Kubla Khan by Samuel Taylor Coleridge - Question Bank and Analysis

1 Mark Questions (Very Short Answer)

1. Who wrote the poem Kubla Khan?

Ans: Samuel Taylor Coleridge.

2. What is the name of the river mentioned in the poem?

Ans: Alph.

3. What is the pleasure-dome compared to in the poem?

Ans: A sunny dome with caves of ice.

4. Who is the girl seen in the vision?

Ans: An Abyssinian maid.

5. What does the poet say Kubla Khan heard from far?

Ans: Ancestral voices prophesying war.

2 Mark Questions (Short Answer)

1. What kind of place is Xanadu according to the poem?

Ans: Xanadu is a beautiful, magical place with a grand palace, gardens, forests, and a sacred river.

2. Describe the sacred river Alph.

Ans: It flows through dark caves and valleys and ends in a sunless sea.

3. What kind of sound was heard in the pleasure-dome?

Ans: A mix of sounds from the fountain and the caves.

4. What happens in the chasm described in the second stanza?

Ans: A powerful fountain bursts out, shaking rocks and creating chaos.

5. What effect does the Abyssinian maid's music have on the poet?

Ans: It inspires him and fills him with a deep delight.

5 Mark Questions (Paragraph Answer)

1. Describe the pleasure-dome built by Kubla Khan.

Ans: Kubla Khan built a grand pleasure-dome in Xanadu. It was surrounded by walls and towers,
had beautiful gardens with streams and incense-bearing trees, and forests as old as the hills. The

dome was a mix of sun and ice - a miracle of imagination.

2. How is nature described in the poem Kubla Khan?

Ans: Nature is described as both beautiful and wild. There are sunny gardens, winding streams, and

ancient forests, but also a dark, violent chasm with a bursting fountain. The river flows through all of

this, showing both calm and chaos in nature.

3. Explain the vision of the Abyssinian maid and its importance.

Ans: The poet sees an Abyssinian maid playing a dulcimer and singing of Mount Abora. Her music

is so powerful that the poet wishes he could bring it back. If he could, he believes he could rebuild

the magical dome in the air. The vision shows the power of music and imagination.

4. What do the last lines of the poem suggest about the poet?

Ans: The last lines show the poet as a magical and powerful figure. People fear and respect him

because he has been inspired by a divine or supernatural force. He has tasted the 'milk of Paradise',

meaning he has a special poetic power.

5. What is the role of imagination in Kubla Khan?

Ans: Imagination plays a central role in the poem. Coleridge uses it to create a dream-like world full

of beauty, mystery, and magic. The pleasure-dome, the sacred river, and the vision of the singing

maid all come from the poet's imagination. It shows how powerful creativity can be.

Essay: Analysis of the Poem 'Kubla Khan'

Samuel Taylor Coleridge's 'Kubla Khan' is a rich, dream-like poem that explores the power of

imagination and the beauty of the natural and supernatural worlds. It opens with a vivid description

of the mythical land of Xanadu, where Kubla Khan builds a pleasure-dome by the sacred river Alph.

The landscape is both magical and mysterious, blending light and dark, calm and chaos.

In the second part, the poem becomes more intense and dramatic as a fountain bursts from a deep

chasm. This sudden energy reflects the creative force of the poet's imagination. The poet then

describes a vision of an Abyssinian maid playing a dulcimer. Her music symbolizes artistic
inspiration. If he could capture her song, the poet believes he could rebuild the magical dome in the

air, showing the deep connection between music, memory, and creativity.

The poem ends by presenting the poet as a prophet-like figure, someone inspired by divine energy,

who has 'drunk the milk of Paradise.' Overall, 'Kubla Khan' celebrates imagination as a powerful and

divine force, capable of creating worlds beyond reality.