Kubla Khan by Samuel Taylor Coleridge Summary and critical analysis

 Introduction

Samuel Taylor Coleridge was one of the major literary figures of the Romantic movement in England, as a poet his reputation stands on primarily three works, “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner,” “Christabel,” and “Kubla Khan.” All three were composed between 1797 and 1800; however, “Kubla Khan” was not published until 1816. At that time, Coleridge subtitled it “A Vision in a Dream: A Fragment” and added a prefatory note explaining the unusual origin of the poem. This preface describes how Coleridge, after taking some opium as medication, grew drowsy while reading a passage about the court of Kubla Khan in Samuel Purchas’ s Pilgrimage, a seventeenth-century travel book recounting the adventures of early explorers. Soon he fell into a deep sleep which lasted about three hours. During this period, he composed from 200 to 300 lines of poetry based on the vivid images in his dream. When he woke, he remembered the entire poem and immediately began to write it down. Unfortunately, however, a visitor interrupted him, distracting him for about an hour. When Coleridge returned to his writing, the vivid images had fled, leaving him with only vague recollections and the fifty-four lines of this poetic fragment.

However, whether whole or fragment, dream or not, the poem examines issues of vital importance to Coleridge’s creativity and the function of the imagination. 

Kubla Khan by Samuel Taylor Coleridge is a celebrated Romantic poem that explores themes of imagination, nature, and the creative process.

Kubla Khan

Or, a vision in a dream. A Fragment.

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.

 

The poem begins with the speaker recounting a dreamlike experience of Kubla Khan, the powerful Mongol ruler, who orders the construction of a grand and luxurious pleasure palace in the mythical city of Xanadu.

The palace is situated near the sacred river Alph, which flows through vast and mysterious caverns beyond human measurement until it reaches a sea without sunlight. This description sets a dreamlike and otherworldly atmosphere.

The pleasure-dome is surrounded by ten miles of fertile land enclosed by walls and towers. The area features beautiful gardens with winding streams or sinuous rills, in fact the speaker is trying to imagine an exotic or rather dream like place. Which shows primarily the extraordinary development in the imaginative sensibility of the poet.

The gardens are adorned with fragrant incense-bearing trees, creating an aromatic and sensory-rich environment. Additionally, ancient forests, as old as the hills, add a sense of timelessness and continuity to the landscape.

The ancient forests encircle or "enfold" sunny and open areas filled with greenery. This description suggests a harmonious blend of nature and sunlight within the landscape of Xanadu.

Poet sets the stage for a vivid and imaginative exploration of the dreamlike realm created by Kubla Khan. Coleridge's use of rich and evocative imagery contributes to the overall theme of the power of the imagination and the inspiring beauty of the natural world. Keep in mind that "Kubla Khan" is considered a fragment, as Coleridge claimed to have been interrupted while writing it and could not recapture the complete vision.

 

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!

 

 

The speaker explains a deep abyss on a green hill, covered with cedar trees. The place is described as both savage and holy, evoking a sense of mystery. The imagery suggests enchantment, particularly under the light of a waning moon, creating a haunting and magical atmosphere.

The poet introduces a haunting image of a woman wailing for her demon-lover, adding a special effect of mystery and agony to the scene. The chasm is described as having continuous movement, resembling the Earth's breathing. A mighty fountain erupts from the chasm, with large fragments vaulting like hail or grain beneath a thresher's flail. The imagery emphasizes the dynamic and powerful nature of the landscape.

The dancing rocks around the fountain continually fling up the sacred river. The river meanders for five miles with a mazy (twisting and turning) motion through wood and dale. It eventually reaches caverns beyond human measurement and descends tumultuously to a lifeless ocean. This vivid description portrays the continuous and dynamic movement of the sacred river.

Amidst the tumult of the river, Kubla (possibly referring to Kubla Khan) hears ancestral voices prophesying war from a distance. The "shadow of the dome of pleasure" is described as floating midway on the waves, it may anticipate the unsettles state of his mind regarding the thoughts of the empire.

The mingled measure refers to the combined sounds and rhythms coming from both the fountain and the caves, contributing to the sensory experience of the place.

The speaker describes the entire scene as a miraculous creation of rare design. The pleasure-dome is depicted as both sunny and adorned 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.

 

Speaker imagines a young woman playing a dulcimer, a musical instrument. This vision intensifies the dreamlike elements of the poem.

The damsel in the vision is described as an Abyssinian maid, and she plays the dulcimer while singing about Mount Abora. The speaker expresses a desire to revive within himself the symphony and song that he heard in the vision, suggesting a longing for the creative and emotional impact of the music.

The speaker expresses the profound delight that recreating the damsel's music would bring. He envisions building an delicate structure in the air—a sunny dome and caves of ice. This imagery conveys a combination of warmth and cold, emphasizing the dreamlike and fantastical nature of the vision.

The speaker imagines that those who hear the music and see the lovely structures would be compelled to warn others with exclamations of "Beware! Beware!" The mention of flashing eyes and floating hair adds to the mysterious and supernatural or rather intimidating quality of the envisioned scene. Weaving a circle around someone thrice is a traditional practice often associated with rituals or magical ceremonies.

The speaker advises closing one's eyes with "holy dread" in response to the figure described earlier. This figure is said to have fed on honey-dew and drunk the milk of Paradise, further heightening the mystical and otherworldly aspects of the vision.

 

 

critical analysis

Imagery and Sensory Richness:

Coleridge's use of vivid and sensory imagery is a hallmark of "Kubla Khan." The poem creates a lush and dreamlike landscape, transporting readers to a fantastical realm. The depictions of the pleasure-dome, the sacred river, and the caverns contribute to a rich sensory experience.

The Creative Process:

The poem is often seen as a reflection on the nature of the creative process. Coleridge introduces the idea of a vision or dream that inspires artistic creation. The interruption of this creative process is acknowledged in the poet's note, where Coleridge claims to have been interrupted while writing the poem, underscoring the fleeting nature of inspiration.

Nature and the Sublime:

Coleridge, along with other Romantic poets, was fascinated by the sublime—a sense of awe and wonder in the face of nature's power. The depiction of the tumultuous sacred river, the pleasure-dome, and the contrasting images of sunny warmth and icy caves all contribute to a sublime portrayal of nature's beauty and force.

Symbolism of Xanadu:

Xanadu, the setting of the poem, is a symbol of an idealized, paradisiacal space. It represents the human imagination's ability to create and envision utopian landscapes. The tension between the real and the imagined, as well as the desire to recreate a lost vision, adds depth to the poem.

The Damsel and Kubla Khan:

The damsel with the dulcimer is a mysterious figure in the poem, and her song becomes a source of inspiration for the speaker. The mention of Kubla Khan adds a historical and oriental element to the narrative. The combination of personal inspiration and historical-cultural references adds complexity to the work.

Mysticism and Symbolism:

The poem is infused with mystical elements, such as the prophetic voices and the figure who has consumed the honey-dew and milk of Paradise. These elements contribute to a sense of the mysterious and the supernatural, inviting various interpretations.