·~·:- • ru or t • un1f1 ~d. • &nd h~v~ a "t~ ng'~ ot r.h.e r.-rctl3 eque

l n 1 t - B;y gl'~i"tes ~rH~ h~ HH"' «?.nt ,.~fl{')!'!!L1 w tt9 Ta.yl ~.r. t ~11! us

r e-ri od w~~ r- a. l tJ"'t~ for the f!'.r e1;1ay t1men and exot1o places.
Ineter:± li of r·..r·r.~ rP.sr.mt1ntr fE.!.tt'-.li.r:-.r <JC ~n~s ~nd. chr.:rn.ctere ot real
life , !;O,.!f~ ro, ~~nt!c po em~ tt.lt.., winr, tn <!~. ~t e. nt le.r..de Rnd times,
t!nd so .1f1 :ft oo prnduc~d. t. Mtt:r·e.nr.e cpulent " b~EHJty 1n l fH!) tn'

..;;.;-.......~......_.~.........-......,.;.....,;o.~;.r;;[~·n.;;.;_,e..,.fl._.._:.&.r.. n poem i.:hr:~t hot•ttenf':! t~ck to m~d. 1e t'El l

~'"' i.m~ e. ; e ncl thn p1otu!'tH?. e.u~ r,l nmrmr of An c•r- ental c1 v1l1z-

Cole!'1dge t ransoend.., the supe:rm~tural ree,lm a nd. oreatee 9. ne ·

The Anci ent ...............

~;

,!:ll.3.r:1.!le,~, Ohr ~tabel an;i Kubl ~ ~~.:)·r:t;t but h1£ taPe. . lil.yneS E!' 1~
unlilt9 1'y-ron 's or Kento•. His ts a :f'ar a wa~n~L s ot the
imaglne..ti o·1,. Ht.s 1il ~ ~mp•~!'n~tu ral element ocno e1 ved 1n the

ey eS, II ~,nd y !;,t 1 t 1! t~ nt o~t 1c,. 1:t.j.)!'()b8.b1~, t:t Ve~ i mpoes!ble.

9. ~u 1nn , Hoba n, U,t.: ' l t. p . 119.
10. T9.ylor,- liietor:y of .~ lf !'" ~ (am k: r:t¥ e r:~;-Am er. Book _co. ,_19~6~
~ ..1.2 .._,.
 6

Chapter Two ..
Coleridge, The opium addict and the Supernatural .
Before attempting to interpret Coleridge's poet;ry •in
the light of the author's disturhed inner litelt, Hugh L '. an
Fausset tells us a tew interesting detd.ls about Coleridge,
contra sting him with Wordsworth. •wordlrlorth read the real
into the commonplace, Coleridge me..de the tantastto r €al. This
fundamental d1ffe.r ence ex.i sted trom the beginning and revealed
itself in their first plan as collaborators in wb1ch 1t was
agreed that Ooler1dge should endeavour to give 'a human interes1
and semblance or truth* to things supernatural and Wor~aworth

• the charm ot novelty to things ot everyday. nt2 Coleridge, ··

in the B1oS£a:eh1a . L1terar1a,~ 4escl'1bes the actual conversation
with Wordsworth and their decision on such a relationship.
1 In th11! 1dea originated the plan ot the Lyrical Ballads in
wh1oh it was agreed that lQ1 endeavours should be directed to
persons and characters supernatural, or at least ~om.ant1c,

yet $0 as to infer from our inward nature a human interest and

a semblance of truth euff1.o 1ent to procure tor these ehadows
ot imagination that willing suspen$ion or disbelief tor the
moment, which constitutes poetic ta1th •••• w1th this view 1
wrote '.rb.e Anc1·e nt 14ariner1 and WJlS preparing ...... ·O~r1sta.bel. •3
If we rraay oonel ude trom that sta.tement, it was Coleridge • s

1. Oampbell-Pyre•Weaver •Poetrr atl4 Cr1t1c1ssa ot Rof. Uov'tlf

Cralte 1940 p. 1?0~
1

2. Fauseet . H. L' Anson-s~muel Taylor Qoler1,d se Nt'Jw York, 1928.

3. BJ.ogJ:•pb1e .1,2 :.t•r.-:c1a•lt1rli and ieroe1n•New York 1817•Vol 11
Chapter XIV p. 3.
 '1

tl'Jfe nf•o..,_ to write .~bout th.~ supernatural. He was at bane 1n

such regions. There wa-s the re&l, eccentric and lmpraetioal
Coleridge manifesting hi•aelf. Brother Leo ent1 tles one ot·
b1e paragraphs on Coleridge, The D&mased Arohaq,gel,and develope
the idea. asking •was he not flogg ed tor J~eading Vol ta1re7 I>1d
he not dream an impossible dre .
a trying friend, a philosopher w1 thout a system, a wrl ter
w1 thout a method, often a poet w·ithout 1nsp1rat1ont •••• an
4
opium addict? " I purposely too.k •an opium addict • f .rom the ·
center of that text and placed 1t at the end. Yes/Coleridge
was an opium eater, but 1 this habit as well as hi.s other.
eccwntr1C1t1es were due to his il.l health; he Qaught rheumatic
tever as a boy of seventeen by imprudently swimming a river
' 5
w1 th his clothes on, and the malady induced compl1ea.t1ons. •

The 1nt'luence, 1! any, tlutt opium had on Coleridge's

wr1t1ng ot the Ano1ent Jlar1ner and 0Nt2.1i1'ta\lel ·has been grea.tl7
disputed. Mr. Lowes and Mr~ Robertson are the two most
important oontl1ct1ng .f oro.es in this d1ecuss1on. Their con....
elusions are conolue1on& of extremes. .Robertson's is a dog-
matic pro-influence. Lowe's is seeped with skepticism- we
cannot know. I believe that we can know tor certain that
Coleri<lget a opium dreams !ntluenced his poeu:ns but that we
cannot ltnow exactlY wbat 1n the poems illustrates the influence
ot opium, s.nd th~t 1s what I will try to prove.•

-4. Brother Leo-H1etorz oi Eng_lish Li terf\'tUre-G1nn und Co.

!926, p Sa2: ·- ·-· · · · ·. ··
5. . 1b1d•p 383.
 Coleridge was born in 1772. He was, ther·ef ore, e ~v erl'tee:l
in the year 1799. ~h e fi :c·st evidence t hc.t -:ve have of his
taking opium is ,tov. 28, 1791, i n a letter to h1.s brothet·
George Coleridge•
'
"opium never uae.~d t o he ve ~m y d1 £ r-:lgi'Ele£tbl Ei ef'f'~ c ts on me,
but 1 t has on JI1E3.~ .tt 8
It we span t1ve yeB.rs, we :find in another ~etter to the Rev.
T. Ed 1nrds , dat ed Sa t., ;arch 12, 1796, th9t his opium t ak1n g
has develt>ped into fJ hBb1t \"lh1ch h~ e berlously a.ggravated-
1181nce I last sa w you, I ho,ve bee n tot t ering on the eC'~e
of m.ttd.ness •• ·. l have boen obli ged to t stkfi 1 F.UJ8.anum a lmost every
n1ght." 7
In Nov. of the eame yer.r, we f'tnd in li letter to Joseph Cottle
thfl.t Oo1E1r 1dge 1r. " s eriouely 111 ...... the cc·mplBint iF; n€;x•vou,;-
and or1g1net1 ng in ment£tl c:1us e e. I ha ve &. bl i e.ter und.er rry
r1ght e c.r ana. ! tak& lav n.num evf:n::f four h ou:r F., t wenty t1 ve.

drops e.aoh dose. tt

8

In a lett£!r t Cl h!s wife on November 22, 1802, r.tlmoat seven

yr~t~. l· E'~ l. Ht e r·, we fi nd. t hli.'t Coleridge 1s s t1ll t eking the d~g

s.l though n0t !l~ oftt:-n-

. 8 1 could soa.r oel y tou ch J'iJ.:I rli nncr a nd ~·· 1:1 s ob l i ge d t t .. a.i:t

eo... lO G dl"Of' S ·oul d h .-t'/e :t. T. Ke :! W"l ck . I 91 0 p ·t suunc."i 1kl: ' l u l d id

sleep. 11 9
6. Unnub. Letters of S.T. Coler1age, edi t ed by Gr1gg s-London.
7. ibid p. 45-6., 8- 59. 9- ?,?2s 1932. P• J .
 9

So f a r we h ave seen the.t Coler i dge, previ ous to 1791,

wee t aking opium, cna t hat in 1796 hie tflkin@' 1 t h··::t C!. 8..~·vel ope d

.i nto P. seri ous he b1. t snd t1nall7 in 1802, he was still under
1ts influence. Col&r1dge•s supernat ural poems wer~ wri tt en
1n 1 ?99, when t he heb1 t W$e. well e-stablish ed . But b et.. o~e I
com- to e17 point , I 'i"ieh to qu ote threa oth6l"' l et tel~a . In
the t1 ret to Thom8..e Poole, wr1 tten Tuesday Feb. 1, 1801, he
eeya .......
11 1
hope that shortly, I ehall. l ·ook back on my long end
. 10
pe,1nful illness a~ a storehouse ot Wild dr eams tor poems; •
and on Nnvernber 2?. , lAO~, he wr1 tee a a in to his · tte-
* y bodily te ~l1ngs are linked 1n so peoulie.r a way 1th
my 1dev.s . • 11
The l ~$t •r1tten to hi s wife on Dec. 4, 1802 etetes•
" W~_ rm r oom, .r srm bedrooms, mus1o, pl easant t&.lk1ng , and
ext;r~me temper ance, all t hi s a.gPeee wSth me and the l ast
bles s i ng that result$ trom all is on placid sleep-no d1ff'1-
Ct!l t1ee 1 my dreams, no ps.1nee-tt 12
Lotres 'b el1~ves th at th' Ane1ent lie:r1 ner was composed
under the 1n:tluence ot neither 1 poppy nor mtindragor·l!\ . • He
de·:t'! .1t ely rejec ts Robertson •A e onclue1 ('1.n th..ftt Coleridge
represent s to us 1n 11 tere.ture 1 an abnormal product ot an
nbnormal ne.t' re• and that all the works of Ooler1dge' e poetio
pr1me• were 00nce1ved find composed under the 1nfluenoe of
10. ibid. 170.
11. i b id. 219.
12. 1b1d,. 224.
opium in the t1rat stages of the 1ndulgenoe.•13 I agree w1tb

