Samuel Taylor

Coleridge (1772—1834)
• English lyrical poet, critic, and philosopher, whose
Lyrical Ballads, written with Wordsworth, started the
English Romantic movement.
• Although Coleridge's poetic achievement was small in
quantity, his metaphysical anxiety, anticipating modern
existentialism, has gained him reputation as an
authentic visionary.
• In Cambridge Coleridge met the radical, future poet
laureate Robert Southey (1774-1843) in 1794. Coleridge
moved with him to Bristol to establish a community, but
the plan failed.
• In 1795 he married the sister of Southey's fiancée Sara
Fricker, whom he did not really love.
 Coleridge and Wordsworth
• Coleridge's collection Poems On Various Subjects was
published in 1796, and in 1797 appeared Poems. In
the same year he began the publication of a short-
lived liberal political periodical The Watchman.
• He started a close friendship with Dorothy and
William Wordsworth, one of the most fruitful creative
relationships in English literature.
• From it resulted Lyrical Ballads, which opened with
Coleridge's 'Rime of the Ancient Mariner' and ended
with Wordsworth's 'Tintern Abbey.'
• These poems set a new style by using everyday
language and fresh ways of looking at nature.
 Rime of the Ancient Mariner
• This 625-line ballad is among his essential
works. It tells of a sailor who kills an
albatross and for that crime against nature
endures terrible punishments.

• The ship upon which the Mariner serves is

trapped in a frozen sea. An albatross
comes to the aid of the ship, it saves
everyone, and stays with the ship until the
Mariner shoots it with his crossbow.
 Rime of the Ancient Mariner
•The motiveless malignity leads to punishment:
•And now there came both mist and show,
•And it grew wondrous cold;
•And ice, mast high, came floating by,
•As green as emerald.

•After a ghost ship passes the crew begin to die

but the mariner is eventually rescued. He knows
his penance will continue and he is only a
machine for dictating always the one story.
 Coleridge and Kant
• Disenchanted with the political developments in France, he
visited Germany in 1798-99 with the Wordsworths, and became
interested in the works of Immanuel Kant. He studied
philosophy at Göttingen University and mastered German.

• In 1799 Coleridge fell in love with Sara Hutchinson, the sister of

Wordsworth's future wife, to whom he devoted his work
Dejection: An Ode (1802). During these years Coleridge also
began to compile his Notebooks, daily meditations of his life.

• Suffering from neuralgic and rheumatic pains, Coleridge had

became addicted to opium, freely prescribed by physicians. In
1804 he sailed to Malta in search of better health. He worked
two years as secretary to the governor of Malta, and later
traveled through Sicily and Italy, returning then to England.
 Kubla Khan
Or, a Vision in a Dream. A
Fragment.
• From 1808 to 1818 he he gave several lectures,
chiefly in London, and was considered the greatest
of Shakespearean critics.
• “Kubla Khan” was inspired by a dream. In the
summer of 1797 the author had retired to a lonely
farm-house between Porlock and Linton.
• He had taken anodyne and after three hours sleep
he woke up with a clear image of the poem.
Disturbed by a visitor, he lost the vision, with the
exception of some eight or ten scattered lines and
images.
• Modern scholarship is skeptical of this story, but it
reflects Coleridge's problems to manage practical
life and finish his ideas.
 Coleridge's note

Coleridge’s
• The following fragment is here published at the request of a
poet of great and deserved celebrity [LordPorlock Bayas far
Byron], and,

Coleridge’s
as the Author's own opinions are concerned, rather as a
psychological curiosity, than on the ground of any supposed

