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Critical appreciation of the poem Kubla Khan by S.T.Coleridge
Effect of literature on culture
Coleridge as a romantic IMAGINATION
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“Kubla Khan” by Samuel Taylor Coleridge is said to be “one of the best remembered works of the Romantic period,” (Gray) and though this poem may seem speak deeply about the world, its conception was fairly simple: Coleridge had been reading a book about Kubla Khan in Xanadu (by a man named Samuel Purchas) before falling into a deep sleep induced by an opium mixture to which he had long since had an addiction. When he awoke from this drug induced stupor, he had apparently 200 to 300 lines of poetry in his head, but after writing the first three stanzas, was interrupted (and thus, we observe a shift in the poem at that point) by “a person from Porlock” (Brett 46-8) and could only remember one final bit of lines – the final stanza in “Kubla Khan.” (This interruption apparently making the poem: “what is perhaps the definitive statement on the obstruction and thwarting of the visionary genius.” [“Sparknotes”]) The poem itself is set in a fantastical place called Xanadu, where Kubla Khan’s beautiful palace is surrounded by lush greenery, and one fast-flowing river (its focus on nature being consistent with the Romantic poetry of the time.) Xanadu was a real place, but Coleridge’s poem mostly over exaggerates its beauty and depth. Other places mentioned in the poem, Mount Abora and Abyssinia may be references to other works, such as John Milton’s Paradise Lost, in which Abyssinian kings guarded their children at Mount Amara, a false paradise. (Stevenson 605-30) Another possible explanation of Coleridge’s choice of the setting is that he was creating the paradise in which he wanted to reside; (Coleridge was somewhat of a radical in politics; he, along with Robert Southey, was part of a movement called ‘Pantisocracy,’ which called fo...
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... Scribner's Sons, 1981. 46-8. Print.
"Sparknotes: Coleridge's Poetry: "Kubla Khan"." Sparknotes. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Feb 2012.
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Schroeder, JM. "Kubla Khan or A Vision in a Dream - Samuel Taylor Coleridge - 1797/1798." English Romantics. 07 01 2002: n.
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Stevenson, Warren. ""Kubla Khan" as Symbol." Texas Studies in Literature and Language. . Vol. 14University of Texas Press,
1973. 605-30. Print.
"The River Alph In Kubla Khan." Shmoop n.pag. Shmoop. Web. 26 Feb 2012.
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Many people ask “How Barbaric were the Barbarians”. The truth be told, the mongols were more barbaric than they were peaceful. They were able to conquer more than 4,800,000 miles of land using brutal and strategic military tactics, destroy and conquer cities, along with using extremely harsh punishments for their prisoners. Because of this, the mongols were able to stay in power for about 300 years. Many people believe that they mongols were more peaceful than they were barbaric because of how economically stable they were. However the mongols killed thousands and left millions terrified across Asia.
Rossabi, Morris. "Life in China Under Mongol Rule: Religion." The Mongols in World History | Asia
The most important constituent to the Mongols success was ‘a ruthless use of two psychological weapons, loyalty and fear’ (Gascoigne 2010). Ghengis Khan, the Mongol leader from 1206-1227, was merciless and made a guileful contrast in his treatment of nomadic kinsfolk and settled people of cities. For instance, a warrior of a rival tribe who bravely fights against Ghengis Khan and loses will be r...
Jack Weatherford showed great enthusiasm and passion while depicting Genghis Khan as a great leader, who was responsible for the unity of people and various other accomplishments. He had a very positive attitude toward the subject, although he didn’t set out to write a book about him, but rather on about the history of world commerce. In the process of researching the Silk Road he traveled to Mongolia and gain vital first hand information into the vast accomplishments of Genghis Khan and the Mongols (xxx). He seems upset about previous ideas that many may have believed that highlight his beloved Mongols in anything but a positive and respectful light. He also expresses feelings about later Mon...
Weatherford, Jack. Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World. New York: Crown, 2004. Print.
In the 13th century BC, the Mongols rose to power and conquered an empire whose size still has yet to matched. The Mongols conquered lands such as China, leaving such a lasting influence on them that their legacy still lives on. However, despite the Mongols success, their actions have left a constantly ongoing debate on whether they were barbarians, seen and portrayed by different societies of their time as people with no morale or modern civilities, or civilized people who were just feared by other societies. Although the Mongols are generally now seen as Barbarians because of their violent and barbaric war tactics they used to instill fear in people, they are actually civilized because they had a strategically organized army, and because they were accepting of the customs of other peoples. These two elements would eventually lead them to their success.