even though 1t 1s tr'lW the:t his poeme deal w1 tb abno.r mal1 t ies,
things grotesque, i t 1s also true that they .are products ot
u~ &bnorme.l n&; ture. /l:akillf; each phl.. ase seva · at~l1.) "an a'bn.o r-
mal p:roduot 11 and 1 an •a·onorms.l ne.tu~e, t! we cannot deny that
each appl1ee equally well to Coleridge, wt put them togetherJ
we u.re treading dangerou.s ground.
But then, if Robertson is too categor1Q~l, Loweeia not
·~ :;, t eg or1cal enough. He is but sl1gh.tlt c ondescending. Speak-
ing of t.h·e opium hab1 t he states that •it 16 perfectly poes1'&
that su ch !\pparently 1n:i'requent ex.p er1ences may h ave lett
trac e s l n the Ancient .Mariner. "14 Also, he " 1e ready to
grant, to ;;.nyone who will htJve it s() (tor evidence there is
none) th e poasi.b111ty that this or th.:'lt 1.tna.ge in the poem
may pr evi ously hav~ fla shed bet ore Oolel..1dge' a 1nnar eye at
some time when th~ enchantment ot the drug was on him.• l5
But by whttt r•1gh~ does .Mr. Lowes spe ~k of 11 apparently 1ntl"~

quent ex ~) e r1e nc.e e?" Th.~re is no proot just as thera 1s no

proof th a t s oh and su <lh Etn image in his poems were the reeult
of c~piu.ta · rearr.t1. I gt-ant t hat w<: cannot say that this and
that lmq;e 1~ due to opium dreams;· but let us not forget
Coler1 lge 1 s t storeh ouse pf l'!ild d:t:•oams for poems u and how

13. Lower.:\ , Th . F.Oe:. 11 to X;;;11'1fdU. Houghton MacM11lan Co.,

Cfl.l ilbridge 1930. p. 414 & 419.
14. i bid p 424.
15. 1b1d. 425.
 ll

h1s "bod117 fe e lings (were) :u.1 k ·a d in so peoul1a r s. t,va·y with •

(h1e) idees.• 'fo me there is no doubt the.t Coler1dge 1 a
s uperna ural poetry \tas 1nflue~ ced by h ie opium he.b1t , bUt
l ubl s t~n e~one adequately fulfills ;r . Robert eon' a c oncep-
ti on of Coleridge• s poetry. The Ancient MaJ:"iner F.nd. Chr1st abel
I
are not tot 1 dream poems; but, I believe thF.tt in. them
Ool~rldp;e uaed part of that "storehouse of wild dreame•
aceumu t ed during his 1llne!Hl and opium days. 0p1UJa was too
muoh a ps rt or Ooler1d,.,.e. The opium hab1:t brnught h im cl oser
to the su pernatural re.a lm:- "l~ud< num g1 ves me repose->not
sleep: but you, I believe, know hO'.P! divine the.t repo s e 1A,
what e. spot ot enchs.ntment. a green s po t ot fnunt o.1n a nd

flowers, and treen 1n the very heart. of .!'!. ;Rete ot sa..nda. • 16

•There !e nothing 1n the 1ntelle~Jt th9. t .,r .s not t'1 rst
All Oolerid.;le • s
poems ~re the •reorder1ng e into !\.h. p es ot b c:~.u ty of the given
17 l
universe• w1 thtn h1m; everything that he spid,. all that he
per cetved, all the shP..p ee wrought were •c~..rved w1 th t1guree
etreng e a nd sweet, all tn:et.de out or the carver ' s br!\1n. • 18
It 1s more probRble that some of these dream "pat tern~" should
t!nd t heir spot in The .Anclent r1ne.r or Chr1ste.' bel and core
probable that he found 1n thiri dr(l!'.e_m world an esc ~ p e from his
bod ily 111s a s "!tell ns eub0 t anc t) for · . .1s pe~)try. I ndeed when
Ooler1dge S!:':YS thb.t his bodi y f~ 11nge are linked with his
id.eas 1 t is probable t hPt he nto!;lnt that the effects of opiuJO.
produced w1 thin him substar.e e tor his poetry.
16. t1npubl1ehed Letters op cit. p. 240.
17. Xanadu. op o1t. p. 434. 18. Ib1d • 434.
 12

Ohe.pt er Thr·ee
Th!"; l:.r1c1~nt J.arinex- .

T!.L e Rime of the Aneie.n t ~.riner, we are told, wLs

conce1 ved on the a:.. t e:rn.oon c>f November 13, 1797 and C leri ~ ge
hr.-,ue:ht t he pGen:. c c mplet ~ d. t o r cac. t o t he ~~o :r:de. wm· the on
~ # - v
~ ,
,,, "P"" h... ....:.": t..rt nr.s
....., r ., _ ~
l Cal !:::-idge ex ecu te-d h1e pl an t o deal w1 tjh

\tordswor th and Dorothy weJ'e ~al king along the Q,uentoek JYille.
Coleridg e a.nd v·ords ·orth wt.'r e to coll abora.t .e on a poe n: ounded

on a dream, as ~r . Col eridg e said, ot: his fr i end Mr·. 6uiks la nl',.•
Much. r;;f tho- g retttcst par'G ot the etOFf was .. r. Ool er1dge 1 e

1nvent1 on ; but certt1 1n p&rts I ( ~·l or-dewor-t h 1e epeek1 r.g )

sugg ested, i'ot' example s ome C1.. 1me 7i« & to be eoffi(;li ttec1 wh ioh
should bring upon the OlQ. Na.v1gato:r as a f'terto~:r·ae Col.. z·1dge
delighted to c al l him, the speotral. perEteeuti o n ~ ~

of t h at ¢rime a r1d h i, .$ own t'la nder1ngs. I had been reading 1n

Shelvocke' s ~Ol 'l f??~• a day or t wo befo;c•e that while doubling
Cape Horn,. they fl~equent l y s &. · al ba.tr os ees 1n tha l atitude,
the l.argeS: t sort of sea fowl, some e:.t'ten<Ung their ·1ngs
twelve o:r> thirteen teet. 'Suppose,• said I, 'you r&pr~sent him
a.a h.. v1ng killed one o the se 1.. 1rda on entering tile South Sea,
and t hs.t the tutel ... r y sp1r1to Qf these regions, t .~k 49 upon
them to avenge thtj o:r1xue. • 'l.'he lnoldent wa~;; thought 1'1 t for
t he purpose and &do~+-ed nccord!ngly. I a lso auggds t ed the
nav 1 g ~t!on ot t he s hip by the d.ead men , but d.o rtot r ec:.oll e ot

tr st I _e.d &.nyt.'1 !.ng ::or e to ao · ·1 t h tl1 e sch eme of the poem ••••

1. Xana u, p 1~9.
 13.

anytilins ·b u; P.npa rf\ te from <Hl un('te1:.t .~~\1:1 n g t.pen ·--.1 .1 "}·
. . 2
coul.:t llP>ve .~-:- et'l J\ c.l ::.l f;'• li

the
A9Ult Of

't'h"'
.... (: ; ~ . ........· t
'C1r ;•t m,:\n ~" '-'· · d tt_, •.
.. t.l !i: tq..rov:
·- l -
rl.• ,...h~
r.• n
. . ·~ . l.. ·;·
f.. .. . _v~
J. n ~
.,. .J,:l)· £?. 1~.::..'
0'1-
_.(J..
' he
line w?s \lr 1ven by e .or me to the coln e ountr•y t ow ~:.nl -:- t he · o~th

l at1t 1J.",e or t h e gre ~:.t .P cif 1e "oean ; ~. n d ot t he != 'tX'IJr..ge things

thr.; t b1Jfel l l and ~.n ·,'fua.t .m11:nn er the A.no 1en.t M;.r iner C<.1..l'lH' b-":J~k
.....
to hi~ o. country . ft... The .nr gumen.t -tJ.s st;n•es u.s of t ·· o thl.n; c .

be:ngs .

~By thy lonr; l'~ 'ii "J ~be P.. z; d. f:.r~ g-).1 1;t;er1 n :: .y e,
, ,..••. • Jt:,,.,.r
r ~ .. . :"" . '"\. .... ~~(,.••..,.
0 - "' · t" • " ··,t ... ,.\J t""'t l rn.-•1' 11 4
\ ii <J. " ... -.;--; .. ~ J • :: ,. 1' ' r, J ,l •' ' " ._,,.., •

2. 'i O.t·u t;SWo i•th • s ~ •· ~c>ix·~ e J: 107-10f' .

