Christabel

The motif of eyes underlies the theme of innocence and experience, or good and evil. Eyes are often considered the windows to the soul. Geraldine’s eyes enchant Christabel, initially with beauty and strength: “And Christabel saw the lady's eye, / And nothing else saw she thereby, / Save the boss of the shield of Sir Leoline tall” (Lines 160-62). When the fire in the hall flares up as Geraldine passes, only her eyes and a part of a shield are illuminated, connecting the two as powerful devices in conflict—Geraldine’s eyes are penetrating the castle’s defenses while the shield cannot successfully repel her.

This motif continues when the women reach Leoline’s room. There, Geraldine’s eyes take on a serpentine quality, which terrifies Christabel. While Geraldine’s eyes change from “fair large eyes [that] glitter bright” (Line 221) to inhuman snake eyes and back again, Christabel’s “eyes so innocent and blue!” (Line 614) remain consistently directed heavenward in prayer, marking her piety and purity. Christabel’s soul, seen through her eyes, stands in contrast to Geraldine’s.

“Christabel” begins with a “castle clock” (Line 1), and the clock motif runs throughout the poem. This clock, in addition to the church matin bell that calls parishioners to prayer, is a sign of human attempts to measure and systematize nature and the supernatural.