farm-house
poetic merits.
• In the summer of the year 1797, the Author, then in ill health,
had retired to a lonely farm-house between Porlock and
Linton, on the Exmoor confines of Somerset and Devonshire.
• In consequence of a slight indisposition, an anodyne had
farm-house
been prescribed, from the effects of which he fell asleep in
his chair at the moment that he was reading the following
sentence, or words of the same substance, in Purchas's
Pilgrimage: ``Here the Khan Kubla commanded a palace to
be built, and a stately garden thereunto. And thus ten miles
of fertile ground were inclosed with a wall.''
 Coleridge's note
•The Author continued for about three hours in a
profound sleep, at least of the external senses,
during which time he has the most vivid
confidence, that he could not have composed
less than from two to three hundred lines;
•if that indeed can be called composition in
which all the images rose up before him as
things, with a parallel production of the
correspondent expressions, without any
sensation or consciousness of effort.
•On awakening he appeared to himself to have a
distinct recollection of the whole, and taking his
pen, ink, and paper, instantly and eagerly wrote
down the lines that are here preserved.
•At this moment he was unfortunately called out by a
person on business from Porlock, and detained by him
above an hour, and on his return to his room, found, to
his no small surprise and mortification, that though he
still retained some vague and dim recollection of the
general purport of the vision, yet, with the exception of
some eight or ten scattered lines and images, all the
rest had passed away like the images on the surface of
a stream into which a stone has been cast, but, alas!
without the after restoration of the latter!
 Kubla Khan
•Kublai Khan (1215-1294) was the fifth of
the Mongol great khans and the founder
of the Yüan Dynasty in China (1279-
1368).
•He is best known in the West as the
Cublai Kaan of Marco Polo.
•Kublai founded what was intended to be
his brother's new capital but became in
effect his own summer residence, the
town of Kaiping. It later was named
Shang-tu or 'Upper Capital' and was
immortalised as the Xanadu of
Coleridge's poem.
 The Form of “Kubla Khan”
• The chant-like, musical incantations of "Kubla Khan"
result from Coleridge's masterful use of iambic
tetrameter and alternating rhyme schemes.
• The first stanza is written in tetrameter with a rhyme
scheme of ABAABCCDEDE, alternating between
staggered rhymes and couplets.
• The second stanza expands into tetrameter and
follows roughly the same rhyming pattern, also
expanded-- ABAABCCDDFFGGHIIHJJ.
• The third stanza tightens into tetrameter and rhymes
ABABCC.
• The fourth stanza continues the tetrameter of the third
and rhymes ABCCBDEDEFGFFFGHHG.
 an
an introduction
introduction --
Stanza 1 the
the ruler,
ruler, the
the
place,
place, the
the decree
decree
• In Xanadu did Kubla Khan
A stately pleasure-dome Alpheus
Alpheus = = the
the
decree : classical
classical
Where Alph, the sacred river, underground
underground
ran river
river
Through caverns
The
The Latin
Latin origin
origin of
of the
the
measureless to man
word
word sacred
sacred has
has 22
Downcaverns
to a sunless
caverns (caves
(cavessea.
etc.)
etc.) of
meanings: ofsacer = 'holy' or
measureless, meanings: sacer = 'holy' or
The measureless,
river‘s 'connected with aa god of
river‘s final
The"superhuman"final 'connected
dimensions, with god of
"superhuman"
destination is athe dimensions,
underworld';
place of the
destination
i.e. of is a
expanses the underworld';
place of
which man the
i.e. ofdarkness
extreme expanses which man
surroundings
and of the river
extreme
(human darkness
skill surroundings
or and
the powers of the river
(human
indefinite skill
depth or the powers
perhaps
(down suit
to the second
indefinite
of the depth
human perhaps
(down
mind) suit
to
is not the second
of the human mind) is not
http://englishromantics.com/kublakha
 fulfilment
fulfilment of
of the
the
Stanza 1 (conti.)
decree
decree
• So twice five miles of fertile ground
With walls and towers were girdled round :
And there were gardens bright with sinuous rills,
Where blossomed many an incense-bearing tree ;
And here were forests ancient as the hills,
Enfolding sunny spots of greenery.

