Essay
Write a close analysis of Samuel Taylor Coleridge's "Kubla Khan"
Kubla Khan
A vision in a dream. A fragment.
The poem Kubla Khan is a strange, mystic poem that some people believe to be the most romantic poem ever written. A reason why this poem is strange is that with this poem there is a prologue. Within this prologue Coleridge explains about reading a book on Kubla Khan, then taking opium and going of in to a dream. Also in the prologue Coleridge explains that a visitor removes him from writing his poem from, and when he returns he can not remember anything else about his vision. This explains why it is called a fragment, but to look at this poem you would not say that it is incomplete but the complete opposite it has a strong ending:
" For he who fed on honey dew hath fed
And drunk the milk of paradise"
This ending looks to have at least two meanings.
English: Draft of Samuel Taylor Coleridge's poem K...
English: Samuel Taylor Coleridge at age 42. Franç...
English: Titlepage of Kubla Khan.The first reason is that he is talking about opium because Coleridge did become an opium addict and he could mean opium by "honey dew" and "drunk the milk of paradise" seems to me to be Coleridge showing off. He admits he is an opium addict, but has comes to terms with it and thinks well who else has seen such fantastic things as me.
On the other hand, it could be talking about women; the reason I think this is because women are an important part in this poem, he builds Xanadu for a woman and I think this is an appreciation of women even though he did not succeed in his ultimate task.
A third possible reading of the line is that it may be a warning to humans saying "don't...