Free Essay

Kubla Khan

In:

Submitted By jaweria
Words 936
Pages 4
Analysis of ‘Kubla Khan’ regarding Colonial Discourse: As a product of the complex discursive web of the 18th century, the Orientalist Coleridge could not act out of such historical forces as colonialism that had gone into shaping him and his poetry.He, in post colonial discourse, was unable to go parallel with the theory of ‘Arts for Arts sake’ and ‘Willing Suspension of Disbelief’.
In Kubla Khan,Coleridge is trying to establish the heagemony of Abyssinian Christianity which according to him is more pure and can only be revived by colonizers by the song of Abyssinian maid. These lines make this idea more clear:

Could I revive within me Her symphony and song, To such deep delight ‘twould win me That with music loud and long, I would build that dome within the air!

It is showing his hatred of corrupt religion of the East. His desire is to free mankind from political tyranny of tyrannical despots represented in the figure of Kubla. Although Kubla Khan was the conqueror and master of the world ... in Coleridge's view he was really no more than a passing historical representative cast up from the central 'Romantic chasm' . Kubla, a man of military skill and known for his administrative capabilities was called by the Mongols as Setsen Khan (The Wise Khan). He conquered China and established the Mongol dynasty, unifying the nation for the first time since the T'ang regime. Following the teachings of his mother, he tolerated all religions in the area, helping to win acceptance of Mongol rule by the Chinese.This shows how Coleridge uses religious institution in colonial discourse.

Analysis of ‘Kubla Khan’ regarding Colonial Ideology:

The operation of ideologies through contemporary texts was so strong that Coleridge felt he had the right to change his material in order to suit his and his audience’s Western appetite. It was Western reconstruction of the Middle East Culture that was always a source of imagination to him.The identification of the Abyssinian land as a distant one with the Abyssinian maid reminds us of McClintock’s (1995) belief that “the myth of the empty land is the myth of the virgin land” (p. 364) which confirms a colonizer’s colonial look at a feminine East waiting to be conquered.
In Kubla Khan, colonial ideologies of the superiority of the colonizers and otherness of colonized has been shown. Drinking the milk of paradise as one of the best creatures already enjoying the privileges of blessed spirits is showing their superiority.

For he on honeydew hath fed, And drunk the milk of Paradise!

The otherness of the garden is reflected in this poem: there is no musicality in the poem and the stanzas are neither coherent nor regular; the poem is full of anxiety and strange names; sound effects are lush; and the sub-title is A Vision in a Dream. A Fragment is anti conventional. There is “holy dread” in the garden suggesting beauty and terror.
And there were gardens bright with sinuous rills, Where blossomed many an incense-bearing tree;

Analysis of ‘Kubla Khan’ regarding Representation of Colonial Place and Colonial Subject:
In Kubla Khan representation of colonial place has been shown by remoteness,binary opposition,superstitious as well as destructive attitudes.The scene of this poem is never laid in a familiar place. Coleridge takes us to remote, unknown regions and to distant times-mostly middle ages (Xanadu) .Through binary opposition, he is representing colonial place as more prominent like pleasuredome is set in opposition to the sacred river; the measured and finite ("twice five miles," "girdled round") against the "measureless"; the convex shape of the dome against the concave imagery of caverns, chasm, and caves; surface spaces against the subterranean; "sunny" against "sunless"; "fertile" against "lifeless"; sacred against demonic; green and icy; tumult and quiet; light and dark and so on.The journey towards imperfection,darkness and disorder of colonized place has been shown. Final destination of holy river is a place of extreme darkness and indefinite depth (down to a sunless sea). Love between humans and demonic powers, earth finally bringing up the cause of the trouble breathing ... in fast thick pants is also present. Kubla is representing superstition and absolute power e.g; superstitious practices of the Tartar/Chinese astrologers or magicians, who arranged to have Kubla Khan throw the milk of the beasts they held in reverence both in the air and on the earth for the spirits and the idols they worshiped to drink, in the hope that such deities would then preserve the men.The concept of sacred river is particularly Hindu or Eastern,for only in the East do people Treat Rivers as holy.In ancient times the moon has been associated with all occult manifestations and powers.
The underground commotion made by the river or by some panting force strikes us as fearful, for it suggests earthquakes.Some idea of the tremendous violence felt by the earth may be formed from the poet’s description of rocks and boulders being scattered about like the chaff by the winnower of newly harvested grain. By describing the shadow of the dome of pleasure as moving the poet conveys to us the idea of how the waters are disturbed and so the images formed on the surface of the stream are also disturbed.

