CHRISTABEL. Coleridge's though a fragment, is among all his works sec ond in fame only to the (Ancient Mariner' (q.v.). The first part was written in 1797, the second in 1800; and between them and the date of its publication in 1816—a delay due largely to Coleridge's uncertain ways — Sir Walter Scott, Charles Lamb, Wordsworth, Southey and many other people of taste and authority had become familiar admirers of the poem. Except for a certain disappointing harshness in the reviews of the day, this success was re peated in a wider public for the printed form, and may be said still to hold.
for us, then, remains a frag ment of a long narrative poem. The second canto leaves off with the baron's anger at has daughter's jealousy and his dispatching Tracy, the bard, to Lord Roland's castle at Tryer maine. It is a common opinion that Coleridge never told how the poem was to end. But in Gillman's (p. 301) is supplied an ac count of Coleridge s plans for its completion in a third and fourth canto, by making the supernatural being change from Geraldine to Christabel's absent lover. is re volted without knowing why — by the suit paid her; hut finally yields to her father's entreaties and is led to the altar. The real lover returns
just in time with the ring token. The super natural being disappears, the bell tolls and the mother's voice is heard, and with joy the mar riage and the reconciliations take place.
The metrical beauty of (ChristabeP is one of its greatest claims. It is based on the prin ciple of accent, rather than syllable counting. There are four accents to the line, with a variation in syllables as the poetic necessity and passion itself may vary. With so delicate an instrument as this, Coleridge shows himself easily to be one of the great masters of Eng lish verse.
The main idea of 'Christabel' is that the virtuous people of this world may save the wicked; may have a power deeper far than the power of evil. Around this idea Coleridge weaves the story; with the framework of popu lar romance and legend; the pure maiden, the mother's love; the natural — supernatural effect, to use his own phrase; the innumerable lovely cadences; the half-magical imagery; the enchantments; the poignant and lyrical beauty everywhere evident.