Kubla Khan: Seeking Paradise

Samuel Taylor Coleridge once said that his dreams became the substance of his life. Nowhere is this more evident than in his poem “Kubla Khan.” Written just before the dawn of the 19th century, “Kubla Khan” was originally considered to be the simple ramblings of automatic and nonsensical writing, it is now viewed as one of the most famous poems from the Romantic Period of Literature (Hill). One of the most widely accepted opinions of the poem defines it as a comparison between two forms of paradise; a comparison that is achieved through the incredibly vivid language and the surrealistic ambiance that is created via the tone and form. Coleridge fabricates a fantastic world that eerily dances in a hypnagogic manner just like the visionary dream to which Coleridge accredits the poem.

Before understanding a created piece, one must understand its creator. Therefore, in order for the reader to fully appreciate and comprehend “Kubla Khan,” he or she must first be aware of Coleridge’s lifestyle and philosophy at the time that he wrote the poem. Although Coleridge attended college at the University of Cambridge in England, he did not graduate. Before receiving his degree, Coleridge dropped out of school to help found a utopian society in the Pennsylvanian wilderness with fellow poet, Robert Southey ("Samuel Taylor Coleridge- Biography."). The utopian society was intended to be a “Pantisocracy.” Pantisocracy is the idea of an equal government by and for all people. Although the utopian project fails to become a reality, Coleridge maintains a friendship with Robert Southey and is left with an appreciation of nature and a desire for a perfect paradise ("Samuel Taylor Coleridge- Biography."). This philosophical mindset lays the foundation...

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...of his works and the power with which he imbued both his poems and his prose, he would surely qualify as a profound philosopher as well.

Works Cited

Brett, R. L. "Samuel Taylor Coleridge." British Writers IV. Ed. Ian Scott-Kilvert. New York City: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1981. 46-8. Print.

"Explanation: 'Kubla Khan.'" Gale - Free Resources. Cengage Learning, 1997. Web. 26 Feb. 2012. .

Hill, John Spencer. "A Coleridge Companion." Rev. of Kuble Khan, by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. A Coleridge Companion. University of Georgia, 5 May 1996. Web. 26 Feb. 2012. .

“Samuel Taylor Coleridge - Biography.” The EGS Library. The European Graduate School, 1997. Web. 26 Feb. 2012. .