3... Th~ .!!nc1 nt . !!~ 1"1 nfir. Th e . l~guR~ ent pre c ed:tn.~ tht)· poe.m.
-t. 'The Ane1 ent..... llariner~ v 3 & 4.
 11
lie .h olds him w1.th h.1s glittering eye" 5
"'fhe wedding guest s e.t on a stone;
He cannot chose but hear;" 6
Yet this Mpower ot the eye 1 is not enough to dub the Ancient
Mariner, a superna tu.ral be1ng. There 1s nothing in the poe.a
that can ascertain that poss1b111ty.
Xt the Ancient Mariner is not a supernatural being, he
1s, at least, the connecting link between the natural and the
supernatural. For it is his slaying ot the albatross that
starts the strange events rolling.
When I tirst read this poem and l ater, whenever I re-
read 1t, 1 always telt that the albatross was one of the tute-
lary spirits of the roeg1on and that 1ts purpose was to guard
the ship as it sa1le4 through the southern watertJ.
'l'b1a albatross was Wordsworth • a contribution. Lowes
tells u.s 1n one che.pte:r that Coleridge probably never saw suoh
7
a bird. But he was tam111e.r w1 th the Platonic 11 daemon, • that
white phantom which sa1ls 1n all 1mag1nat1one.• S Lowes
quotes the names of the books t ba t Coleridge had 'l'helwal get
for him and that acquainted him with the :t acts or daemonologr.
ttLet ue now tur.n back to that no. 4674 catalogued by

Wh,t.te at one and six pence, which Ooler1dge wanted and

Thelwall got tor him. It contained in its 543 closely printed
tour and a halt by three inch pages I ambliohus De r.tzster11s

5. 1b1d. v. 13.
6. ibid. v. l? • 1$.
r(~ . Xanadu 223.
a. ibid. 221.
 l:.b

A~gyptiQ£~ ··•• Porphyrius De Dlvi~ atque Daemonibus

Ps ellus Qe Daemonibus •• u It is a ve.de r.-- ec'.:lm of lk r: : ,- ~c u n·.c

Da.emon olo e y . " 9 Lowes point.., o·ut that ,,rhan - -_' o:;:c~:-:.: ;o:ort:h

su.::;t__"!;ested tutelary spirits, <"ith Shel vocke's a l batross in

r:.tind, "the flood~ atos of Col ericlc; e ' s :·i e op l atonic lore •:!eJ: <..l

opened ~nd the inv ui ~ l e l n ha i t an t s t ~ ~ o : scssion _f the

poe;m . " Gol c ridce t.ts.d s ~Y;:e th ln..; !.efln lte to -..·m·""'k o ~· Hi s
i magination •~; a o fire d , it. tool{ the reins, a.':"ld the " .... uper -
natural ~r. e c~ -a~.,_ is i•: 11 sta.rt.ed co uork its v:ay . A ·uealth o f

t r eas1;r ed. l ma ,c; es kep·c rlslng . Coleridge tran · lat ed theL, and
so was born L.i3 only co·:cpleted m aster.~ ieee .. lt'I'h e dro· 'nn

sent his ere tive l ~J ~ln a tion vcy&gin; tn the stransJ liter-

these o lc~cnts fuse~ in the heat of his imagination ~~ re

l ater c o nsci o~ ·l y shaped into the sr·tistic \:hole ;hich re s nlted

l ..J...
in th Lnc i ent r ~ ar i:r: er• .. '!

~ha t Coleridge iut ended tho nl b ntroos to r epr es en t one

i t9 boin.:; .shot t() brine; down -;:; .!.O v en :~ (:;fq J. 1:n·ath of t h e n:r; iri ts

~n a mater ial fo:-•m is d •"be.table . I pi•efer to -::;hl nk of ·-he

al batl""'OSS s on e of t1w Gl~ irit s in n .rr.r~ t eria l form . There_n,

lo,sic ul a.ml r:ore und...;r c ;.; a ml e.ble ~

? art one sets the stage, and it i s pnl y ln part t wo that
9 • i b i d . 2 :34 •
10 . ibid . 235 ..
11 . Abrams, Meyer H. , The ~ 2.f E_ar~dis e Cambricl_::;e 1934, pa;:::e
 1<3

only th ro ugh i ts etf'ecta. Tb.e Ano1ent M;; r in er shoota the

albatross t hat had been following the.ID down to the 1oe regions.
~ 1th ~he·death or the albat~oa s , t h& invisible tutel ar:J_ spirits
_ of the reg ion take over. Thes e t oo h e; v$ tor their pr
,, ,,
the Pla.tonLc daemon. It brings us ' into contact wttb. a possible
·s uperna tural being, tor the daetnon in 1 t.s Platonic sense is a
10
••being lnteraediary between g ods and men. tt ~ Thue f ar, the
alb tross r.as been a good omen, but in killing it, the »ar1ne.r
has done a +~hellish th1ng 1
•Ah. wretch l said they , t he bi:rd to slay
That made the breeze to blow-J• 13
And a hellish thing 1t "Rae tor
1 Pown dr<Jpt the breete. the sa1ls drcpt down
'Twas sad as tad could be;
And ,_.e did. speak onl y t j, . brae6Lk
The ailenoe or the sea. " 14
'iben t here follow etf ects of this s1n against the gods f e.very-
t h1ng i n nat 1 ~!' e eeem.s t o stop. The wrath ot the gods 1s be1n.g
telt by the ment
"We $tuok, nor 'breath nor .met1on,
As idl-e as a pe.inted a."'l1p
Upon a painted ooean.a l5
WVJat er, water evet7where
Nor any drop to drink.. tt 16
The C!'eW 1a be! ng torturad ph;rsioally tor t he crime.

12. Xanadu 234.

13. Ane lent . . '' riner v 95•96.
14. v. 107 · -
i b id.
, 5. v. 115.
1.b! d .
16. 1b1d. v. 117.
 l7

lf And. eorne in dreams a ssu r ed we·r e

Ot the s p1r1 t that plagued u.s so~
Nine f' ot homs deep h.e has fol l oT.et=l t:.s
From the land of mist a nd sorrow.• l'l_
The gode must be appeaRed and eo they hung the a.lbatToss
about the neck of the Dl9.r1ner. The albatross had been a s.p1r1t
following them (evidently a good one). one or those invisible
inhabi t ants or this planet that had been professed by the
ancients, Josephus and Peellus.
As Lowes quotes fro= Taylor'..s t ransla tion of Pl ato's
Pha.e,d r1us - a book that Coleridge was acquainted w1 th--
ut there are other daemons tran'scend1ng t hese who are
the punishers of eru ls, converting them to a more perfect
Lowes stat es that Taylor was one ot
and elevated lif e. It .

Coleridge's •darling st udie s .• 18

Outside ot the albatross , then, t he supernatural element
has remained 1n the ba.okgr ound, and even e. t t hat , the alba.tross
1s known to ue as being a $Upernat ural entity only through its
•seoc1at1on w1th 'the f 1at on1Q daemon. • Yet a s the action now
conti nues. we feel th presence of the s up ern s.t~r al through
i t s effect s , ~nd t hese effects eont i nue into part III, when
the martner eeee t he ship ths,t sails 'without a breeze,"
"without a tide." 18 Here we hnve a d1r ~ct suspension or
t he act i on ot a,Shys l cal l aw. There 1e no effect · 1thout a
cause. Her e agatn. we refer to our philosophical adage. It
t he ship 1s moving, there must be some phyaical cause to
l ?. 1h i (l.. v 1.31.
l B. }~a n e.du. 236 .
19. Ancient M-ariner v 169.
 18

to explain 1t; otherwise we must refer to some s upernatural

oa.use. I n te.ot, the ship has no phys1 0111 CA-use to explain 1 ts
move111ent. There is undoubtedly a euper1or force there. We
cannot eee i t but 1 t 1·£: evidently there. lt S infl uence is
'
being f elt. No other c au se could produce such a f .9nt a. s t 1 ~
etfeo t.
fao far in c1ur s earch , we h11.ve se en th e.t t outside of the
albatross, the tutelary s pirits are a l -.;eys 1nv1sible and we
onl kn ow them lihrough t heir effects. In part III, however.
~c cozc into contact wi th eupernR tural b eings ln an earthly
torm; f11 th t1Dea th 11 and "Life '· i n Pea th 1 on that 1 speott48 bark*
e nd theil 1 ca.et ing dice" for tl1e ':...ne lent Jla.riner. As t he
c;pectre b ark "ne._.red and ne ared. ~s 1f 1 t dodged a water
apri te as 1t plunged and t~c.!ted and veere•i ," 20 and t 1nally
•steadie s with upright kee,~. without a bree~e. without a tide,•
the meriner eeee upon the d$Ck • Death" and "Lite in Dea th- 11
"and the t wai n B.r e C-As ting d1¢e.•. lt 21 They are playing ·
f or ·the 9.nc1en t 11!3,r 1ne r ~nti the erew-
ll'l'he g.sme is d one J l ' ve won l
11
in Death. Death " t slte.s t he e r.ew and "Ll.f e in lfDe.a th, • the
mariner, s.nd hi s f a te 1e the ! .9.t e or the Wandring J ew- the doom
ot the undying among th~ dead. 23
As Lowes puts it, "From t h6 ehoot1ng of the albatross to
the dr<3.mat1o clima x s.t the clo se of the fourth part, the
20. Ancient Mariner v 169.
21. i bid. v 196.
22. 1b 1d. v 197.
;.- ~1 . Xa.n;:;du . Ch. XIV.
 19

impelling a.genoy of thfl action of· 'i~e Ancient U..,_ t•iuer ,,s
daemon1 c .. H I t 1s only whorl 11 a ~1pring of love guab~1s,. f1.4

him, that t he cu:c·~;e 1 s taken a1o-va y. 'l'he ein LaB betm . toned
tor, !\nd. the 11lbatzooes -tails otf and sinks Rlike le a d ~_n to

amid all · th1a., sleep oorues to the m<-. . :t~1ner. "l"'rom that point: to
the end, the movinr, toroea are angelic-yet the .pol ar d&emon
~ still fol" ~ time prnpels t h e f.lh2.p, but it d.oea so nt)W, a.s the
~~
gloe~ expl1o1 t L . de olares, 'in ou•~d1 e nca to the angello 'tl" OO~

Part V, bee idea ·o$ing charaoter1z.ed by th1a angelic

toroe, opens with .11 truly Chriotian el ms.:>nt ...
ll'l'o llra.ry Queen the pr~lse be given J
ShP. sent thf!l gentle ~le ~rr.-/rQrn he'l:sren
'rhat slid into my r;oul." .:.6
The eln hae been atoned tor'j nov. h t: l p oome;· e to t h e ill&rinf:.r and
as the "spectre sh1p" moved ·1.1ne.e:r t h e:· 1nf1uf!noe of t h e s up er-
natural, so the mariner·' s own s hi p r.:w ' EH! on !.tnd the sup6r-
natu.ral element 1s new &ngel1c.
i''J?he loud w:t nd. n ever reo. ohed. the ehip
Yet ncn,g ·the sh1p • OVl~d on
Beneath t.h\3 l.tght. nlne; l-mt~. thF.: moon
""ne
·,\ L., · dP.,,:;
,,. . . . ,
~' J. Jri Pl'\
.......
# CJ. •1V'"
· ·· '-'
• ..
:- ·:-r""nc.
n . t;;; •"" ..... n .. tt