The shadow of the Dome of Pleasure Floated midway on the waves, Where was heard the mingled measure From the fountain and the caves.

There is association of arrival of destruction in near future by colonial subject e.g;

And ‘mid this tumult, Kublai heard from far Ancestral voices prophesying war!

Similar Documents

Free Essay

Kubla Khan

...and "Kubla Khan." All three were written between 1797 and 1800; however, was not published until 1816. At that time, Coleridge subtitled it "A Vision in a Dream: A Fragment," and added a prefatory note explaining the unusual origin of the poem. This preface describes how Coleridge, after taking some opium as medication, grew drowsy while reading a passage about the court of Kubla Khan in Samuel Purchas's , a seventeenth-century travel book recounting the adventures of early explorers. Soon he fell into a deep sleep which lasted about three hours. During this period, he composed from 200 to 300 lines of poetry based on the vivid images in his dream. When he woke, he remembered the entire poem and immediately began to write it down. Unfortunately, however, a visitor interrupted him, distracting him for about an hour. When Coleridge returned to his writing, the vivid images had fled, leaving him with only vague recollections and the fifty-four lines of this poetic fragment. Many critics challenge the truthfulness of Coleridge's version of this story, feeling that the poem is complete as it stands and much too carefully crafted to be solely the result of a dream. However, whether whole or fragment, dream or not, the poem examines issues of vital importance to Coleridge: creativity and the function of the imagination. The poem, including his prefatory comment, focuses on the process by which art is developed and how it may be lost or destroyed. When the poem begins, Kubla Khan orders...

Words: 2140 - Pages: 9

Premium Essay

Kubla Khan

...Kubla Khan Kubla Khan is one of the strangest, greatest and most ambiguous poems that I've ever read. This romantic poem is written by Coleridge, and through it, he shows the power of imagination that results in the importance of poetry as an art. The poem has the most significant romantic characteristics: nature, imagination and supernaturalism. The mother is everything for everyone, and nature, considered as the great mother by the romantics, is everything for Coleridge and other romantic poets. The poem takes place in nature in which Kubla Khan builds his dome of rock. The poet describes a wild nature showed by the sacred river that is measureless and sunless and the forests, the hills and the eternal spring. This beautiful nature is no more when it's touched by humans. When Kubla Khan ordered to build the dome, humans begin to corrupt every natural element there and to mix it with artificial one. When the natural place is distorted by humans, we find the poet describing the place as enchanted, and introducing a woman wailing for her demon-love. All these frightened scenes described in the poem have something to do with the corruption man causes to nature. Romantic poets would be nothing without imagination. Imagination is the power that distinguishes the romantic poets from others. The two kinds of imagination is found here in the poem. The primary imagination is the foundation on which the author based his poem. The action of Kubla Khan ordering people...

Words: 476 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

Chakh de

...Mehta | Due to the tragedy that took place right after the India vs. Pakistan hockey match Against Kabir Khan (SRK), he transformed into a different person and saw the world with unfamiliar eyes. He was humiliated and was named as a double dealer by the people of his own country. He could not bare this mortification and dishonor so he decided to gain his and his country's respect back in the eyes of the world. Khan had to leave his own home due to the lack of acceptance of his presence in his surroundings. He, who was solely devoted to his team, was accused of a spiteful deed which he could not agree to. Khan could not bare the weight of the crime longer than 7 years and decided to coach the women’s hockey team for it to make it to the world cup. He came across various players from all over India, some of which who could not even match the mother tongue of India. Some of whom belonged to the rural societies of India where as some belonged to the urban areas. But Khans attitude kept him very together and gave him strength to keep his team in the correct sportsmen’s spirit. He had an exceedingly complex task, which many other coaches had declined earlier. Despite knowing the roughness of the task, Khan took it up as a challenge and proved himself. Khan opted for the path of team work and unity to form such an organized team. He would often try to turn the players of the hockey team down for them to bring out...

