Kubla Khan facts for kids
Kubla Khan; or, A Vision in a Dream: A Fragment is a famous poem. It was written by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. He finished it in 1797, but it was not published until 1816. The poem is often called a "fragment" because it was never completed.
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How Kubla Khan Was Written
Coleridge said he wrote this poem after a dream. He had been reading about Xanadu. This was the amazing summer palace of Kublai Khan. Kublai Khan was a powerful Mongol ruler. He was also the Emperor of China.
The Dream and Interruption
After waking up, Coleridge started writing down the lines of poetry. These lines came to him from his dream. However, he was interrupted while writing. Because of this, he forgot many of the lines. He could not finish the poem as he had planned. He wanted it to be 200 to 300 lines long.
Publication of the Poem
Coleridge kept the poem private for many years. He only read it to his friends. Then, in 1816, a famous poet named Lord Byron encouraged him. Byron told Coleridge to publish the poem. So, it was finally shared with the world.
What the Poem is About
The poem begins with a wonderful description of Kublai Khan's capital. This capital was Xanadu. Coleridge imagined Xanadu near a river called Alph. This river flows through deep caverns. It then reaches a dark or "dead" sea.
A Key Example of Romanticism
Kubla Khan is considered a very important poem. It is one of the most famous examples of Romanticism in English poetry. Romanticism was a big movement in art and literature. It focused on feelings, imagination, and nature. A copy of the poem's original handwritten paper is on display. You can see it at the British Library in London.
Images for kids
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Coleridge, 1814
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The Crewe manuscript, handwritten by Coleridge himself some time before the poem was published in 1816
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Title page of Christabel, Kubla Khan, and the Pains of Sleep (1816)
See also
In Spanish: Kubla Khan para niños
