Kuble Khan Analysis

Kuble Khan Analysis

Introduction

Poem written in 1816, Kubla Khan was one of the greatest literary work of Samuel Taylor Coleridge.. The work was completed in 1797. All it took for Samuel was one night for the creation of this masterpiece. He experienced a vision that was influenced by Opium. He dreamt after reading the work that was describing Xanadu. He could not complete the poem as there were many interruptions in between and he kept forgetting lines. The poem was left unpublished, but it was there for someone who wants to read it privately. Even though it was not admired in its early days, poem gained the admiration with the passage of time and it is considered one the best works of Coleridge. The romanticism, which is the most important of English literature, is fully incorporated in this poem.

Discussion

Poem talks about Xanadu, the palace of Kubla Khan. He was a Mongol emperor. He was the grandson of Genghis Khan. The settings of the palace are discussed in the poem, and poet has compared palace to some dome of pleasure. There is also mention of a river that is running all across the land (Benzon, 2003). This river culminated at certain cave that is underground. The land of the palace is surrounded by land that is described to be fertile. The nearby area of the palace is covered with streams and trees that smell really sweet. The forests that surround the palace are described as eccentric and beautiful.

Imagery of the River

It can be seen that the speaker is clearly excited about the rivers, and this is where the theme of love and romanticism can be seen. Poet tries to tell us that there is a canyon through which if flows. Poet has made an effort to seem it as something that is really spooky and haunted in its nature (Coleridge, 1924). There is a bit of romanticism as poet illustrates that there might be women waiting there who is searching for her demon lover. The leaps and the bounds of the river are explained. How the river smashes through a canyon is also illustrated. So poet is trying to create imagery in front of its readers. The rivers as it is said are exploding itself with a fountain. It finally sinks down.

Appearance of Kubla Khan

There is also description about the appearance of Kubla Khan. He is there in his full strength as he listens to the noisy river. He is thinking about war even in such circumstances. Then there is a significant shift in the way poem is moving forward as a poet away from this landscape and there is a discussion about another vision this poet had. It tells about a woman who was playing an instrument. She was also singing at the same time. The song had this captivating quality as it filled him with the memories of his longing. He is so much intrigued by the song that he imagines himself singing this ...