Coleridge's Christabel and Le Fanu's Carmilla

Female vampires that entranced young women were found in Samuel Taylor Coleridge's Romantic era poem, "Christabel" (1816) and Sheridan Le Fanu's Victorian novella, Carmilla (1872); Both authors, whose works predate Stoker's Dracula, share similar scenes of the seduction of a young female heroine by a vampiric woman. Below is an excerpt that describes an intimate and destructive moment between Christabel and Coleridge's vampiric lady, Geraldine. Stoker departs from the homoerotic threat of these female vampires in Dracula. How has he changed the sexual dynamic of vampirism in his novel?

From Samuel Taylor Coleridge's "Christabel"

Quoth Christabel, So let it be!

And as the lady bade, did she.

Her gentle limbs did she undress,

And lay down in her loveliness.

But through her brain of weal and woe

So many thoughts moved to and fro,

That vain it were her lids to close;

So half-way from the bed she rose,

And on her elbow did recline

To look at the lady Geraldine.

Beneath the lamp the lady bowed,

And slowly rolled her eyes around;

Then drawing in her breath aloud,

Like one that shuddered, she unbound

The cincture from beneath her breast:

Her silken robe, and inner vest,

Dropt to her feet, and full in view,

Behold! her bosom and half her side—

A sight to dream of, not to tell!

O shield her! shield sweet Christabel!

Yet Geraldine nor speaks nor stirs;

Ah! what a stricken look was hers!

Deep from within she seems half-way

To lift some weight with sick assay,

And eyes the maid and seeks delay;

Then suddenly, as one defied,

Collects herself in scorn and pride,

And lay down by the Maiden's side!—

And in her arms the maid she took,

       Ah wel-a-day!

And with low voice and doleful look

These words did say:

'In the touch of this bosom there worketh a spell,

Which is lord of thy utterance, Christabel!

Thou knowest to-night, and wilt know to-morrow,

This mark of my shame, this seal of my sorrow;

    But vainly thou warrest,

       For this is alone in

    Thy power to declare,

        That in the dim forest

       Thou heard'st a low moaning,

And found'st a bright lady, surpassingly fair;

And didst bring her home with thee in love and in charity,

To shield her and shelter her from the damp air.'