1. Kubla Khan Samuel 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.
Wasn’t 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).
Coleridge’s 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.

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.