Kubla Khan
SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE
Or, a vision in a dream. A Fragment.
BY SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE
In Xanadu did Kubla Khan
A stately pleasure-dome decree:
Where Alph, the sacred river, ran
Through caverns measureless to man
Down to a sunless sea.
So twice five miles of fertile ground
With walls and towers were girdled round;
And there were gardens bright with sinuous rills,
Where blossomed many an incense-bearing tree;
And here were forests ancient as the hills,
Enfolding sunny spots of greenery.
But oh! that deep romantic chasm which slanted
Down the green hill athwart a cedarn cover!
A savage place! as holy and enchanted
As e’er beneath a waning moon was haunted
By woman wailing for her demon-lover!
And from this chasm, with ceaseless turmoil seething,
As if this earth in fast thick pants were breathing,
A mighty fountain momently was forced:
Amid whose swift half-intermitted burst
Huge fragments vaulted like rebounding hail,
Or chaffy grain beneath the thresher’s flail:
And mid these dancing rocks at once and ever
It flung up momently the sacred river.
Five miles meandering with a mazy motion
Through wood and dale the sacred river ran,
Then reached the caverns measureless to man,
And sank in tumult to a lifeless ocean;
And ’mid this tumult Kubla heard from far
Ancestral voices prophesying war!
The shadow of the dome of pleasure
Floated midway on the waves;
Where was heard the mingled measure
From the fountain and the caves.
It was a miracle of rare device,
A sunny pleasure-dome with caves of ice!
A damsel with a dulcimer
In a vision once I saw:
It was an Abyssinian maid
And on her dulcimer she played,
Singing of Mount Abora.
Could I revive within me
Her symphony and song,
To such a deep delight ’twould win me,
That with music loud and long,
I would build that dome in air,
That sunny dome! those caves of ice!
And all who heard should see them there,
And all should cry, Beware! Beware!
His flashing eyes, his floating hair!
Weave a circle round him thrice,
And close your eyes with holy dread
For he on honey-dew hath fed,
And drunk the milk of Paradise.
Summary of “Kubla Khan” by Samuel Taylor Coleridge:
“Kubla Khan” is a deeply imaginative and fragmented poem that depicts the construction of an otherworldly palace by the Mongol ruler Kubla Khan. The narrator describes the opulence and grandeur of the palace, surrounded by a beautiful and fertile landscape. However, the poem is interrupted by the narrator’s lament about being unable to finish the work due to a visitor’s arrival. This interruption adds an air of mystery and incompleteness to the poem.
Analysis of “Kubla Khan” by Samuel Taylor Coleridge:
Coleridge’s “Kubla Khan” is rich in vivid imagery and symbolism, portraying the power of the human imagination and its ability to create extraordinary and beautiful landscapes. The poem also explores themes of creativity, the natural world, and the fleeting nature of inspiration. The use of dreamlike language and supernatural elements contributes to the poem’s enigmatic and captivating nature.
The poem has been the subject of much scholarly analysis and interpretation, with many critics praising its lyrical beauty and enigmatic allure. Coleridge’s use of language and vivid descriptions creates a sense of awe and wonder, drawing readers into a mesmerizing dreamscape.
Overall, “Kubla Khan” stands as a testament to the power of poetic imagination and the enduring fascination with the exotic and the mysterious.
It’s my perhaps flawed understanding that Coleridge began the poem fresh out of an opium dream. His visitor interrupted the connection, which is why he found himself at a loss to finish it.