Kubla Khan Themes
Versions of Reality
Coleridge makes this one easy for us since the subtitle of the poem is "a Vision in a Dream." This poem is meant to make us feel like we are in an alternate reality. We recognize all the objects he...
Man and the Natural World
The interaction between man and nature is a major theme for Coleridge. It's painted all over "Kubla Khan," as we go from the dome to the river, and then from the gardens to the sea. Sometimes he's...
Time
There's some strange stuff going on with time in "Kubla Khan." When exactly does this poem take place? The Kubla Khan who actually lived belongs to the past, but is Coleridge recalling the Kubla Kh...
Art and Culture
Coleridge helps orient the reader by specifically mentioning music in a few places in "Kubla Khan." Even when he explicitly reference music, we think it's underscoring every line. Do you hear music...