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Kubla Khan Summary and Critical Analysis

Kubla Khan is a poem by Samuel Taylor Coleridge describing the pleasure dome of Kubla Khan, the ruler of Xanadu. It describes the beautiful and mystical landscape of Xanadu, including its sacred river, gardens, and a woman waiting for her lover by a fountain. The poem creates a vivid dream-like vision through supernatural elements and striking imagery, transporting the reader to a fantastical world. Coleridge catches this vision in a "magic mirror" through his remarkable descriptive abilities.

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3K views2 pages

Kubla Khan Summary and Critical Analysis

Kubla Khan is a poem by Samuel Taylor Coleridge describing the pleasure dome of Kubla Khan, the ruler of Xanadu. It describes the beautiful and mystical landscape of Xanadu, including its sacred river, gardens, and a woman waiting for her lover by a fountain. The poem creates a vivid dream-like vision through supernatural elements and striking imagery, transporting the reader to a fantastical world. Coleridge catches this vision in a "magic mirror" through his remarkable descriptive abilities.

Uploaded by

Amna Bilal Sheikh
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Kubla Khan: Samuel Taylor Coleridge -

Summary and Critical Analysis


Kubla Khan is one of Coleridge’s well-known poems in which he has beautifully imagined and skillfully
described what he had imagined about a palace about which he had read. He has achieved remarkable
success in making the description lively and complete. He writes as if he has seen it before him.

Samuel Taylor Coleridge

The poem begins with the description of the kingdom of Kubla Khan. The action takes place in the unknown
Xanadu (a mythical city). Kubla Khan was the powerful ruler who could create his pleasure dome by a mere
order. Alpha was the sacred river that passed through Xanadu. It followed through the measureless caverns
(caves) to the sunless sea. There were gardens in which streams were following in a zigzag manner. The
gardens had many flowers with sweet smells and the forests had many spots of greenery. The poet gives a
beautiful description of the remote and distant land cape of Xanadu.

There was a wonderful chasm sloping down the green hill. The cedar trees were growing on both sides of the
chasm. The place was visited by fairies and demons. Coleridge then gives a medieval tale of love and
romance. When the moon declined in the night it was visited by a woman. She was sad for her lover. Form the
chasm shot up a fountain violently. It threw up stones. They were falling down in every direction. The sacred
river Alpha ran through the woods and dales. Then it reached the unfathomable caverns and sank noisily into a
lifeless ocean with a tumult. In that tumult Kubla Khan heard the voices of his ancestors. They warned him of
approaching war and danger.

In the second part of the poem Coleridge describes the pleasure dome of Kubla Khan. Its shadow floated
midway on the waves. There was mixed music of the fountains as well as of the caves. It was bright with
sunlight and also had caves of ice. Then the poet tells the reader about his vision. In his vision he saw an
Abyssinian maid playing upon her dulcimer. The poet desires to revive their symphony and song. Her music
world inspires with divine frenzy. With the divine frenzy he would recreate all the charm of Kubla Khan’s
pleasure dome. The poet would be divinely inspired so people would draw a circle around him, and close their
eyes with divine fear. The poet must have fed on honeydew and drunk the milk of paradise.
The poem paints an oriental dream picture. It is manifestly a dream but a dream caught in a magic mirror,
which holds it spellbound in immortal freshness. The use of supernatural in the poem is wonderful. The poem is
equally remarkable in its use of imagery. He gives images of fountains throwing stones. The use of
supernatural takes its reader away from the everyday life and activities. Pleasure dome is bright with sunlight
with caves of ice. This is only possible by the interference of supernatural power. Coleridge’s picture of a
woman waiting for her demon-lover is clear and impressive as a painting. Coleridge makes the description
perfect at every stage by a very apt simile. The sacred river runs through woods and dale like a maze. All the
pictures in the poem are vivid. They stimulate interest, produce admiration and fill us with awe.
- See more at: http://www.bachelorandmaster.com/britishandamericanpoetry/kubla-khan.html#.VgjXy-yqqko

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