Amidst
Amidst [ancient]
[ancient] hills,
hills,
A shelter
shelter
vivid pictureis
is offered
offered
of the by
by
Natural
Natural conditions
conditions A vivid
and
and picture
the
the of
results
results the
of
of
ancient forests which
ancient forests which encompass
encompass
landscape is sunny
sunny
given here:
artificial
artificial shaping
shaping landscape
seem
seem to
to is given
connect
connect here:
to
to an
an
spots, i.e. clearings
spots, i.e. clearings lighted
lighted
twice five and
and
miles warmed
warmed
of groundby
by
ideal
ideal kind
kind of
of twice
environment:
environment: five miles
fertile
fertileof ground
ground
ground
the sun (appeal
the sun (appeal toareto visual
visual and
and
reserved tactile
tactile
for the
provides
provides an
an ideal
idealare reserved
basis
basis for
for for the of
cultivation
cultivation of
perception)
perception) which can
which"project".
can serve
serve as
as
The spaces
spaces
area isfor
for
various
various kinds,
kinds, "project".
e.g.
e.g. of a The
park-like
of a park-like area is
area:
area:
sport,
sport, play
play etc.
etc. AA spectrum
spectrum
girdled of
of colours
colours
(surrounded, can
can be
be
here
here were
were gardens
gardens girdled
bright
bright(surrounded,
with
with sinuous
sinuous
associated
associated with the words bright, blossomed
with the words bright, blossomed
•In "Kubla Khan," Samuel Taylor Coleridge
employs a superficially loose and disjointed
construction which is actually carefully
designed to trigger associations of imagery that
produce mental echoes of juxtaposed
impressions.

•The lack of a consistent rhyme scheme, the

uneven division of stanzas, and the use of
iambic meter with a varying number of feet all
contribute to a sense of disorientation, which in
turn facilitates the process of mental echoing.
The most important element of this effect,
however, are the images themselves:
 Stanza 2
•But oh ! that deep romantic chasm which slanted
Down the green hill athwart a cedarn cover !
A savage place ! as holy and enchanted
As e'er beneath a waning moon was haunted
By woman wailing for her demon-lover !

Comparison
In
On aa
First, mere
one
First, a
Comparison
In mere
a five
five
peculiar (as
climactically
(as
climacticallylines,
...
lines,
...
green as)
Coleridge
as) of the
arranged
Coleridge
of
hill the
arrangeda place
evokes
place
chasm with
sequence
evokes
, aaarush
with
sequence aof
rush
of
On one peculiar green hill a chasm ,
haunted
of impressions
adjectives place,
casts encompassing
here
a with
mysterious aetc.,
place
such
or visited
disparate
sinister light
i.e., a deep crack, crevice etc., runs disparate
haunted
of
i.e., impressions
a deep
adjectives place,
crack,
casts encompassing
here
a with
crevice
mysterious a placesuch
runs
or visited
sinister light
frequently
subjects
on the
frequently
subjects
downward
on the as
place:
as
place:by
bysex,a
the
sex,
through,a
the woman,
nature,
chasm
woman,
nature,
or
chasm and
or
is
and
or
across,
is adeep
a religion.
woman's
deepreligion.
woman's
a Unable
spirit,
(enhancing
Unable
spirit,
(enhancing
downward through, or across, a
"qualifies"
to
the
theintegrate
meaning
"qualifies"
to integrate
thicket of
meaning ititthis
cedar as
of
this
as
of aa apposition
the cursed
word
apposition
cursed
trees
the place
of
chasm
place
(slanted
word of
chasm imagery
and makes
proper;
imagery
and
[/] makes
proper; itit
thicket of cedar trees (slanted [/]
an
rationally,
s.a.)
an
down ideal
s.a.) ,,...; setting
romantic
rationally,
ideal the
setting
the
athwart
romantic conscious
for
conscious
for
... a
"a scene
(associations:
scene
= mindof
mind
across,
(associations: of "forbidden
gives
connectedway
"forbidden
gives
connected way to
with
to
with
down ...; athwart ... " = across,
longing
the subconscious
beautiful, or mourning"
and wild, process
(wailing),
landscape,of association,
and
adventure,
especially in a sloping direction"and
longing
the subconscious
especially
beautiful, orin mourning"
and a sloping
wild, process
(wailing),
of
direction"
landscape, association,
adventure,
forbidden
thus
danger,
thus
;note
danger,leaving
forbidden
leaving
multiple love
mystery,
love
mystery, the
thebetween
reader
love
between
meaningreader with
humans
love etc.;
with
humans
and
etc.; aa following
cf.
cf. series
and
and of
series
followingof
 •And from this chasm, with ceaseless turmoil seething,
As if this earth in fast thick pants were breathing,
A mighty fountain momently was forced:
Amid whose swift half-intermitted burst
Huge fragments vaulted like rebounding hail,
Or chaffy grain beneath the thresher's flail:
And 'mid these dancing rocks at once and ever
It flung up momently the sacred river.