Words: 564 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Genghis Khan

...GENGHIS KHAN The name Genghis Khan often conjures the image of a relentless, bloodthirsty barbarian on horseback leading a ruthless band of nomadic warriors in the looting of the civilized world. But the surprising truth is that Genghis Khan was a visionary leader whose conquests joined backward Europe with the flourishing cultures of Asia to trigger a global awakening, an unprecedented explosion of technologies, trade, and ideas. Genghis Khan, who lived probably between 1162–1227, born Temüjin, was the founder, Khan (ruler) and Khagan (emperor) of the Mongol Empire, which became the largest contiguous empire in history after his death. He was born in a Mongol tribe near Burkhan Khaldun mountain and the Onon and Kherlen Rivers in modern-day Mongolia, not far from the current capital Ulaanbaatar. The Secret History of the Mongols reports that Temüjin was born with a blood clot grasped in his fist, a traditional sign indicating that he was destined to become a great leader. He was the third-oldest son of his father Yesükhei, a minor tribal chief of the Kiyad and an ally of Ong Khan of the Kerait tribe and the oldest son of his mother Hoelun. He was called Temüjin because, in the Mongol culture, children were named after the leader of the last tribe to be defeated by the child’s father Childhood was short and difficult for the Mongols, and Temüjin learned how to ride horses when he was three, and hunt and fish before he turned six years old. The Mongols also had very...

Words: 2723 - Pages: 11

Free Essay

Chinese Daoist

...Chinese 4402 04/16/2013 Prof. Patricia Sieber Extra Credit Jin and Yuan Literati Hagiographies of Daoist Quanzhen Masters By means of attending the extra credit lecture on April 12, 2013, the speaker Mark Halperin, Associate Professor of Chinese Literature, mainly talked about Jin and Yuan Literati Hagiographies of Daoist Quanzhen Masters. Since that, I have some basic ideas about the beginning of the Daoist as well as the development of the Daoist Quanzhen Masters. In particular, Quanzhe is the most important sect of the Daoist, and it was founded in the beginning of Jin Dynasty by Wang Zhe whose Daoist monastic name was Chongyang as well as who is one of prestigious Quanzhen masters. After Wang Chongyang accepted seven disciples, the Quanzhen was founded formally. These disciples were called Ma Yu, Tan Chuduan, Liu Chuxuan, Qiu Chuji, Wang Chuyi, Hao Datong, and Sun Buer. Qiu Chuji was the most prestigious and famous from seven disciples. He was the founder of the Dragon Gate sect of Taoism attracting the largest following in the streams of traditions flowing from the...

Words: 588 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

Williams Lucky Day

...William’s Lucky Day William was surfing the net when suddenly it was there. The dream job. He grabbed his phone and dialed the number, which was writing on the website. At first, no one answered, but suddenly a women’s voice replied “Hello, this is McDonalds’ manager, how can I help you?” William was not sure what to say. The women sounded so annoyed that William got frightened and was about to hang up. He finally manned up, and answered back with his kind and gentle voice “Hello, my name is William, and I stumbled over you website today, and saw you have a job offer” The women did not sound very enthusiastic, but she said that William could get an interview later this afternoon. William was speechless; he got so excited while trying to text his best friend Alex that he almost dropped his mobile. Eventually he got his nerves back on track, and texted Alex, saying that he had an interview later this afternoon. Few moments after William got a message back from Alex, saying he should go for it. William was thrilled and anxious at the same time while he was waiting. Finally the manager came out of his office, and asked William to step inside. The manager showed William around while he was asking William questions. The manager explained the daily routine of an employee at McDonald and how everything worked. They talked for quite a while, but eventually the manager asked his last question “Why do you think, you are qualified for this job?” “I have been working at our local co-op...

