Coleridge and Shelley

1. In my opinion “Kubla Khan” celebrates imagination rather than caution against its indulgence. The poem is written so vividly when describing the landmarks mentioned in the beginning of the poem. These descriptions do not necessarily go to say that imagination is something that should be celebrated, in fact they may even lean toward a caution against its indulgence when thinking about “A savage place! as holy and enchanted As e’er beneath a waning moon was haunted By woman wailing for her demon-lover!” and “A mighty fountain momently° was forced: Amid whose swift half-intermitted burst Huge fragments vaulted like rebounding hail, Or chaffy grain beneath the thresher’s flail” and the dangers and terrors that might come of these descriptions. But what ultimately makes me believe that “Kubla Khan” celebrates the imagination is the vision that is recollected. The vision shows more of a caution of the indulgence of control and absolute power rather than a caution of the indulgence of imagination. I believe that Coleridge might be writing this to those who hold a position of power to show that power show not be abused because “with great power comes great responsibility” (sorry, that’s so cliché). After all, there is also power in imagination.

2. In "Ozymandias" I hear three different speakers. The first voice is the voice of the writer who is basically recollecting the story and in my opinion the speaker doesn’t really evoke many emotions or any opinions towards what was said by the travel, but rather serves to marvel the landscape. The Second speaker is the travel who is simply one who tells of what they saw and gives a vivid description of the sculpture. The third speaker is Ozymandias who is trying to communicate through the sculpture how great and ultimate he is. The only thing that confuses me is why chose to do it in a place such as a desert, its not like there is any high traffic out there.