Kubla Khan Samuel Taylor Coleridge

1
Kubla KhanSamuel Taylor Coleridge

• Aaron
• Cole
• Luke
• DeVaughn

2
Why?

• We should continue to read Kubla Khan but it
  contains a large amount of both literary and
  emotional appeal. The imagery the Coleridge uses
  is beautiful and satisfies the emotions that he
  was trying to convey. This type of poetic sense
  should be studied to realize the full range of
  poetic possibilities.

3
Biographical facts

• Read a lot as a child responded powerfully to
  literature.
• Wasnt fond of his mother negatively affected
  his future relationships to women.
• Attended Cambridge University befriended Robert
  Southey and began studying radical politics.
• With Southey, Coleridge dreamt of creating a
  Unitarian society (in order to spread faith and
  universal brotherhood).
• Coleridges children and friendship with William
  Wordsworth added to his creativity.

4
Summary

• Kubla Khan begins by describing a very distinct
  setting. The "pleasure dome" is an oasis-like
  area where the people are peaceful and the
  scenery is lush and green. In stark contrast,
  Coleridge puts what is essentially a volcano on
  the edge of the pleasure dome. He then describes
  the process by which the volcanic section erupted
  and brought prophecies of war to the pleasure
  dome. Then he explores the ice caves in the
  pleasure dome, which is normally sunny. In the
  caves he hears a woman playing so beautifully
  that he would not mind dying. Then he warns other
  not to listen too it.

5
Cont.

• Lyrical Ballads by Coleridge and Wordsworth
  showed their conflicting ideas about Romanticism.
  
• Coleridge grew sick as he became famous.
• Wrote our poem, Kubla Khan during an opium trip.
  (Woke up from deep sleep and transcribed his
  dream).
• Younger Romantic writers, like Mary Shelly, used
  Coleridge as inspiration
• Coleridge used his work to simultaneously explore
  truth and imagination.

6
(No Transcript)
7
Interpretation

• In Kubla Khan there was a stark contrast between
  the lush Pleasure dome and the volcanic area.
  The eruption of the volcanic area represents the
  war. This outside war effects the people inside
  the pleasure dome. True isolation is not possible.