ShmoopTube

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Kubla Kahn, a la Shmoop. Poetus interruptus: the unfortunate, premature

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termination of a potential work of genius. Are we preventing ourselves from creating

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masterpieces… because of all our distractions?

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Rumor has it that Samuel Taylor Coleridge dreamt his epic poem, “Kubla Khan.”

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Have you ever dreamt of doing something epic?

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Ol’ Sam woke up and furiously wrote… … until someone came knocking.

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Stopped in his tracks… …Sam took time to hang with his visitor.

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They hung out for hours. But by the time his visitor left…

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…Sam had forgotten most of his dream…and most of his poem.

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These days, people are sleeping less… …and doing more and more.

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But are we being any more productive? Interruptions are everywhere.

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When’s the last time you had a conversation… …during which the other person didn’t

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check their phone? Even our parents are riding the short attention

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span wave. These days, art is rarely created in a vacuum.

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Art’s even created in front of its audience. How are artists going to write the next great

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American Novel? When the world is always ‘on’?

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Is instant gratification too ‘instant’?

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Some artists are rediscovering the joy… …of shutting the world out…

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…and letting their imaginations grow… …so that they can create tomorrow’s masterpieces.

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To enrich and explain our lives… …and for us to enjoy forever and ever. That

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is: until someone knocks on the door. So what do you think? Is our inspiration being

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stunted by constant interruptions? Shmoop Amongst Yourselves.

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