"Tr.;T:' " ~x·oP.J: nd. , d~·?;r r.:lt i rr•:d , th'~/ all :.tpi•o:;g
Nor !Jpake , nor moved heir r:;y eEci ;
~tt .:··.0:f! ~ t~(~. n ."': ~ j~ ;:~11 :;~ _1 ~:; ..rr;n ir~ a (!J"' e:.)_m,
~~o have .:HH.1ll ..;ho.sa dead :J.::n r:..se. t

24 ,.
25.
·-; · .
 20

•e
mE~me.n steered, t h e ehlp mov ed on;
nev et' a b.t· e~r. e up t~ l '!w;
The f!larinet·' s e.ll -'· ... ork the r·opee,
nht:re they W'6 r e ' to Q.o : or.·t
1'hey r E~.l a e.: the1t• llmts like l lfelese tools
We wez·e a ghastly cttew." 27

A ghastly crew~ 1ndfted, and a. ghastly crew, 1ndeed- dead

men menning a eh1pj thb.t 1.& far trom natural. The final
element in th1s. poem. 1s found in tt,ese dee.d men sailing . the
ship. The .a tmoephere is e11:otic, unwordly -· vo1ce,s in t h e air,
s. wind breathes w1 th no ·. iJ0llnli or motion... yet 1 t causes the
..1 0
shiP . t o fly swiftly, aw.!ttly, tt yet she sailEd sof·t ly tooll ~

and when the mariner :t'1na.lly returnt home,

'I tUl'ned my· eyes upon the deck
Oh, Chri st, wht:"J; g,q I the.r -, J"
Eaoh coree lay flat, l e:t"clese and flat
.!\nc:! b y the h ol y 1•o oc1,
A man all light, a s oraph... man,
On every oors ~ t iw re s t ood. fl 29

soul of the men, :t~ o~ b:r 1:;-.e:non s c t , art11 or :n t d dl ~ ~.,. r, b t:~ t

by -~ b les sef t t• o ,, ~.., of ' 1ge11e ep1.. :tt 3, aent d o·~n by the
invoc a t i on or /ch.e gu ~r ilan .[:.1nt . n 30 I t !.Hi abo· e stanza
t h e e.ng elic s pirit s l eave the rl ~:td h od1.e s, . nd At·p pe& r in their
own light.
Ancl fi r..~ l ly 0.11 ea.rt hq•Jake g t1 t s r id of the ship- e. sort
ot 1de\ls ex ID:9-Ch 1 n a ll end:\.ng cl ima.-- er; t h 8 ·~J;holfl.

27. Ancient ~ariner v 328-341~

~ 8. 1b! d. v. ~62 .
29. i b lL . V. 49 9 .
;-5 ry. •)F a Cit. p.
X2 · Jo...:'u . ~285.
 2t

'l'lle Ancient Marin ex• w:a.s worthy of Coleridge 1 s pen. His

pur•pose, a super·natur~ll poem, waa perfectly accomplished.

In the Bt--ogra.2hia Li te~~a ;ei.,.,. he affirmed that he set himself

I

t o procure for h1e "shadows of imA t~in a tion tha.t willing sue-
pension ot disbelief tor <
t he moment which const1 tutes poet1o
faith.'* 31 His ~up ernatura.lism is neither ~hooking nor
unpleaoant, but a. valid and valuable factor in the essential
run of human ·t hings. This is hie one a.1m in trying to &'!tab-
Js
11sh in the re aaer's mind. the suspension ot their belief.
•As we read the poem, ' we know• { ;::~s Dryd n eaye of going to a
play} 1 we are to be deceived, and we desi re to be so. 1 But
we accept illusion only when in some fash:l. on l 'G beare the
semblance or tru·th, and bound. 1n with every l iv ing fiber ot
the p<Jem, bone of its bone and fl.,sh of its fle sh, 1s a truth
ae old as Cet1n and aa n ew as yeaterday' s -& c.:.peri euoa. 1 Ye.a , •
we unoonsa1ously say aa :.10 r ead, ( th~:t i.;hie i s true to life-
and that- and that• - as one who cat ee reassuring g11mpsee
of ha aontoul."'S ot f >lml.l1a r h1lls through the fantastic
p ageantry of cloud or mi st. r\nd fliebcllef !.t lree.dy wn v ~ring

be!ox--e the vivid .r·E.·c-.1 1 ty of f :r·o :.en a.nd of tr--opic seas, ia

willingly s.uspend.ed f:·?r t he po em' 2 f l e e t i ng r;tome nt- .h1ch is
·-..: ... ,
all tile poet ask ~- . 11 u .:.

he bel ieves in 1 t as sotneth 1ng th.nt ox1 sts 1n his 1mag1ne.t1on.

3lo B1ograEhir: Li terari~:~ p. ~'•
32. X:,ln=:-.tl u p .. :?.9f1 •• 9 ..
 22

e 1ntrodueee •rea.l.tst1o 1waginat 1on into sup~rnatur ~1 t.t:'b....

.lects. 1 33 He 1 ntar.pri3t s w1 th n;fitr:>r.1al p1eturen wh~t h1 a

t1.. : 0k :ind tr.:.ln, though lik.e a ll th$ romantic school, only w.i th

t!lupnrnu.t u ral ·::1 ~ment mor e ;9cwor:f'ully and br:.::v.ght 1 t more

into the foreground ... 34

"9o ~ti c n.l and. nrt1rt1c 111Ua:!1on does not .r! m r:tt being con~

found sd with r eali t y itself." 3 5

e.ct.nits the i mprob ability of his t t:ll ~ .

'*.Ira . BP.rbeuld. flnce toJ d me th.g,t f.:he a.dm1red the Ancient ..... . . - . -J - ~ ...

was 1mpreb~bl.e e.nd h!'ld no morel, .:as for t he probsh1li ty, I

owned that th£;t might admit e om~ queett on . ·lt

36

And yet, e, ~: lmprob~.b le as the ~ve n t-; aeeu:1 there is

something fundament ~.l t h t'tt b:r1ngP- t h e poem d.o~n to ee. rth . As

Xou do JEt. f ool ir,h r

tr~ m

• p ., ,:: 1£..
f >1. 4 f~ Ii. {: J
BrBMll . p.. l 97a
J~ l:i!~ G.l~· 1J.. p • ;:; C·l .
36. Table T~>J. lt. l! ~,y 31, 1e0o.
 23

You a t ta.i n f t}rg.::.-.- ~ n~ ns , · iiu c iU S (; L-!1 <'l. f:i" l' s ct t>: or k on unmoved
and. life t o t hr: ~~ r.t.. '"ay be t he o -:.m t:.1~.ue d :, ~}aping or the
repented ~eed•e reeults. n 7 °
So!lle cx•i tic s SU.Ch at: ~Jew en P. f:·ts.l l k l'leoht e.r-td. Alv1e:
br a 1dl h!1.ve ·brought tht:- p o e~ do ·n to e&:rth by interp:r·tting
it e.e _n ~:~l l egory- Md d ecla r ing tha.t p o em p ol"tr __ ye C o l e r- i dg ~s

own inner d's oora.. Jluch 1r1t er preta.tions have poes1:_.111 ties,
· et I c~n n ot feel tht..t t l·w.t WJEJ Coleridge 's int enti on. Rst.ner
· h e wa f.; attempt i .t -:· a t;·ooa E:ruper nat 1r e..l t hr·il ler, 1!11'b 1ch he
&am l r~~l y tCcompl1sned.
Yet, with F.~. ll 'theee 1nt erpret &t1one , the story reme.1 ns
~
a queer and we1r-d melange of things t hn:t e.r e both natural and
supernaturt:-1. In th1s bl ~nd1ng 11~ t h..:: a~cret and the power·
ot the ;Ancient ~ft~i,ner; !.ttld aa 'N eird and incredible as the
story is, it seem& like something real, even oloee to ue.
'1 Fa.n c1~e of the strange things which may very ?tell happen,
even i n broe.d da.ylig.t.t to men. ehut up a lone 1n ships f~r ott
on the s ea., ae;e-m to ha:ve a.t-1een in the human mind in all
ages With 6. !) ~ C U1 1 E.t r· r-e ~. d1 n € !J S 1 end often h ave about them the

fasc1n Et.t1on of ~ oex·t a1n d.r ~ &,l!Y gr ace, which diet1ngu1ehes

them from oth~r kinds of mrtrvel t:>i.:t£ m.ent1ons. Th.1 s r:o:t•t ot

1t i s the deliea oy, the dream.y gra.ce 1n his p re~ent r.; t t on of

 24

t ·o ve-:c"y t : 1enees wi tb. whJ. ch., FJ fl Wl.th some :r-enl ly gho s t l y

'l
1 ie
...... 1·
- llo;r "" " +~
... ;/., •.J . .... '"'n-:o Jt
' .I- I.}

~) ·· · Lc,n~m ::-.fi e.d1 t 1 on . Cr1 t ·1 c1sm ·by Waltex- Pater... from \JB4rd's
Eng·lish Poets.
 Chapter Four
Christabel
ln the thirteenth chapter of the B1oe;raph1a L1 teraria 1 ;

Coleridge announced a "or1t1cal eses.y on the uses of the

supernatural in ioetry to be pretlxed to a tuture edition ot
The Ancient llariner.tt 1 Loltes adds that •to balance this
unsubstantial creation, many years earlier he had 'Written to
Thomas Poole as tollows: 'I shall therefore, as I said,
immediately publ1a my Ohr1sta.bel with two essays annexed to
1t on the ~.l'"eternatural. • 2 Ohr1sjabel was therefore to 'be a
poem on the preternatural, on things •·irregular, abnormal,
and beyond what 1s natural but not clearly supernatural.• 3
lt is too bad that the cr1t1oal essays never appeared. They
undoubtedly would have shed mu.oh light on the supernatural
workings in the Ohristabel. Preternatural is akin to super-
natural, of course, and. it is well to be reminded again ot
Coleridge's purpose in hie collaboration with Wordsworth in
the oomposition ot the Llr1cal B!llads, •to deal with persons
and charact ers superne.tural.l •• yet so as to transfer from our
it".UJl.Yd nature •••• a semblance ot truth euf:f1C1ent to procure
:for these shadows of imagination that willing suspension ot
disbelief for the moment which c onstitutee poetic faith." 4
There 18 no doubt that Ch:r1stabel is a supernatural poem. In
1834, two ye ars after the death ot Co:tr1dge, Pyre tells us

