Oil and Blood

Jamie McKendrick's dramatic monologue is from the perspective of what we believe to be, Dracula. Immediately, we are lured into a false sense of security, or we see how Dracula is persuading his victim to be lured into it. He innocently alerts the victim that "it's only me", which has a reassuring tone. This is ironic, as we know from the novel that Dracula is not meant to be an innocent character, yet the subtle hints of reassurance add to the subtle creepiness of the poem. He describes himself as a "sloth", a creature not be feared, and explains how he is "padding down the wall". The sound of "padding" resembles sounds made by cats, or maybe a rabbit, small creatures again not to be feared.

Throughout the first stanza, menace appears to be disguised as seduction. He "aches"for the hollows of her neck, which along with the sentimental language of "sweetheart" and the sensual movement of "lifting one knee" creates a slow, sexual tone, yet with an undertone of menace; a mix which is the epitome of the Gothic.

Other Gothic tendencies of the poem are the references to light and dark, good and evil. He uses words such as "dark" and "disturb" in the same line as "sweetheart" and "dream"; the connotations attached to each word bringing completely contrasting images of good and evil. Again, he immediately contrasts the "paradise" of sucking her blood to the "hell" of waiting, again raising the theme of heaven, hell, and good and evil.

The sounds and rhythm of the poem, especially in the first stanza, tend to create a hypnotic rhythm, which aids the theme of sensuality. Each line has 10 or 11 syllables, which helps create the hypnotic rhythm, and the actual sound of the words helps this. Lots of "o" sounds slow down the tempo of the poem; "only", "sloth", "hollows", and also plenty of alliteration somehow enhances the hypnotic, sensual tone; "tall twilight", "nard and nightflowers", "dark disturb... do you dream". This sensuality however, seems to be lost in the second stanza, when Dracula's attention is diverted from his victim to Van Helsing, who is about to interrupt him. Gone are the soft, sensual sounds, to be replaces by insults such as "bony eunuch", harsh alliteration and imagery; "sharpened stumps", and seemingly nasty substances; "oil and blood". The way Dracula describes Van Helsing as "striding" upstairs contrasts with he, who pads along the wall. To stride seems much more intimidating than to pad, which suggests that Dracula is attempting to appear less imposing, and therefore less dangerous than Van Helsing. By making him into this imposing character carrying weapons, he is attempting to switch roles, making himself the "good guy" and Van Helsing the "baddie", despite our prejudice against him.