“Kubla Khan is a product of sheer fancy”—Discuss. Or, Analyse Kubla Khan is a dream poem
Introduction: “Kubla Khan” is a poem written by Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772 – 1834) in 1797. It is considered one of the greatest examples of Romantic poetry. Its rich and complex imagery has fascinated readers for over two centuries. The poem describes a vivid and fantastical dream Coleridge had while taking opium. Many critics have argued that “Kubla Khan” is a dream poem. In this discussion, we will examine the evidence for this claim.
The poem’s origins
According to Coleridge, “Kubla Khan” was inspired by a dream he had while taking opium. He wrote in the preface to the poem that he had fallen asleep while reading a book about Xanadu. This is the summer palace of the Mongol ruler Kublai Khan. In his dream, he saw the palace and the surrounding landscape in vivid detail. When he awoke, he immediately began to write down what he could remember.
The language of the poem
The language of “Kubla Khan” is highly imaginative and full of strange and exotic images. Coleridge uses a variety of poetic devices like alliteration, assonance, onomatopoeia, etc. to create a rich and musical texture. The poem is also full of references to Eastern mythology and religion which gives it a dreamlike quality.
Read More: “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” is an allegory of crime, punishment, and redemption
The symbolism of the poem
The poem is full of vivid and imaginative images and symbols that suggest a dream-like quality. For example, the “caverns measureless to man” and “sunless sea” create a sense of other-worldliness. The river that runs through the landscape is a symbol of the passage of time. The “dome” that is “pleasured” is a symbol of the creative imagination. The “damsel with a dulcimer” and “ancestral voices prophesying war” seem like surreal and symbolic elements from a dream. It may be a symbol of the speaker’s own isolation or the distance between the world of dreams and the world of reality.
Metaphysical Experience
Dreams often challenge our perceptions of reality, and “Kubla Khan” is no exception. The poem is filled with metaphysical elements that blur the line between reality and fantasy. For example, the “sunless sea” suggests a world without light, while the “ancestral voices” suggest a world beyond the physical realm.
Subconscious themes
Dreams often tap into the subconscious mind, and “Kubla Khan” is no exception. The poem is filled with themes of power, nature, and the supernatural. The image of the “stately pleasure dome” is an embodiment of the dreamer’s desire for a utopian society, where he can reign supreme. The images of “gardens bright with sinuous rills” and “forests ancient as the hills” are suggestive of the dreamer’s connection to nature. The supernatural elements such as the “ancestral voices” suggest a connection to the spiritual realm.
The interruption in the poem
The conclusion of “Kubla Khan” is abrupt and mysterious. The speaker suggests that he has been interrupted in his description of Xanadu by a visitor. But he never explains who the visitor is or why he has come. Some critics have argued that the interruption is a symbol of the speaker’s own inability to fully capture the beauty and mystery of Xanadu. Others have suggested that it represents the intrusion of reality into the world of dreams.
Read More: Comment on the treatment of nature in Wordsworth’s “Tintern Abbey.”
Conclusion: “Kubla Khan” is a dream poem that captures the essence of the dream state. The poem’s vivid imagery, fragmented structure, subconscious themes, sensory experience, and metaphysical elements all contribute to its dream-like quality. The poem suggests that dreams have the power to transport us to otherworldly realms and tap into our deepest desires and fears.