1. B1o~ra@ia Literaria. Oh. XIII p. 193.

2. Xana u. p. 239.
3. Webster's New International une..bridged dictionary.
4. B1osraphia L1teraria. Ch. XIV vol II p. 3 & 4.
. I - . . . . .
that thel'e appeared 1n the it!_arte~lz }iev1ew, a criti~ue of
the Poetic~l Works of s. 'l'. Qo~r1dge by B.. N. Coleridge,
wher~ he not only appreciated Coleridge's second supernatural
poem but aleo expounded hie poetio creed and 1ts success in
t his poeUl. •The Ancient llar1_ner displays 14r. Coleridge • e
pecul1a.r mastery over the wild and preternatural in a br1ll1Slt
amnner; but 1n hie n.ext poeDll Gbristabel, the exercise ot n1e
po er in this line is still more slt1l:t'ul and singular. The
t hing attemt>ted 1n ,X~ris~abel 1s the most d1tf1cult ot
execution in the whole field of romanc.e-w1 tehery by daylight,'
and the succee• is complete.' 5 As 1n the Anclent Mariner,
Ooler1dge tells us that here too• the incidents and agents
(are) to be, in part at le~st, supernatural, and the excel-
le oe arrived at (is) to consist 1n the interesting ot the
g_ffect1ona by the dramatic truth ot such emotions as would
natur~lly accompany such .s 1 tu&tions, supposing them real. And
real in this aenee they have been to every human being who,
trom whatever source or delusion; has at any time believed
hlmsel:t' under supernatural agency.• 6
Bet ~r: een the t1rne that be t1n1shed the Ohr1atabel ~nd the
be
date of its publ1cat1on, which proved to~many )"ears, Ool er1d:ge
tells us that he read h1s poem to many ot h1s writer friends-,
noted men of the day and 1t became almo.st as well known among
literary men as 1t it had been on common sale. On their

5.
6.
t'
ioa:tȴ aAtl C:t:l 01 am pt 80iOffJD1i1Q MQIOJillnt. p. 779.
lnos:caphS a 1:1 teraJ:' a. Oh. XIV p~ 3. - · ·
 'l7

oommente be said- 11 I. heard of exp:eesslcno o:t ~~mire.t! on that

a ppe.a red t o my a elf u·t t e :,: ly d 1s proport1on~t e t c a '::Or k th.:.. t
pretended to be noth:tng more than a common F 'l1ry Ta.le.• 7
Frotn the preceding quot ations we can segregat e a f ew
facts c oncerning hie second grea t poem. It 1e t o be a super-
natur al poem pretending t o be "nothing more . t h an a F'a1 l·y Tale; •
and the a1m is to aske t he events seem real. 0\lr study ot
thie poelll will be 4one with these faote 1n mind.
,qhr1eta:bel 1 like the Ancie.n t Mariner has atmosphere. . tt
is exot ic and takes us to an encharu'ta.d world. The sub J ect of
the poem 1.e the virtuous Ohristabel betng endanger ed b y the
s erpent woman. called Geraldine. In the Middle Ages, the
time wh en the action takes pl a ce, people believed 1n such
beings a s evil sp1r1 t s ••maski11g in human tora. • 'i} o us they are
weird, unreal, unworldly. Geraldine is one ot these weird
evil spirits. 11 Evidently the lovely daemon belongs to that
large olass or supernatural beings which combine in them-
eel vee the charaoter1st1cs ot both hum~ and serpent lt1nd. • 8
Obviously b;y her actions, such ·a creature can be nothing else
but a vampire.
In the text 1teelt, up to line 129, evertthing is normal.
A few lin es alone toreshadow the evil that is to come. These
lines set the scene.
'T 1 1s the middle ot night bJ the castle cloclt,
And the owl s hav e a ~;ak ene the cro w1ng cock,

7. ibid. oh. XXIV p. 189.

e. Nethercot, Arthur. Tho Rond to _'~rrer~~i. n!'·Ohicago, 19a9.
 '··

Tu whit l - Tu-whoo !"

But t h e d •. scr1ption ot"' Ger .ldJ.ne 'bet rays 1n no way her evil

"----------··a druusel ·or1ght.

Dr~ et i n s sil ken r n. e of w 1t e
~hat s h adowy in th~ moonli ght shnne; .
;Lbe nr; ok t h nt made t 1~ 'h1. te robe. WA n,
tier s tately neok, and arms were bare¥
Hor bJ.u c- v . :i.nec1 f e t u nr~ ~.nd.<:l. l t t'i wer'e,
And wildly glitt ered he'"e and t here
nh ~ g ~rue ent an p;J.e~ in h e ~ hf.-):11"'.
I guess, •twas frightful th-ere to see
A l:ldy so ri~hl,. e l .d. aa Ah -
Be;;u;;;1ful exoee{U.ngl:v .. ~ 9
tie can only w nder why ehe ap ;::-e~u· e ~lone 1n su.oh a lonely
e p c1 't a.t such. a creep:r hou~. We ausp~ot 'but cannot be c1!rta1n.
Her story 1e probable, even t hough we d.o t1nd out ls.ter ths.t
1t is f8.1se, and that she 1s deee1v1ng C!1!-1etabel into giving
her sh~l ter.

It 1s only in the .•i;1ddle . ox the g9.te ths.t our euap1o1on•

are begi nning to~eealJ.z•"· Here, indeed, we are dealing With
someon~ out of the ordinary who 1s acting anything but nat-
ur&lly. tiTbe lady sank belike through pain~ 10 Here we have
an allusion to the old be11e:t' t~.t no evil sp1r1t ccu ld croaa
the threshold of an innocent person unless the innocent one
carried Jt 1n. ln tact, Ohr1stabel litt& her over the thresh-
hold and behold '*the lady rose again, and L..·~~ved ~e she were
11
not in pe.1n." When Ohr1etabel addresses the V1rg1n,
Geraldine retuse11, •I cannot speek tor weariness.• ~
9. Ch1'1Sttlbel. v 38... 63
10. ibid. v. 129.
11. ibid. v. 1,34.
12. 1b1d • .v 1 4 7.
 29

"'Th e mt.~r:r~1i'f olo. di o. not a:;!aka,

x·et ehe a.n angry moan did mttke J
And what can ail the mastiff bitch?
As they p tl !:l throu~h t .h e hall, •·..,he brands •el"e dyingtt, Y"'t,
~h an she :oas z ed, "thero ca.rne a tornue of light, a :t'1 t ot
:f'le.mfl. 1 13

lifted. over thresholde, who cauc.~ n he dog tc gron.n ~ngrily

l'rorlil that she repreeenta in an evil ono since the v~ry nee
of the Virgin distrenGes her.
But 1 e ehe in hersalt evil or 1~ she merely posscsct3d v:1.t
the evil s p1:r1t? Er L ~r.t Hartley Coleridge be.l1$ves that
"there are 1net1 cat1one 'tll ~t the Ger~ld1ne t:>f the Flrat P:1rt was
st the n:erc, ot aorne Jaal1gn influence not hercelf, and thnt
her melting moe d. WfJ.Z po..rtly genu1r.c. Slle 1s •str¥k.en• With
horror at her unwelcome t~ek, becnuee ahe o&nnot at t1re:t
eve:i'cc,me the temptat1on to do right. She was in a stra1 t
bet ecn the eontend1ng pof.!t,rs ot good e.nd evil. • 14 In ta.ot
wben Chr1stabel f'1rst meet e Geraldine ane 1e moaning 1n
1 $oar diatreee nnd when ehe mentions her mo t her, CJ.ers.ldine,
YJho has sunk to the f'loor in her wea.ltnese., 1nqu1.r es 1,nnoeently,
l4And will your moth0r t1tY me,
Who a.ru s. maiden most forlo n? If 1 5

13. 1b1d . v l 9.
14. gol c.rid.~E·~ Ernest Hartley-Poeme ot s. T. Coleridge.
P. ?6 note. London 1935.
15. Qhr1etabel v 19•.
Christa.b el a ne
"f"lmot hr.-r tl i! ~.r 4 ~L!?.t tho,..~ r.ert htt:re !•
"I v..rou1 cJ, s a.1.d. G or~ ldin c , st:.e rrere I

All th y , wh.tJ 11v~ i n the \tpper eJq

o l ~ve ~~ Chr1st a~~ l
... nrX Y' ;. love thNn, ~.n(i f or .. ~ i r e&ke
.1 for t h ., ~;o .. a. wh1ch lM! b~ t~ll,
.,'•r _ !, 1~
:. en · ... V. ,...~.......
..;!
' • '#Jtl .J...:~ . 1.
• :t •
\. ·~:,. - -..~ v
1 t ...
• ..'U'
.,
"" a1r !!> .i 1lr.m. to re _u i t e you :'I ell . li
1,,
1 Is th1e mArely cU. b olio9.l hypocr 1 ay? 8 , aske etberoot?
Net.t.. ercot beli v s t ha t, 11 G$r ld.i e i s ~..n ev11 8.nd threeten1ng
element. But (b e ·~ Ake) i c: . vil not untempered. w,.th oorupune-
t 1on s,nd u nde rst~n .tng,? The r eader bo th ha t es her r1nd ~ t
. the a me t 1me gt-1evee for- her." 17 "Th. e e s aent 1a.l 11nd -?:\ ..

l"t'ourr1ng i.Cteaa h ere are: syn1pathy, truth ot· ~r ottons ,

nature and hu!.! .. n int .::r eAt . Qoul d t h .. ee t'~ ...:l1n€~ S be a r•cut"ed
in the render !f the lee.d1ng t1gure in e. poem were utterly
m~. l1 gnsnt end unne.tura.l, an. unhuman Ol' .a t ure or an enti1• ly
unfeeling end u n flymp~. t;het1c order of be ings? For Coler!o.ge
t o h.Rve ntt empted to do e : v ould have been a perteot eon-
t rf-"iHct1on of his b ~.;1 sio pr1no1ples. n 18
hen Gernl d ~ ne diarobes,
Ofier silken r obe, ~nd. inner vest,
Pr~p t 1;o har feet, ~. ncl t'ul l 1n ....-1c'."l',
Behold I ....he~ bo!tom a nd. h:!lf ~er _ a ~d!
;., si g~t ... o a.r ee.ta ot, not to ..el.l .. 9
Here, ~ nd eo., ifl a v sibl e e . gn of Gere.l di n e' e ev1J. nature.
but, it is v1s1bla only tQ Oht-1F..tt abt:tl for we neve:r know what