haps, AlphWith
With is the
the help
help
source of
of illustrative
illustrative
of this eruption. AA (flung
haps, The
The Alphsacredis
Comparisons
sacred
Comparisons the source
river
river throws
with
throws
with of this
itself
familiar
itself
familiar eruption.
up
up violently
phenomena
violently
phenomena (flung
plex The
The magma
comparisons,
magma
comparisons,
simile illustrates etc.
etc. aabreaks
graphic
breaks
graphic
the forth
forth with
description
with
description
phenomenon: veryof
very
of
this
mplex up)
up) simile
amidst
serve
amidst
serve illustrates
to
tothese
create
these
create the
dancing
a
dancing
a phenomenon:
graphic
graphic rocks. Its
picture:
rocks. Its
picture:eruption
The
eruptionthisrocks
The rocks
an
greatan
great eruption
speed,
eruption
speed, is
at
atis given:
short
given:
short From
intervals,
From
intervals,this
this chasm
or
orchasm
h shows
th shows
takes
takes are traits
traits
place
likened
place of
of
at
at aonce,
a suffering
once,
to suffering
i.e.
rebounding
i.e. human
human
either
either or
or
simultaneously,
hail, the
simultaneously,grains
are
... A likened
mighty
continuously,
... A mighty to
withrebounding
fountain
fountain [is]
increasing[is] hail,
forced,
and
forced, the
i.e.
i.e.grains
(dess),
or continuously,
breathing ... with
in fastincreasing
thick and
pants, i.e.
or suddenly;
(dess), ofbreathing
which
suddenly;
of which
driven out
the
hit
the
hitof
1st
...
the in
1st
the
the
meaning
fast
ground,
meaning
ground,
ground thick would
pants,
bounce
would
bounce
by
rather
i.e.and
off,
rather
off, and fall
fall
ting decreasing
for driven
decreasing
breath out intensity
of the
intensity
etc., and, (swift
ground
(swiftwith
finally, half-intermitted
by
half-intermitted
bringing up the
tingsuggest
for
suggest breath
again;
again; that
that
geological
Alph
etc.,
Chaffy
Alph
Chaffy or
is
and,
grain
is identical
grain finally,
behaves
identical
supernatural behaves with the
bringing
in
in a
the
forces,a fountain,
up
similar
fountain,
similar the
se burst);
burst);
assuming
of the troubleamong
geologicalamong
a new or
(cf. this
form
phlegm; matter
supernatural
this matter
and huge
quality,
in andfragments,
forces,
huge fragments,
supernatural is
assuming
se of the way
way a
when,
trouble
when,
momently, new in
(cf.
in form
i.e.order
phlegm;
order
at and
thatto
to quality,
separate
in and
the
supernatural
separate
moment, the
or isat
chaff
chaffof
ms: i.e.
i.e.
continuing enormous
momently,
enormous to erupt; boulders
i.e. at
boulders
the that
2nd of rock,
moment,
ofmeaning
rock, or orlumps
orwouldat
lumps of
ms: the
the evil).
continuing
from
evil).
from the
intervals. to erupt;
usable
the usable
The gigantic the
grain, 2nd
grain, wheat meaning
wheat etc. would
is beaten
etc. is beaten
and powerful
 Running
Running in in bends,
bends, changing
changing
its
its direction
direction as as ifif moving
moving
through
through
•Five miles meandering with
aa labyrinth.
labyrinth.
a mazy motion
Through wood and dale the sacred river ran,
Then reached the caverns measureless to man,
And sank in tumult to a lifeless ocean :
And 'mid this tumult Kubla heard from far
Ancestral voices prophesying war !

