Kubla Khan by Samuel Taylor Coleridge
1
In Xanadu did Kubla Khan
A stately pleasure-dome decree:
Where Alph, the sacred river, ran
Through caverns measureless to man
Down to a sunless sea.
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.
Explanation
This part sets the scene. Imagine a powerful emperor, Kubla Khan, building a fancy palace (a “pleasure-dome”) in a place called Xanadu. There’s a sacred river called Alph flowing through this land, running through huge, mysterious caves until it reaches a dark, lifeless sea. Kubla’s palace is surrounded by a big, fertile area—about 10 miles of land—fenced in with walls and towers. Picture lush gardens with winding streams, fragrant trees, and old forests with patches of sunlight breaking through. It’s like a paradise, carefully planned but full of natural beauty.
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!
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.
Five miles meandering with 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!
Explanation
Now things get wilder. There’s this deep, dramatic chasm—a kind of jagged, green valley covered in cedar trees. It feels magical but a bit spooky, like a place where strange things happen under a fading moon. Coleridge imagines a woman crying out for her supernatural lover, adding to the eerie vibe. From this chasm, a powerful fountain bursts out, like the earth is breathing heavily. It throws up rocks and water, creating the sacred river that winds through the land for five miles before sinking into those dark caves and the ocean. Amid all this chaos, Kubla hears distant voices, like his ancestors warning him about war. This part feels intense, like nature is alive and untamed, with a hint of danger.
3
The shadow of the dome of pleasure
Floated midway on the waves;
Where was heard the mingled measure
From the fountain and the caves.
It was a miracle of rare device,
A sunny pleasure-dome with caves of ice!
Explanation
This part zooms out to show the palace again. The dome’s reflection floats on the river’s waves, blending the sounds of the wild fountain and the caves. It’s like the palace is a perfect mix of opposites: sunny and warm on top, but with icy caves below. Coleridge calls it a “miracle of rare device,” meaning it’s an amazing, almost impossible creation. This section feels calmer, tying the beauty of the dome to the wildness of nature.
4
A damsel with a dulcimer
In a vision once I saw:
It was an Abyssinian maid
And on her dulcimer she played,
Singing of Mount Abora.
Could I revive within me
Her symphony and song,
To such a deep delight ’twould win me,
That with music loud and long,
I would build that dome in air,
That sunny dome! those caves of ice!
And all who heard should see them there,
And all should cry, Beware! Beware!
His flashing eyes, his floating hair!
Weave a circle round him thrice,
And close your eyes with holy dread,
For he on honey-dew hath fed,
And drunk the milk of Paradise.
Explanation
Here, the poem shifts to a personal vision. Coleridge describes seeing a young woman from Abyssinia (an old name for part of Ethiopia) playing a dulcimer (a stringed instrument) and singing about a place called Mount Abora. Her music is so beautiful that it inspires him. He wishes he could recreate her song in his mind, because if he could, he’d be able to build Kubla’s dome in his imagination—those sunny domes and icy caves would come alive through his poetry. People would be amazed by his vision, but also a bit freaked out. They’d see him as a wild, inspired figure with “flashing eyes” and “floating hair,” like a prophet or a poet touched by something divine. They’d treat him with awe, circling him and closing their eyes in respect, because he’s been touched by something magical—like he’s tasted “honey-dew” and “the milk of Paradise.” This part is about the power of imagination and how art can feel almost supernatural.Read More
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