16. Natheroat, opus cit p. 83.

17. ~. 8!.
- at~ Arc ot .
18. ihi d. p. 83.
1 9. Crrr is~~h? l. v . 200.
 31

t h is a1ght i s . t1t"'. t1-: r::r~ ')h }, tea down beside vhriet nbel and

"In the touch. of t.h1a boecU1 the:!~e Hrketh a spell

· .io.h 1 ~ lora or. ·.. h.t \.l t r era.nee, Ohr1at!l:bel J'* ~0
Georg e Oe.rpent er , 1.c r:.: x' ::in ~ : liiJ~h e eff0 ,t ot the touch of

te0ling the evil po .- 'er a!ti stt-ugL";11ng ~ P;,;d ~'H'It it , 1a to be

unable t o ·t ell what e'.he h . . seen . She O'ln only s peak of the
bare facts tha ~ Geraldi ne w:L.,hes her 'tl') s peak. Ger ~.ld1ne M.a
t h e hypnotic powtr ·t hat a sa.a ke exercises over 1 ts victim. The
bird ~ ren1b l e s and cries out i n t.err.o:r, y et o ~nnot tear 1tsel t ·
e.way . tl 21 Geraldine t hen is try 1 n~ to tr~nsform Chr iet~bel

i n t o a be 1ng s wi cked &s she, and, tht1s fa~, has eucoeed.ed.

1 But this she kn <)~:s, in Joys and woes,
,~'h P.t sai nts will aid 11' ruen w1ll oall :
S'or tho blu e sky bends over all J• 2'-
t n p9.rt II, C.tn'1etabel c ontinues to tlaunt her wiles. tt l'he
1

Ba:r·on is t'a ecinate4 from the first b)! Gf:ra l d1 ne' s b e.ut y. a:e
can believe no evil of her a nd w111 side wi t h he~ ag. lnst
h is own daughter... 23 All proceeds normally a nd lleraldi ne
ec9.rcely differs trow the mode}.'ln flapper.
"And fondly in ht,a arms he t ook.
~a i r Oe ..:t',l d.il!v·• . l ho met th.~ ;.IJibra ~ Q
Prolonging 1t wi th joyous l ook. " 24

20 . 1bj_d.. v. 265.
21. Longmen 'e Engliuh olaes 1e.a- Chr i s t abel by G. R. Carpente:r-
rs·2a p 66 n.p

22. Ohrt t ~b1e .., 089 .

2.'3. Lm1" ~in ..-n • s .:o~u s o1t . p 54.
24. Ohr istabl G-v 448.
~ .
 '32

'iJ.gJ.>.irt .:J' _. e tHXS .,.; ,f.lt 1Jt)f0D C;ld.

Agai n E te felt that be>$om coltt
Ani drew !n h er brt;;Ath w:l:lih n · .i e eing sound 25
And lat er,
• '-' o:r t ly g~:. tll<.':c·irltr u p h e:.· trtlin .
'fn:! t 0 .:r· l &r · l' lt~;.i.'l t ·t : .•. f r 11 t:;;!t ln
J~n u fr...-ld.t:d l;er r~ I·Jlls ao rc oi. her chest
Ar:d c .::. -tH::h r-6. l. ··:t·· het·d. upe:n h~=.:! b r·ecl.st t
AnrJ loo~ .-::d. astr."· ·~ce tlt Cb.r-i s te.be l .
· · . a~: e ' e Blll£-1.11 e;.· ~ l i ks .:. ul l !lnd shy
.\nd tL .~ :te.cl~ ' s e;yeH t h.ey shrur4k in hu· head;
E"'.CX'J .. : hru n~ u~·, t.o s. ee r per.it E:y e.., .
b. !l.~ w.1.··:.. o~e t ·£·a ·" <~i tTJ.R.J l. ce and more ot dread •
......................... , .. , .............. , ... .
Eu · r;h:r·i s tab€Jl in t.U, zy tr:~~ ce
~tumbl i ng on the unetea·"' Y grcund
C,'i-J
~o.o.J..:., l U"',:."-'l'•(.>d
• .. \A.vCJ .
""l ">lA
\..'#~ -4.f
r.:.-. W'1t•
. ' J.' !!"
'·""' ~~· ~~'::.._ 1 ·"-c:::J
J. ~•; 1'Ja G!'~~ • """ • +f2€}
"'n'·' "'-"1

c ~r o,. t!1e r.:-:orus f ol d ed out of a1ght, the h ead 1 oouohed • s1de-

'-lender t hr.. t Ohr•1stabel u t t ~rs a ' hiss ing sound .' ;f he p1Qtu~e
it: s o v1v1 · t.nat the 1d1!},a of the snED~e till s he r whole baing. •
27

Netr.e ·cot def"ini t ely aao~1 &te s (!·ersld:\. ne "1 th the l$mi.a .
"Like G€:r&l d1 n~ , the Vl!lmpir~ , thou~h ho r1b lo , is al so to be
pi t i ed, bec:1use 1t 1 . . net alwRye re$pone 1b1$ f or its condition.
f he l e.mis., 8 V'o.r1ety of vwnpi!'e, 1 s also to be pit ied, bc~ause

it is n ot e.l e.ys .re!:_pon!21ble f or its oondit1 cn, when 1t s

ant ec ed!L:nte are known: moreover, t he l e.m1.9., heoaue~ ot the

25. i~id- ! ~~7 .

2o.
27. opus o1t. p 7'7.
 '3

of r• _,:rte s pir 1 t iX'l'. ~ -· r tltn tl'H"1 oth e r" WO:rl.o.f and hes ~ ln .a. e s lQJl.
t ·v oa ·py o :.tt, t.hcu.f:l.t :'; he i s , ·?at' .nt 'l y 11nt C0 11 pl etcl;r rect..n-
~.r.
• "· L.~ 1_.• !:'•-·, d"'-,_'="',..:•.' Or•,
• . •:\.t.cl
.• ;~
.... ... , ..........
• •n 1'1.A
~l. ~• ... ....... ~
.• n1·r·e
• - • ,.

28
.t tl. e .c.me rnom n~. •

N'Jth .r cot pcd.n t <:J cut th~'l. t; Ohr ct ~b ~l 1 s not th - onl y

: ·c t ..l ... ~ s 29

ua to b ol~ ~ve th~t ~ 0 r 1 nfluen c ~ ~11 1 1Bter be f elt direct ly ,

t ht. t 1 t ~: 11 be d., ·1 Bt ~b el 1 s m ot h ~r• s *Guard.isn fp1 r 1 t' Yih.o
'1\'11- B::;;Ve her daughter trom the tree.eherouene-es of Geraldine.

r~e. !'ftr t !·Jt-.,.-.t· c tJ ·; . o~ {la o1 t. p 185.

29. ..1:·16.. p JA3.
 •t •.,. ,
u.y .....! ~, .:,. ' , ,_ <) (J" L~
.... J,- ~ "o "'·
l_'l f
-
\-; p·r
··-
rh_,r::,lr. mo. t• h ,·
Thl nk thcu 1~ 0 ~vU. of t t•y '~h 1 l d. ~
l' n:l.' . ~~ 1 · , L,t:U. t.Lc '• h r!d f ox· 1.1 0 t •tht:l',
he p 1 ~.yed t h . m•)mtm· ere ~h e died
J?-:a:r c6. i;hs.;:G · Le tn'! b e for horn ;,-,h e u l ed
'~i~~t .r rcve h er d.t: :,:,r 1 '.lr d • 8 J oy n d vi·1rL .• t;
;;. ,.,, .,. i n· · ..h.....:;... ...n ,
~ .'!, <7, .
,:....._.,., ; i;t +y _~ b :--...L
. .. _.,... _,_, ""
1 S' n
- '-:: ,., h~~ ,'l ("} .<J
._.. ~
"'! 1..-l
... :; ""
.., - _-. hf'-...00' d<>•.c.
lY'I G(;
"'
.:,

rnoth .~ r , :h or.; e pr a :yer i s o cnt ... nu.a.l l j· k ~;:p t t::.!.' i r e t! e t;h rt1Ug. out
~·1
t !l a poem.
The e u tHH' w ~ u ra l el em;:;nt , tl:1en .t :t n tJ:l.6 pt l~ 1s fov.nd i n

good as repr~s e nte<!. b:;' the ::!pirit of vhl,.1Ct •...b e l'~ mo ~h o r.

There can be mad e a {~ er t a 1n pa.r e.ll e l be t ·, e en 9hrJ:sp..,'lb :lf

and the .;.E9 i ~{lt !!2-:r1ne:r.. 'l'h t o c<">n t ~ ndi n~ f. orce A, ne ev11 ,
the other g-od, are prev" lent in both poems..
M~ }n ~r 1. howsver; 1 t 1.s th~ ~ ood apirl te y· rEnli.n~ t he ~r i n ~r

who has oomm1 tted a or.tme. ln Ch:~lst, ~bel. l.t ie t . , v '".l

for m t h e good and vtrtuoue maid ,n.

