Assignment #01

BAHRIA UNIVERSITY ISLAMABAD

Romantic Poetry
Kubla Khan

Imran Qadeer
01-117221-011
Abdul Qayoom
01-117221-034

Paper Due Date

Dec 19, 2024

Introduction to Poet:
Early Life

 Born: October 21, 1772, in Ottery St Mary, Devon, England.

 Parents: John Coleridge, a vicar and schoolmaster, and Ann Bowden.
 Education:
o Attended Christ’s Hospital School in London, where he befriended Charles Lamb
and developed his love for poetry.
o Studied at Jesus College, Cambridge, but left without completing his degree due
to personal and financial struggles.

Key Achievements

1. Founding of the Romantic Movement:

o Alongside Wordsworth, Coleridge is considered one of the founders of the
Romantic Movement in English literature.
o Published Lyrical Ballads (1798) with Wordsworth, a groundbreaking collection
that marked the beginning of Romanticism. Coleridge’s The Rime of the Ancient
Mariner was the standout poem in this collection.
2. Major Works:
o Poetry:
 The Rime of the Ancient Mariner (1798): A narrative poem blending the
natural and supernatural, emphasizing themes of guilt, redemption, and
man's connection with nature.
 Kubla Khan (1816): A fragmentary vision inspired by an opium-induced
dream, rich in exotic imagery and mystical symbolism.
 Christabel (1816): A Gothic narrative poem exploring themes of
innocence, betrayal, and the supernatural.
3. Philosophical Contributions:
o Influenced by German philosophers like Immanuel Kant, Friedrich Schelling, and
Johann Gottlieb Fichte.
o Introduced German idealism and transcendental philosophy to English audiences.

Personal Life

 Married Sara Fricker in 1795, though their marriage was troubled and largely unhappy.
 Struggled with chronic health issues and became dependent on opium, which he initially
used to treat pain.
 Maintained close friendships and collaborations, most notably with William Wordsworth,
though their relationship became strained over time.
 Fathered four children, but his personal and financial struggles took a toll on his family
life.
Introduction to Kubla Khan
Background

 The poem describes the construction of a majestic palace by the Mongol emperor Kubla
Khan in the city of Xanadu, inspired by descriptions in travel accounts like those of
Marco Polo.
 Coleridge's dream-like vision blends historical references with imaginative and
supernatural elements, creating a surreal and symbolic landscape.
 The poem was allegedly conceived after Coleridge read a passage about Kubla Khan in
Samuel Purchas’s Pilgrimage, which described the emperor's magnificent palace and
gardens.

Structure and Language

 The poem is written in irregular meter and rhyme, reflecting its dreamlike and
spontaneous quality.
 Divided into two distinct sections:
1. The First Section (Lines 1–36):
 Describes the majestic palace of Kubla Khan and its surrounding
landscapes. The imagery is rich and vivid, blending order (the construction
of the palace) with chaos (the wild, tumultuous river).
2. The Second Section (Lines 37–54):
 Shifts focus to the poet’s vision of creativity and a longing to recreate the
splendor of the palace through poetic expression.

Historical significance:
1. Connection to Historical and Cultural Context

 Kubla Khan and Xanadu:

o The poem references the Mongol emperor Kublai Khan (1215–1294), a
historical figure and grandson of Genghis Khan, who ruled the vast Mongol
Empire. His summer capital, Xanadu (Shangdu in present-day Inner Mongolia),
was known for its grandeur and opulence, blending Chinese and Mongol
architectural styles.
o Coleridge draws on accounts of Kublai Khan’s palace from works like Samuel
Purchas’s Pilgrimage and Marco Polo’s travels, integrating historical elements
into a fantastical and imaginative framework.
o The use of Kublai Khan’s legacy reflects a Romantic fascination with the exotic
and the distant past, both geographically and temporally.
2. Reflection of Romantic Ideals

 Imagination and the Sublime:

o The poem exemplifies Romanticism’s emphasis on imagination and the sublime,
presenting a vision that merges human creation (the "stately pleasure-dome") with
the overwhelming power of nature (the "sacred river" and "caverns measureless to
man").
o By invoking a distant and mystical past, Coleridge aligns with the Romantic
interest in exploring emotional, spiritual, and imaginative experiences beyond
rational understanding.
 Nature and the Supernatural:
o The Romantic Movement placed great value on the interplay between nature and
human creativity. The sacred river Alph and the "sunless sea" evoke awe and
mystery, emphasizing humanity’s smallness in the face of nature’s vastness.

3. Symbol of the Creative Process

 Fragmentation and Artistic Expression:

o Coleridge’s claim that the poem was inspired by an opium-induced dream and left
incomplete reflects Romantic preoccupations with the spontaneity of inspiration
and the limitations of human creativity.
o The fragmentary nature of Kubla Khan parallels the Romantic view that great
artistic achievements are often ephemeral and incomplete, echoing the challenges
of preserving fleeting moments of inspiration.

4. Influence on Literature and Criticism

 Revolutionizing Poetic Form:

o Kubla Khan broke away from strict poetic conventions, using irregular meter and
rich, evocative imagery to create a dreamlike quality. This approach influenced
later Romantic poets and modernist writers.
o It established a precedent for poetry that prioritized emotional resonance,
imagination, and the exploration of the subconscious mind.
 Contribution to Romantic Literature:
o As a key work of the Romantic Movement, Kubla Khan reinforced the period’s
focus on individual creativity and emotional depth.
o It challenged readers and critics to reconsider the boundaries between reality and
imagination, a theme that became central to Romantic and later modernist
thought.

Themes in Kubla Khan

1. Imagination and Creativity
o Explores the power and spontaneity of human imagination. The poem itself is a
fragment, symbolizing the fleeting nature of inspiration.
2. Nature and the Supernatural
 o Nature is depicted as sublime and mystical, with the sacred river and caverns
symbolizing untamed forces.
3. Power and Ambition
o Kubla Khan’s "stately pleasure-dome" represents human ambition to create and
dominate, juxtaposed with nature's uncontrollable power.
4. Art and Transience
o The poem reflects the tension between the grand vision of artistic creation and the
inability to fully realize it.

Highlighted Verses
1. Opening lines:

"In Xanadu did Kubla Khan

A stately pleasure-dome decree."

o Sets the tone of grandeur and imagination.

2. Description of nature:

"Through caverns measureless to man

Down to a sunless sea."

o Evokes mystery and the sublime.

3. Reflection on poetic inspiration:

"For he on honey-dew hath fed,

And drunk the milk of Paradise."

o Celebrates the divine, almost mystical source of creativity.

What I Liked
 Vivid Imagery: The poem paints a dreamlike landscape that sparks the imagination.
 Musicality: The rhythm and sound create a hypnotic, almost magical effect.
 Mystery and Symbolism: Its openness to interpretation makes it timeless and thought-
provoking.

What I Disliked
 Fragmentation: While it adds to the mystique, the unfinished nature leaves a sense of
incompleteness.
 Exoticism: The depiction of the East, while imaginative, feels overly idealized and
detached from historical accuracy.