Amid
Amid this
this tumult,
tumult, Kubla
Kubla perceives
perceives
Ancestral
Ancestral voices,
voices, i.e.
i.e. the
the voices
voices of
of (wise)
(wise)
forefathers,
forefathers, oror those
those ofof religious
religious prophets
prophets
Stanza
etc. They2come
etc. They come fromfrom farfar (figurative
(figurative
meaning:
meaning: from
from heaven
heaven etc.),
etc.), announcing
announcing
(conti.)
the event of war, which implies the
 Repeating
Repeating the the contrasting
contrasting images images of of the
the sunny
sunny
pleasure-dome
pleasure-dome (connotations: Stanza 3
(connotations: warmth, warmth,
brightness
brightness etc.) etc.) and
and the the caves
caves of of ice
ice (=
(=
•The shadow
caverns, s.a.; of the dome of pleasure
connotations: cold, darkness
caverns, s.a.; connotations:
Floated midway on the waves ; cold, darkness
etc.)
etc.) the
Wherethewasspeaker
speaker gives
heard thegives
mingledhis
his evaluation
evaluation of
measure of the
the
phenomenon
From the fountain
phenomenon depicted in
in the
and the caves.
depicted the preceding
preceding lines; lines;
It was a miracle of rare device,
he terms
he Aterms itit as
as aa miracle,
sunny pleasure-dome miracle, i.e.
i.e. an
with caves an unexpected
unexpected
of ice !
event
event of of aa super-
super- natural
natural kind, kind, and,
and, atat the
the
same time, as based upon aa very peculiar kind
Here one finds oneself on the "dark" side of thekind
Here same
one time,
finds as based
oneself on upon
the very
"dark" sidepeculiar
of the
of design or plan (of rare device).
pleasure-dome which casts itsdevice).
of design
pleasure-dome or plan
which (of
casts rareits shadow
shadow on on the
the
surface
surface of of the
the flowing
flowing lavalava and/or
and/or waterwater where
where itit isis
reflected
reflected and and appears
appears to to bebe moving
moving on on the
the flow.
flow. In
In
this
this way
way the the material
material manifestation
manifestation of of too
too great
great
human
human ambition
ambition or or aspiration
aspiration as as the
the potential
potential
source
source of of catastrophe,
catastrophe, is is associated
associated with with the
the
disaster.
disaster. Auditory
Auditory impressions
impressions blend blend with
with thethe visual
visual
 Stanza 4
• It is thought that the final stanza of the poem,
thematizing the idea of the lost vision through the
figure of the "damsel with a dulcimer" and the milk of
Paradise, was written post-interruption.
• The mysterious person from Porlock is one of the most
notorious and enigmatic figures in Coleridge's
biography; no one knows who he was or why he
disturbed the poet or what he wanted or, indeed,
whether any of Coleridge's story is actually true.
• But the person from Porlock has become a metaphor for
the malicious interruptions the world throws in the way
of inspiration and genius, and "Kubla Khan," strange
and ambiguous as it is, has become what is perhaps the
definitive statement on the obstruction and thwarting of
the visionary genius.
 Deeply
Deeply impressed,
impressed,
Stanza 4 the
the speaker
speaker voices voices aa
complex
complex wish, wish, thethe
The
The imagination
imagination of
of this
this scene
scene
first would
would
part of give
give
which
• A damsel with a dulcimer first part of which
him,
him,
In or
or gain
a vision gainI him,
once him,
saw : very
very intensive,
intensive,
explicitly profound
profound
refers to
In contrast to Kubla's palace explicitly
etc. and refers to
pleasure.
In contrast
pleasure.
It was an The
The
Abyssinianto speaker
Kubla's
speakerpalace
maid, is
is notnot
the only
etc.
only
vision conscious
and
conscious
itself
particular
And on her features
dulcimer she of
played,the the
landscape vision itself
of
of the
particular
ofThethe emotionalfeatures
emotional
process of impact
of
impact the
"building" of
of the
landscape
whichthe
this vision
vision (the
of(thelike
paradise-like
he would
The process of "building"
Singing of Mount Abora. which this paradise-like
he would like
Xanadu,
delight)
Xanadu,
delight)
place
Could that
but
that
but
would,
I revive (sunny)
also
also
within of
(sunny)of the
the
according
me dome
potential
dome
potential
to and
and
the those
those
speaker's caves
inspirational
caves
inspirational
place would, according to reproduce
the speaker's
reproduce and
and re-
re-
of
of ice
powers
Her would
symphony
ice would
powers connected