De Bert.ev!e t.;y 1n,.J,e aux:·oatJJ..r!}l , s,; •.,.,n \.-;_ J e Tb.~..;i.:tl"f· ,U.,

iil-8Jp•.-~•a~e say e ... 1

S~l on Gyulai t 1 1 ~f f ct que dolt :9I"o\lu.h •e
~
.e Ul" 1' lm8gi na.t1on 1 1 em.p 1o1 du eurnaturel est subordonne-

a. tro1e eon.di t1onnt d ' abo·r.od. qu'il eo1t eymboli ~ uement rm

servi ce d ' un.e i dl,fnorele: pu.te qu'il e t,it a1 1 tn:~ge d.u

~

coeur hu an et d.e ees passions, ' ca.r l Ja tees, lee bone

et lee ma1 vnf.e gen1ee. ne- eont que l ' expr~~sir;m la -pltHs
, ,
elevee de nos vel"tu~ et de nos vices; entin qu• 11 eoit tonde

O!lri
~ ....--
~t r-.bc l
_......_ 626.
~1. i c h l.• ,, 13, 196, 3 26 , ~36, 629 .
 ..
sur des crofanoee nat,vea ou, · du mo1,ms, qu' 11 ai t le charme
des v1e1lles ligendes et des sou1'en1rs d' entance pour ceux
;
qu1 n • ont pas . t.erme volontairement leur coeur aux 1mprees1ma
de cette nat ure." 32 Ohrlstabel and the Ano1ent Mariner are
not dramas. but they are poems that are dramatic and that
do fulfill those three oond1 tiona. Herbert Bates bel.teves
that • all the elements that the·· ·Chlristabel depicts are 1n
the real wo.r ld about \lS•gentle c onfiding Chr1stabels; evil
Geraldi ne's designing and serpentlike j" and mother$ whose
influence and teaching may help even from 'beyond the grave.
And the wonderful world ot nature, hill and torest and elty,
moonlight and sunlight 1e about us all, always. ln the
blggest, deepest sense, the poea 1e true." 33
Untortunatel7, like lubla Khan, th• Chriatabel remains
but a fragment. lt was never t1n1she4. Yet, •we are not
.a mongst those who wish to ha•e 0lu"1st.tbe:L t1n1shed. It canno'
be tinlshed. The peet has spun all he could W1 tbout snapping.
The theme 1a too tine and a·U btle to bear much. extension. It
is better as 1t 1s, 1mpertect as a stol'J, but complete as an
e.xqu1s1 te ;production ot the 1maginat1 on, differing 1n torua and
colour fro111 the Ancient Mar1ner 1 . yet d1ttering in etfeot troa
i -. . . .l § , .•.

1t only so as the same poweJttul faculty 1e directed to the

" .......

32. De Berzev1czy. Le Surnaturel dans le Theatre de

~h@·esfie$f•~ · p' to. fontiemo!ng et C1e-
ar1a, 1 .· !
Pyre..- Weaver. Poetrz & Cr1t1c1sm ot Rom. Movement.
a o:r!ticlsm of tnriaiabel tsr B. R. Coler
p '179-80
 .. .
~ -~

t'eudal o.r· the aiiUnd&ne pt.aeee; ot the p:r··~tez•natural. tt

34

And even though it is i.noomple·;e, ther$ is eno-ugh o1' it,

w., tound, ·to d.elve a..CLequa.tely 1nto ·the rtature ot 1 te ~up¢1""'

natural bfJ1ngs, to olass1tf them and to aee l:lo'W they add t o

the we1t"dnc;ss ot the whole. De Be:rze·vicz:1 wrote tiOe aon't
les faits et lee passions de we mond.e qui nous 1ntereaa~nt,

et le merveilleux n t 1 est de mi::!e ~u' en/tant qu'il peut

servlr a aocro1 tre le sent1ntent de la terrett).". 1 35 H'8 also
belieYed that itl 1 a;rt du. poete oone1ate a noua :t'aire aooepte•
l 1 1Mpt•eas1otl de tert~eur prod.u1te par le surnaturel de ao~te

que 1 • a.me du spectate~ ae tro·u ve a l • untson de oell e

-
des pereonnages du dl'am.e. e't , an meme tempe, a .-: ( La1esor
, m.. •
entrevolr a •11 le peut , une explication naturelle du ph6nomene.
Is th~tt not exao·tl1 the ef f~0t t~~~t the Ohr1J;tt ~h<-t l works em
us! lt 1s weird and we real the. we1rdne.e o. Xt 1s unroal
and yet, we tear tor tbe good Cht'!~tAh~1 . \' e despiae and at
the same tl~e pity the posseaa ed Geraldine. And ian ' t tha·t
exactly what Ooler1dg& waa ·tr-ying to do, tr)'1ng to br1ng thfb
soul ot the reader 1nto u.n1aon with tl~e souls that ha waa
dttpict1ngt 'ft as not that b.1e s ole a1il, his 1deal? Ad.mit that
and you c~tnnot but o~n1~lude thet Cole:ttldge auooeeded in h1•
presentation ot the aupettnatu>.""al elemf;nt.

34. Longman. p. 64.

36. De .aerce-v·1 ozJ. opu~ ()! t . !?• 8
36. 1b1d. p. 7.
 ~·;

Chapter Five
.i<ubla Khan
When Kubla. Khan was firAt pabJ.lah~d in 1816, there
appeared w.p;l'l the poem, Col e:c'1dge 1s own account ot· 1 te
conception. •In the Summer of 1797, the author, then in 111
health, had retired to a lonely farm house,. between Porlock
~nd Linton, on the Exmoor confinP.A nf. ~t::>!!!.er~~t a.nd :Oevonshir~.

In consequence of a sl1S?;ht 1nd.1spoe1t1on, a.n anodyne h9,d.

been prescribed, from. the effe(l.tts or whlch he fell A~l.,~p tn
his c h ai:r at the m:Jment when he WiitS rea.d.iug the follolll'1 ng

~: 1 !-!t::re the Ulan Kubl~~t Q(tmtnan.d.ed a palace to be b11~. lt, and

a. s tately ga:·dvn 't.i'.i.ei·eurrto. And thus ten mtleA or fertile
ground were i n closed with. ~ w~lL.' 'i'he e.uthor «3 ont1n.u.ed ror
l?.bcut three hours 111 a prof oul&d sleep, Bt le ~> ~t of th~

extf'rnu.l eeneee, during which t1mf!l he hfl.A thf:l moat vtv~ . ~­

oonfidenoe, that he uould not h ave composed l~es the.n from

\ tv.ro tc three hundred linea: if that 1nd~ed cen be ca.11 e~.
oompoa1 t1on in wn.1oh all the images rose u.p before h.tm ~.s

th1ng:3, w1 th !l. parallel p:r-oduction o.f the cor.r ,eepond.ent

On awaki:1g, h~ a p p eai.~ed to himself to h~_ ve A d1at1nct recol1-

ection ot tho whol-3, and tak1ng his pen, ink, ~nd pt~.D ~r.,

1nst.·antlv
• tmd eag,. erl ..,'7 wro t~e
.. down the line· ~
~ .;.~..
011 .t.! ll t h• r e
~ •• ..... ..,.
-p~ ..,, ~ ·sr.ove d•
At this :ao:aent he t7iiB unfortunately oa.lled out b~ .':!. p .?.r .s on on
business !rem P o:r·lo~l:'., and d6t A.1ned him g,bove R.n hour fl 11:1d
on h1s return t ·.:> his r·oom, found to h1s no smdll eurpr.i9e and
mortification, th~ t; thOUf~h h e s tiJ.. l r etained .qome Vt:tgus and
diru l~COll a ot i on Of th A t ~~~r ~ l pur port Of the V1s1on, yet,
with the exception of some eight or ten scattered lines and
imag es, all the rest had passed away like the images on the
surface of a s'tr· e~.tm into w!tiCh a s tone has been cast, but
s.l&~ : l:i '~h0\4t t,he ai"i;;E;!' l'estoration or the latter ... 1
l1 t~e i:!!,git:nt li:ariner "as the result of a plan; Christ abel,
in as .ilit.u;b aa it ,.,:aa acc omplish ed. was t.he ree.ult of a plan;
Ku'~la Kaan was the result of a 1:tree.m, E'.nd in his dream,
"th." image a rose up bet' ore h im e.s things. li "Her~ there wer~

~10 dl,;tl.::1ot periods ot c .-m ceptl on e.n.d tf'3ohn1!{tle, the two we·"" e
fuee d· ,ft" 2 as the real and the superntt. tur~l were ;t11sed 1. n the
poel- 1 a tmaglnnt i on. Here, indeed, Coleridge reached th~

hl ghe~t conception ot' his a.r'G, for h t mselt' at least. Th~re

was no i'lved of a. i:willing suspension of dl eb elJ.ef' 8 tt The

imaginary fiP! lP.Apti ~a real; and. ~o r eal were t h ese dreams t hat
in ~ J:J.eiJ1, he oomp osed ve:r·ses 11
!l::i ·thout any con9c1ou.snea e of
et.t'ort, !> &.nd he pu" aome ol these verses into wr1tiq~ .

Like Clu:·i s t abtl, i\ubla. ~.!!F. rem!:'.ina b1.1t a tr.ag cme nt ,

and ao shol."t i& i ·t tha.t it bru ·ely sets the stage for the weird
and s upt:t•n a tural ev~m;s tha t might have resulted, had not
that '':ver e o::i on busines t:: from forloclt deta1n.ed him ab ove a n
hout·. M

1. Xanadu p. 356.
2. CulLer , · Dw1g!·i.·t, tt'l):r r·es c. t F;~".v CIS1. 'ti i~mtt 'R • .'~ .• lr ·r! l l i ff ,r1.
F'arrar and Rinehart 1.931 p 227.
 ....
.....

dream, II and t~'!'d.s vision concerns &. iYorld. t.tw.t in b €ycm0. the

sn,?r X'!\nadu. and Kubl.a Khan as Co~\dge aav: them. TCI l?urcht.u~,

'Po
•.
p,.·i ~~;&d : o· ....
. 1".14 vb ~"' . o~.t Xan&du was r-eal, but r·eal ln h1 ~ dreams
ar1d. 1n biB 1roag 1.na t1or~e. C.olet·ldge conceived XatH.tdu on a higher

P\.'.re bM!Hty. Hc-th1ng i s alien ·~o 1t~'l ;~ran.sfo1•m1ng touoh.