Words: 448 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

Kabhi Kushi Kabhi Gham

...Kabhi Kushi Kabhie Gham synopsis: Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham "It's All About Loving Your Parents." Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham is a lavish movie that deals with the issues of class distinction and the roles of women and men in marriage. It opens with a grown Rohan (Hrithik Roshan) finishing his boarding school education and returning to visit his grandmothers before he goes home for Diwali. His grandmothers, haunted by the memory of Rohan's estranged brother, Rahul (Shah Rukh Khan), sit Rohan down, and in their grief, tell him the story of his family. Yashvardhan Raichand (Amitabh Bachchan) is a famous, wealthy Indian businessman. He and his wife Nandini (Jaya Badhuri) adopted a baby, Rahul (Shah Rukh Khan), and raised him as their own. Nine years later they had a natural son, Rohan (Hrithik Roshan), and considered their family complete. Rahul was raised as the beloved eldest son, and promised his father he would always uphold the respect and traditions of the Raichand family, and always do his parents proud. However, love intervenes... On his way to deliver medication for Daijaan, the nanny who raised both him and his brother, Rahul sees a beautiful girl, Anjali Sharma (Kajol) celebrating India's cricket win in the street. Enchanted by her exuberance, he watches her dance and then follows her into her family's sweet shop. There, she mistakes him for the prospective groom of her best friend. Thinking him to be Ashfaque the poet, who is set to marry her friend, Anjali recites...

Words: 2926 - Pages: 12

Premium Essay

Lux- Brand Phenomenon

...Lux (soap) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search Lux Laundry Soap Ad, 1916 Lux soap was first launched in the UK in 1899 as a flaked version of Sunlight soap. Subsequently it was launched in the US in 1916, and marketed as a laundry soap targeted specifically at 'delicates'. Lever Brothers encouraged women to home launder their clothes without fear of satins and silks being turned yellow by harsh lyes that were often used in soaps at the time. The flake-type soap allowed the manufacturer some leeway from lye because it did not need to be shaped into traditional cake-shaped loaves as other soaps were. The result was a gentler soap that dissolved more readily and was advertised as suitable for home laundry use.[1] Lux is currently a product of Unilever. The name "Lux" was chosen as the Latin word for "light" and because it was suggestive of "luxury."[1] Lux toilet soap was introduced as a bathroom soap in the US in 1925, and in the UK in 1928 as a brand extension of Lux soap flakes. Subsequently Lux soap has been marketed in several forms, including handwash, shower gel and cream bath soap. Lux soap was launched in India in 1929. The very first advertisement in 1929 featured Leela Chitnis as its brand ambassador. It was branded in India as "the beauty soap of film stars'. As of June 2009 Lux is sold in over 100 countries Celebrity endorsements Hollywood Since the 1930s, many well-known Hollywood actresses have marketed the soap to women as...

Words: 1472 - Pages: 6

Free Essay

Chyawanprash

...Chyawanprash Chyawanprash is a wonderful Ayurvedic heath tonic, which is increasingly gaining popularity in India. It boosts the energy levels and strengthens the immune system of the body. Chyawanprash is truly an elixir of life, as it helps to prolong the longevity of life. Known for its nutritional value, it is highly beneficial for the human body and also helps to get rid of various forms of diseases. Chyawanprash is spelled differently by people. Some call it Chyavanprash or chyavanaprasha, while others pronounce it as chyavanaprasam and chyawanaprash. Talking about the origin of Chyawanprash, the credit for the initial preparation of this herbal tonic can be accredited to Chyawan Rishi. In fact, this tonic has been named after him. To know about the uses of Chyawanprash, read further. Chyawanprash Ayurvedic Tonic Known as the elixir of life, Chyawanprash is of great value in Ayurvedic treatment. It is an ancient Ayurvedic tonic that serves as the best and the most natural health supplement for the human body. Well, Chyawanprash is a brown colored sticky paste that is quite thick in consistency. It has a blend of sweet and sour taste and this is what makes it quite popular amongst the youngsters. Chyawanprash Benefits Chyawanprash is a reservoir of benefits. There are distinct ways of defining Chyavanprash such as energy booster, rejuvenator, health tonic and many more. It offers a multitude of health benefits for which it has become so popular in India. In...

