College of Art and Humanities Computer No.: 0981800
European Language Department (English) Poem: Kubla Khan
Era: Romanticism began in the late 18th century until the first half of the 19th century, where there was a huge shift in technological and cultural conditions which is called the Industrial Revolution. The movement starts when writers rejected the restrictions of order, rules and rationality in the Enlightenment era, so it starts as a reaction against the intellectualism of the Enlightenment. Writers in Romanticism start to explore freedom, role of men, emotions, nature, independence and related ideas. They responds to emotion rather than reason, excited by mystery rather than persuaded by clarity, listens more intently to the individual conscience than to the demands of society, and prefers rebellion to acceptance. The best known Romantic poets were William Blake, Samuel Taylor, and Lord Byron.
Poet:
Samuel Taylor Coleridge a philosopher, literary critic, poet born in 1772. He is one of the most important figures in English poetry. He is a member of the Lake Poets, (a group of English poets who lived in the Lake District of England at the 19th century). His poems influenced all the poets of Romanticism. He was rigorous in his careful reworking of his poems, and some poets dependent on his professional advice. His best poems are "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" and "Kubla Khan".
Poem:
From line 1 to 5, Kubla Khan or a vision in a dream, because he woke up from a dream and he has this poem in his head, it is one of the finest examples of the poetic imagery. The poem describes Xanadu, the palace of Kubla Khan, a Mongol emperor. The speaker starts by describing the setting of Emperor's palace, which he calls a