imagination,
and
connected be built
song,
bebe with
built in
with air,
this
in air,
accompanied this i.e.
i.e. be
delight:
be
delight:
by founded
as
founded
as
music an
an on
on
(cf.
imagination, be accompanied
To such a deep delight 'twould win me, experience
experience by in
music his
in his (cf.
an
The
The immaterial
speaker
"imaginative
an immaterial
speaker
"imaginative
the nature basis
recalls
potential"
basis
recalls
potential"
and (associations:
a
a vision,
ititof
is
(associations:
quality vision, is i.e.
thei.e.
the
the aa "lofty"
beautiful
essential
"lofty"
beautiful
essential
damsel's sky
sky
Thatthe nature and quality of
with music loud and long, mind. the damsel's
mind.earth, which,
or
sight
or heaven
sight
I would and/or
prerequisite
heaven
and/or
build
prerequisite
music; as
as
that
s.a.; a
to
aopposed
dreamlike
dome
to the
opposed
dreamlike
thein
celestial air, to
fulfilment
to
fulfilment
music,"low"
experience,
"low" of
experience,
of another
earth,
another
harmony the
thepart
which,
part
of the
music; s.a.; celestial music, harmony of the
light
however,
That
of his
light
however, versus
sunny
ofspheres) wish
versus is
dome
is the
not
-loud!
his
the
not thoseheavy
restricted
own caves
heavy element,
of
building
restricted ice
element,to
to!
or over-all
visual
designing
over-all
visual of
spheres) loud and long, i.e. of a great of
his wish - his own
and building
long, i.e. or
of designing
a great
brightness
impressions:
aimpressions:
a paradise-like
brightness
paradise-like
intensity versus
aa damsel,
versus
and (partial)
place.(partial)
damsel,
place.
extensive or
or maid,
darkness;
darkness;
maid,
(eternal?) from
from the
the
duration.
intensity and extensive (eternal?) duration.
poetic
Abyssinia
poetic genius'
Abyssinia (location
genius'(locationimmaterial,
of
of "Eden"),
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 The
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 Bitter Life
• In 1810 Coleridge's friendship with Wordsworth came to
crisis, and the two poets never fully returned to the
relationship they had earlier.
• During the following years Coleridge lived in London, on
the verge of suicide. After a physical and spiritual crisis at
Greyhound Inn, Bath, he submitted himself to a series of
medical régimes to free himself from opium.
• He found a permanent harbor in Highgate in the
household of Dr. James Gillman, and enjoyed almost
legendary reputation among the younger Romantics.
During this time he rarely left the house.
 The End of his Life
• In 1816 the unfinished poems “Christabel” and
“Kubla Khan” were published, and next year
appeared Sibylline Leaves.
• After 1817 Coleridge devoted himself to theological
and politico-sociological works - his final position
was that of a Romantic conservative and Christian
radical.
• He also contributed to several magazines, among
them Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine.
• Coleridge was elected a fellow of the Royal Society
of Literature in 1824.
• He died in Highgate, near Londonon July 25, 1834.
 Wordsworth & Coleridge
• Wordsworth is clearly more entitled than Coleridge to be
considered the leader in creating and also in expounding a
new kind of poetry.
• Until Coleridge met Wordsworth, which was probably in
1795, he wrote in the manner which had been fashionable
since the death of Milton, employing without hesitation all
those poetic licenses which constituted what he later
termed `Gaudyverse,' in contempt.
• If one reads Coleridge's early poems in chronological order,
one will perceive that Gaudyverse persists till about the
middle of 1795, and then quickly yields to the natural style
which Wordsworth was practicing.
 Coleridge’s Conversation Poems
• Coleridge's shorter, meditative "conversation poems,"
proved to be the most influential of his work.
• Conversation poems are poems in which the speaker
addresses his lines to a listener within the poem, generally a
listener who has little voice of his own.
• These include both quiet poems like This Lime-Tree Bower
My Prison and Frost at Midnight and also strongly emotional
poems like Dejection and The Pains of Sleep.
• Wordsworth immediately adopted the model of these
poems, and used it to compose several of his major poems.
Via Wordsworth, the conversation poem became a standard
vehicle for English poetic expression, and perhaps the most
common approach among modern poets.