Words: 3328 - Pages: 14

Free Essay

Look You

...GLOBAL MARKETING 이름: 쪼우즐빈 학번: 201218515 Psy phenomena and international success The song Gangnam Style by Psy is considered by some to be a worldwide phenomenon that has influenced global popular culture, and it also topped national music charts in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom. According to the news agency Agence France-Presse, the "phenomenal" success of "Gangnam Style" has played a significant role in spreading the Korean Wave to other countries. As the song continued to attract worldwide media attention, it also led to various broadcasting networks and national newspapers focusing its attention on Korean popular music (K-pop) and other aspects of Korean culture. For example, The Daily Telegraph published an article recommending its readers to try out everything from K-Pop to "K-Cars", "K-Phones" and "K-Cuisine". After the release of "Gangnam Style", the American talent manager Scooter Braun, who discovered Justin Bieber on YouTube, asked on Twitter "How did I not sign this guy (Psy)"Soon afterwards, it was reported that PSY had left for Los Angeles to meet with representatives of Justin Bieber, to explore collaboration opportunities. On September 3, Braun made a public announcement that was later uploaded onto YouTube, saying that he and PSY have decided to "make some history together. [To] be the first Korean artist to break a big record in the United States." On September 4, it was confirmed that...

Words: 824 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Indian History Through Film

...colonial periods of India are well like by the Indian people as it portrays a significant role in their history and helped form India to what it is today. For example, the British built cities and infrastructure like railways that the Indian people still use today. But the British also inadvertently banded the many different peoples of India together against them, which is what these two movies are all about. Lagaan and The Rising express the unity of Hindus and Muslims, and the breaking of the caste system to form friendship. These two films also depict the British in almost identical ways; all but one of the Britsh characters is scornful about and neglects the Indian people and their customs. It may be coincidence that the same actor, Aamir Khan, plays the main character in both movies that unites the different groups together and share a bond with the “good” British character. However, the extent of the historical accuracy of the portrayal of colonial Britain is up to debate. Of the two films, The Rising presents a more accurate presentation of colonial Britain than Lagaan in its portrayal of the British, Indian society, and the reason why the peoples of India converging to combat British rule. The hit film, Lagaan, is not only extremely entertaining, but it reminds the Indian people what hardships they have gone through under the British rule and appreciate the freedom they fought for. It’s the characters of the film that really drive this point, and the actors portraying them...

Words: 1529 - Pages: 7

Free Essay

Nelsonfjg

...Luzbel 1 Nelson Luzbel Professor Chamberlain 2 pm class 29 November 2013 Drama Paper For my drama performance I chose to attend the AnDa Union musical at the Curtis M Phillips Center. The group consists of Mongolians who reflect their roots and tradition through their musical styles. The word Anda refers to a blood brother or sister, which for Mongolians holds more importance than a birth sibling since you choose the other person that is to become your “Anda”. The AnDa Union who perform the musical together are actually a brotherhood of Andas themselves. Throughout the show they played songs that tell a traditional story. The first song they performed was called Galloping Horses. The rhythm to this song is very fast paced and exciting, as for it is a resemblance of a group of horses galloping. I personally found this part of the performance to be very attention grabbing. This song is said to be the most well-known piece of music composed through the morin khuur. The morin khuur is a traditional Mongolian bowed stringed instrument, it is one of the most important music instruments to the Mongol people. Galloping Horses was written by the master Chi Bulag who created the musical piece after he had watched a fierce horse race. In the race, the winning horse staggered over the finish line, tumbled to the ground and died of exhaustion. Through the actual performance you can feel the suspense and imagine the race that Bulag based the musical piece on. Another song performed...

