Coleridge is regarded as the most vigorous mind among the English romantic poets of the first generation. He is a typical representative of the true romantic spirit. This poem Kubla Khan by S.T Coleridge is a nice romantic poem where all most all the romantic elements can be found. We can see subjectivity, spontaneity, dream-quality, sensuousness, imagination, blending of realism and supernaturalism, magical spell etc. Now we will try to evaluate the poem in this regard.
Colreridge claimed that this poem came to him in an opium dream. Subjectivity finds best expression in the poem very effectively. The poem was inspired by the poet’s dream of the pleasure- dome. In addition to that the second part of the poem mainly deals with the poet himself. He could see an Abyssinian maid in his vision who en-kindle his imagination. He has become a magician and wants to create a pleasure -dome in the air. The poet’s flashing eyes and his floating hairs are connected with magic. Our attention is almost shifted from the pleasure – dome of Kubla Khan to the poet and his extravagant fancy, imagination and poetic creation.
Coleridge has shown his craftsmanship in creating romantic atmosphere in the poem Kubla Khan. Theme and style together create an atmosphere of wonder and romance and enchantment supernaturalism is an important feature of romanticism in Kubla Khan. Though Kubla Khan is not a supernatural poem in the conventional sense. It is able to create an intense atmosphere of enchantment. The caverns measureless to man, ” a sunless see ” a woman waling for her demon lover. The mighty fountain forced momentarily from that romantic chasm, are the marks of romanticism.
In this poem Kubla Khan, we can see sensuous appeal which is one of the major romantic elements. The bright gardens, the incense bearing trees with sweet blossom, the sunny spots of greenery, rocks vaulting like rebounding hail, the sunless caverns- these are highly sensuous images. The vision of the Abyssinian maid playing on a dulcimer and singes a sweet song in very romantic by nature.
Kubla Khan is romantic in the sense that, we can see distant lands and far -off places in this poem, Xanadu, Alph, mount Abora-belong to the geography of romance and contribute to the romantic atmosphere.
The picture of the divinely inspired poet in the closing lines is also typically romantic. This is a matter of high imagination which makes the poem very romantic, we can also consider the poem to be a work of pure fancy, the result of imagination, the dream- like atmosphere of the poem is purely romantic. The following lines bear the mark of imagination and makes, the poem highly romantic.
It was a miracle of rare device.
A sunny pleasure dome with caves of ice.
Kubla Khan is a romantic poem because of it’s medieval touch. The falling of a women in love with a demon -lover is certainly romantic. It also enhances the merit of this poem as a romantic one.
In conclusion we can safely say that this poem Kubla Khan has got a number of romantic qualities in it.