·~·~r. or :for-g~t to (tt) 1 e JIH'HH"; shaco·5 and $Unl1gbt ar~ the
eEtme. 1 'It 3 Ve;rll)' the Hrahtt an1r.t1o ll :r,.h.ad'Jv.r a nd S1J.n11gh t ;;r-3

3. Xanndu. p. 433~
 •o

Ancient Me.ri,ner 1 th~ bewl ..Jte ·~~ng loc.ltt:, a nd e~r es ot t~e iilEHnO~f

which ~ l!re the il"'!·osponaiblt! a.rt1t 1o e l~o of ~h0 d1 e H.iH . tt -4

~hG senucu~ ... -!.llG

~ . ....
..... ._J. ,. ....
ro~, .,. ,_, • . -
..... "" '~''-'· · hor};
w . Y _-. "''"\': ~ ~ · f·u- lt
~r•""" • ;;;._ _
v
. - .- .,..:.~.,. l·.· r. , . .. {.., .ol
"'~"'Iii •...• 1\r\e

va.&t &as the boei-1ly oya i.e uot tittt,;d to l' e;c:eive. Gpaee o~·elled

anti w·au &Ui.pl1i'1etA tt.~ r..n e~'tent oi' un~t t~ erab ... a lntin.t ~Y . w ·;·

-·
4
5.
e.
7.
e.
 The scene is de!1n1tely exotio.Kubla Khan ot Xanadu 1ft
far away Cathay, has built a "stately pleasure dome.• All
good and well, that is conceivable. But a "sacred river
that rune through caverns measureless . to man down to a sun-
less sea, tt and e1nlts 1 in tumult to a. 11feleas . aea,• .even
though 1 t makes beautiful poetry, is unworldly; a.nd so are
"incense bearing t:reeett and •a woma.n wailing for her demon
lover" and 1 dano1ng rocks' that 1 tlung up momently the sacre4
river, • and the "anoeetral vo1oes prophesying war" and finally
he who
•on honey dew hath fe4
and dru.Gk. the Millt ot Paradise.•
'l'be poem is certa1nl;y supernatural in atmoaphere and
foreshadows great poes1b111t1es. t1ntortunat$lf the story that
started at verse thirty seven wlth
1 A damsel 1n a dulcimer
In a vision once I saw:•
never went beyond verse t1tty tour. Here we have a dream
within a dreu. The t1ret picture h.as completely d1esolve4.
"The river has vanished trom the p1ctur, and the dome with
its c1rcumob1ent landscape has d1seolved to rise again tor
an instant, built with mus1.o, as a v1e1on w1th1n the v1s1on
ot the dreamer, who now is suddenly present 1n the. dream.• g
But alas, eighteen verses and the 1nsp1rat1on stopped. or
rather, the dream dissolved. The poem was never f1n1ehed
and we can but guess (1! even that) what m1ght have resulted,

9. Xanadu p 410.
had not thR.t v1s1tor tr~m Porlook broken tt.tnupon the rtetua.l
transcr1.pt:ton at those l~st bewttohtng lines. tt 10 X.ttb;L~ Kh~n
VTA.s a :nerA rr~gment ol1pped wrh1le st.tll 1n the bud. Book
have been -.,r1 tten 11bout 1 t, 8.l'l ~\, no doubt, more w111 be
'N.ritten, but ooncern:tng the su~erne.tur~l in th"-t poem
overhang~ a mystery, that will nev.e r be ~nl ved tor Coleridge
h:t ms elt could not r ·emember the .s ucceeding linea.

10. 1b1d. p 409.

 Cbaptt:l"' N1x
· ·O oncl.usion·,
l do net believe th~. t Ooler1dge w~s s, great poet but I
do beli'!-ve the.t he W9.l\ an interesting one. ____ ,... ......... and
Chrietab.,l
,!E-9le. .!B-!P. ., re mere fr.~.f}:rnents. !,!l.e. Anpit,nt J"'lr1ner, alone,
1.s h ie sole, worthy poet1c eGnt:r1but10T\ to 11 te:rature, l!nd
J.r 1 t is 1ro:rtb.7, 1 t 1s sc~l ctue to his uee of the supernatural
element. His utter t ac1t1t7 ot combining the concrete with
the abstract, the natural w1th the •upernatur.al, h1.s complete
grip of the concrete and taoile manipulating or 1mpoas1b1lit1ea
provide both the element s ot be11et and interest.
Although each poew is brought to oarth w1 th concrete
rea lities, t hirlgs of everyday l.1fe tha.t l!e see about us, 1'
l'ets1ns much of other to:orld11ness atsoaphere, and t he
pre s€ntat1on ot that &tmoephere 111 a true to lite taeh1on 11
Ooler1dgele gr~at ~er1t . No doubt that the ~7thm, th• sound,
the eas7 sweep of the lines all help in br1ng1ng the super-
natural element down to earth; but it 1e the eimpl1e1ty and
ef'f'ect1venees ot the mingling ot the oonorete with the
abstract the.t help us 1n receiving these abnormal 1mpress1ona
as taots.

As in his opium dream&, real1 ty takes tantaet1c

proportions. There 1s an element ot bel1e.t ther•, tor all
the images are based on reality about him and there 1s interest,
because of the tantast1c interwoven with the realit7. These
two elements, combined,. explain the success of the poems.
tht;;y c.l"' f~ g E:n t l e and ec::oth1ng...
"Bo gl:~~?. ed. I, till ~~he aoothing t hings, I dr ac .. ,
Lulled m" to sl~ep, and sleep p.r olonged my dresmi. •
"A~ alee~ it 1e a gentle thing.* 2
 ...
.a

•·v.!'1<'; •c. "'r c~t; •.•

rnJ l-1c·""" 't'!1
. .• ., .. ·. 1 , ;.,, ·~_ T..1'"'
~ .• . . ,., _ , n "e
·~ .·~
'~ .tl"l
... t."£'.V
'""" f~.~ o - ,..' '·':·. t ,...,~.
·,·.t-nd A '".·a.·· .u...~
t:"- u

l~e nn t~~G l ~ c t~ ln nccora~nce wit h

·r·· ~ "'
• . J...,.. "-.· 1. ·~·~
··: ..,..,..,
J .. V.'\. ·:- t-tt ·... c-1
•ol. ~···.,.; . .. ... . , J t-.,,,~-.,. , n·J ie a
 '
Ool~rid/le
- - is. th.o.rou5€hly- :::• o::.~:1tto 1n this ooneepti on ot
the aupernatv.r!il_. M:e cre ~~t es ~ new· an;.'l e1~ot1c bt'Htuty f l't)4ti

th , im ages sttH'~u in h is 1m s.~ .... na:t1 ~n. It ~liv-es and br-itQthee

betore the: eyes" ana ye't 1t t a fa.r rtaet1o, 1wpt-obable, even
impossible.
one 1mport&.nt 1· aotor 1n understanding the exotic and
fanta~:~tio r,a~ur& of the supez·ne.tUl"&l in hie peelil.a 1s to
res.lize that The AnQ1ent lia.:r1ner and Cllristabel were indirectly
influenced by hie opium dreams and iubla ·Khan w~ s the d1reot
result CJf an opium Q.reau.- proot· of thie 1e found in both h1a
B1ograph1a L.i terar1.a and Letters wt·1 t ter. to h1.s wife l1.nd
tr1ends throughout his opiuw days.
The fact that 1l'he Anc1et t iia.r1ner at\d Chr-is ·t a'oel were
1nt lueneed ·oy b1s op1'Qlli drt::Qa does not el1Ui1nate the pCtse-

1b111ty that they we.re ·~he re11ult or a plan, how~vt~:r- Coleridge,

h1ms elf in his jt1ograrh~~· !-:1!i.."I~arl.ll asfH1rt>s un tha t they we rf.i-
".!t wns a.gr.eed thHt wy er:.ti.C'H::.'Vtl\lt"S should be directed to persons
and cha.racterf! superna . ural.. • ln. adtU t.1on the account of hi. a
walk with Wordcwo:rth and Dorothy as well as th& &r·gum.ent that

per,.; "!: t.:U ~ions,

i lLLlu encu in the poem- Christ abel's mother, who watches froa

mol"e p::."'o.m insnt pe.rt 111 the c o-nclu s1on.

 :La

th~
 BIDLIOGRAP.HY

.,
ot l!s.ra.ct1ee Ufl!'V ..rd Uni vera1 ty

Br-r:.nc;U , Alvis; Samuel Ta;ylor•. Opl,en1dS!, John Murray, London 1887

Broth ~ r Let) ... History ot
•
$ng11!.h
' r "1
L tter~ture
, , .• .., .
fUnn ~.nd. Co. 1928.

t he Rom~mtic... ~

Century . Diet ons.rL,_

. Colerid;;e, . • .smuel T~.2.- 1or- Con::ol Gta l,oet 1c.~J.l ~;.; orks edt ted. l~y

.:r·nest H~.rtl~y Coler1d€;e, Oxfc,rd 191~~.

cc.!..it j.on. ·

1\1 Ofit'aphi ~· 141 t ~r ~.rt,n .. f.:1.X'lt rrnd !'.ercetn, N. Y. 1817.

Ohrtstabnl - Longmnn e ·:.1t1 on.

- .
Tr..blc Talk ... tl~-r· r;d1t1an , Lor.(~.or.. liv.rray • .o~..870.

Co. 1932.
Kub l ::. Khr.n ... Lone;nlt:>.n edt t i()n.

F·o--· • ,~ ..... ,.,t

, , {,1 \;;.• .J... t"!t:J!
( I,_.J _ t~ ~~
.... +
\; tJ
"'in...... '
-..J. "Pr.
, • t ~ ~., ~
J,.- • • ..
1Q
__.. I.J' o
'Z
'"Ji;

.Tohn L,.t•1ng1.1t0n - The Ro ~. d t:J X. . . n~-tdu, Hought on .ARO illan

Company C!'.mbr1~e 19~0.

t~etl:lereot, 1 .~rthur H. N., The Roe.d to Tryerma. ln~, Un1v-ere1.tJ

?nbl tcr..
T

soarboroue. ~o:othy ~ 1l~e ~:~~c-:~at~ra~ 1~ ~~o~.~~IJ En~at~ - Ftc~

:..1 1•.n ·- u. ;: • .. ~.~ •.n ~ d... . ..•• .1. . ~. 11 ,_ (.•. (ton ••;~ ... , ~

na. b .rt dr.,:ed.