Words: 484 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Strategia Mongola

...Massa
I mongoli comprendevano l'importanza di concentrare il proprio potere offensivo nel tempo e nello spazio. Dimostravano grande abilità, ad esempio, concentrando il tiro delle frecce contro un unico bersaglio da più lati e individuando l'avversario contro il quale fare massa. E' soprattutto al di fuori del campo di battaglia che però i mongoli comprendevano l'importanza di concentrare le masse in modo coordinato: sistematicamente marciavano separati per combattere uniti, secoli prima di Napoleone. obiettivo Le loro armate, infatti, seguivano un preciso piano delle operazioni sincronizzando le azioni dei vari scaglioni in modo cronometrico, nonostante fossero lontani anche centinaia di chilometri. In questo complesso processo non perdevano mai di vista l'obiettivo delle operazioni, sempre costituito dalla parte principale dell'esercito nemico, contro la quale, poi, concentravano fulmineamente e imprevedibilmente le forze. Their army in fact followed a precise operational plan synchronizing with a perfect timing all the different divisions, although they were distant from each other hundreds of kilometers. In this complex process they never lost the objective of their operations, the main body of the enemy’s army towards which they eventually concentrated quickly and unpredictably their forces. Offensiva
Le armate mongole perseguivano sempre con decisione l'obiettivo di acquisire l'iniziativa tattica e strategica, che raramente concedevano all'avversario. Questi era...

Words: 1315 - Pages: 6

Free Essay

All About the Ads

...Shah Rukh Khan: n 2005, Shah Rukh Khan came onto the brand to feature in a memorable TVC with Hema Malini, Sridevi, Juhi Chawla and Kareena Kapoor. This time, the product he endorses has a fragrance created by world renowned perfumer Didier Gaffet. Inspired by the perfume Kenzo Flower and keeping in mind the sensory preferences of Indian women; this Master Perfumer has created a fragrance that’ll make Indian woman feel elegant and polished. In Shah Rukh Khan’s own words, “The fragrance of Lux reminds me of being happy and being in love.”   At the shoot, Shah Rukh Khan also said, “I’m happy to be associated with Lux yet again! The fragrance of Lux will captivate you just as it has made me ‘Bekaboo’. The fragrance of Lux that stands for love and sensuality brings out the lover in me.”   Katrina Kaif added, “Lux for me is a very special and iconic brand; it symbolizes beauty. When I think of Lux, I think of fun and spontaneity. Lux embodies a type of a woman rather than just soap and of course the fragrance that embodies sensuality. Lux’s amazing fragrance makes the whole experience of bathing fun!”   Product Definition Navratna: The most trusted brand in the category. Navratna is a force to recon with cool oil category. It commands a holding of 50% of Market Share of the cool oil market. Amazingly, it has a virtual monopoly in the southern states with a market share of 98 %. We do believe that Navratna will do wonders in the FMCG category in near future. Navratna:...

Words: 1778 - Pages: 8

Free Essay

Indian Actors

...1. Aparna Tilak Aparna Tilak is an actress and model born in India. She graduated from the St. Xaviers College and after finishing school, she began pursuing her career as a model. Her first major breaks in the modeling industry included working for worldwide companies such as Pepsi, Head `n Shoulders, Coca Cola and many more. Her first role in the movie industry was in „Family No. 1”, a very popular soap opera centered on families created by Sony Entertainment media. She played Rashmi, a character obsessed with keeping her beauty. Her role in this TV series brought her many other contracts in the television industry, since her talent began to be recognized by the audience and by the critics. After the success with “Family No. 1”, Aparna Tilak became well known in the film industry and soon she received a role in Zee Television. The way she played “Koi Apna Sa” in this TV series turned her into one of the most sought-after actresses in the industry. She had another huge success with “Footpath” and she is currently starring in “Jeet”. Although she was offered many roles in Bollywood soap operas, she declined them, as she searches for important roles that will make her stand out in the crowd of female actresses. Aparna Tilak is married to a man 12 years older than her and has a teenage son from this marriage. 2. Aparna Dixit Aparna Dixit is an Indian born actress that started out as a model and only recently became one of the most popular actresses in the Indian...

Words: 894 - Pages: 4