"Kubla Khan" by Samuel Taylor Coleridge (poetry reading)

Kubla Khan was written in 1798, according to Coleridge, but it was first published in 1816. (It was one of my first submissions, but now I have a better microphone and better sound processing technique, so I thought I'd do it again. )

Coleridge was addicted to laudanum which brought him visions and agonies with constipation which he thought of as retribution. Laudanum addiction was common because people resorted to it to relieve toothache, which was a part of everyday life in those days.

He told the story that the poem came to him in dream and he wrote it down on waking, but lost the remainder when he was interrupted by a "visitor from Porlock". However this story has been disproved because earlier draughts have been discovered. Actually I haven't checked the facts, this is just what I remember.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kubla_Khan

Other recitals of the poem can be found here:
http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15831
http://librivox.org/kubla-khan-by-samuel-taylor-coleridge/

The picture of the girl is mid 19th century and anonymous, but she is not Abyssinian nor is her instrument a Dulcimer.

The picture is of Brighton Pavilion which was rebuilt as a "Dome of Pleasure" by George IV at about the time of the poem: one might have influenced the other - who knows?

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• Kubla
• Khan
• Samuel
• Taylor
• Coleridge

[Trippnhippie]

I am new to the Coleridge's work so can anyone tell me the name of this poem? What if you slept And what if In your sleep You dreamed And what if In your dream You went to heaven And there plucked a strange and beautiful flower And what if When you awoke You had that flower in you hand Ah, what then? I know it is by Samuel Taylor Coleridge i just dont know the name of the poem D:

[SpokenVerse]

@Trippnhippie It's not definitely Coleridge but it is attributed to him. The words and the title have different variations.  You can find it if you do a Google search for a quotation from it. regards, Tom

[solarisqs]

Do you know the very funny story Douglas Adams wrote about the Porlock visitor myth? When I remember the name of the novel I'll let you know if you like ...

[SpokenVerse]

It's the theme of Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency. It's tickled the fancy of many other SF writers too...

[loszhor]

Very nice.

[danal353]

I absolutely adore this poem... In my opinion, it couldn't really be more complete =)

[AllErikaEclectica]

Thank you for another inspired reading.

[belisariusorb]

Excellent reading again, superb cadence and intonation.

Too bad about that Person from Porlock interrupting his vision... today it would be a bloke trying to sell mobile phone tariffs

[hempgru4]

my heroin induced dream was not at all like that... :P

jk obviously hehe, great poem, great reading

[solarisqs]

Oh yes how could I forget, yes Coleridge is a big inspiration for Sci Fi