After reading this section of Coleridge’s poetry, it really showed me the gothic elements that can be found in Romanticism. Cristabel, in particular, represents a lot of the Gothic elements that I noticed. In this we have a heroine in the form of a powerful Baron’s daughter, who comes into contact with a woman with some supernatural elements. All the characters for a Gothic piece are in play as the poem goes along. The past haunts the present in the form of Geraldine coming to meet the Baron, as he is reminded of her father, his old friend.
The part of the poem that was the most intriguing to me was the element of prayer and spells that seemed to go hand in hand with one another. The spells that were created really created an atmosphere of the Gothic and the mystical. It was difficult to understand how much the characters themselves believed in the magic. But they were influenced by the spells and their ability to pray as a way to connect with nature.
Romanticism Blog 