The military exploits of the Mongols under Ghengis Khan as well as other leaders and the ruthless brutality that characterized the Mongol conquests have survived in legend. The impact of the invasions can be traced through history from the different policies set forth to the contributions the Mongols gave the world. The idea of the ruthless barbarian’s intent upon world domination will always be a way to signify the Mongols. Living steadfast upon the barren steppe they rode out of Mongolia to pursue a better life for their people.
Kakinomoto begins by describing the history of the land and the rulers and then shifts his gaze to the physical ruin emphasizing the effect and return of nature in the place where the palace once stood. “Where now spring grasses Choke the earth in their rife growth, and mists rise up” (31-33). We see a reversal of the meaning of nature, whereas in princess Nukata’s poem she uses nature to symbolize both death and rebirth, Hakinomoto uses it to emphasize the inevitability of loss. This emphasis on nature further showcases the cultural awareness of time and its inevitability. It’s this awareness of loss that seems to affect the poet’s perception of the past and what exactly is lost. The poet laments, speaking the grandness of the palace and the rulers who were located there only to be reminded that even the most beautiful palace and sage rulers eventually fade away. While the Kakinomoto acknowledges this loss, he is still emotionally moved, “Where once the mighty palace stood, And it is sad to see.” (35-36) It’s also important to note that this questioning of values and meaning in relation to the inevitability of time is a very prominent theme that’s surfaced throughout the ages even in today’s modern western literature. Further questions are posed or implied while observing life through the context of loss as in the Man 'yōshū. For example, with the
This story can be summarized by dividing the story into three major sections that represent a genealogy of the Genghis Khan ancestors, the lifestyle of Genghis Khan and the story of Genghis son and Ogodei his successor. This piece of early time’s literature was translated and edited by Jack Weatherford and it was not released until 16th February, 2010. The piece of work restores early history’s most prominent figures to the positions they rightfully deserves. It clears the picture of the nomadic lifestyle of the Mongols and it is rich with information regarding the society of the Mongols in the 12th and the 13th centuries” (Kahn, 2005).
Hieatt, Constance B. The Realism of Dream Visions: The Poetic Exploitation of the Dream-Experience in Chaucer and his Contemporaries Mouton & Co. 1967.
It may be discerned from the quotes displayed above that Rushdie, a writer not renowned for suffering fools gladly, accords Kipling some epistemological superiority. Yet when examining images of race and blood in Kipling, the critic turns most frequently to Kim, and I contend that the short stories of Plain Tales from the Hills have been undeservedly neglected in favour of the longer novel. This brief essay examines issues of alterity, going native, empire and blood in Plain Tales from the Hills.
Keats’ “Ode on a Grecian Urn” is often referred to as his best work. Not only that but some even call it one of the greatest Romantic poems ever. The poem shows art as a representation of reality and outpouring of the soul. The last two lines however have been subject to much debate and criticism. Some say that they are a blemish on an otherwise magnificent piece and others argue over how to make sense of them. Whatever the case “Ode on a Grecian Urn” is a fantastic poem and has shown to have significant staying power in modern literature.
...ubla Khan, the imagination is more of a physical, creative force, with more raw power than finesse. With it, works such as a pleasure-dome full of physical paradoxes can be inspired, created, and described, far better than with the words of a critic alone “A sunny pleasure-dome with caves of ice!”. The Rime of the Ancient Mariner has it that the imagination is more of an intangible force, subtle yet with as much power as the imagination in Kubla Khan. It connects the huge array of creatures on the Earth together, and without the imagination, they would, die in the end, one by one.
Weatherford, J. McIver. Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World. New York: Crown, 2004. Print.
Although both “Kubla Khan,” by Samuel Coleridge and “Ode on Grecian Urn,” by John Keats are poems originating from the poets’ inspiration from historical figure, the two poems convey different messages through their respective metaphors. While Coleridge emphasizes on the process of creating a Romantic poem, Keats expresses his opinion about art by carefully examining the details of the Grecian urn.