Towards an Anti-Barthesian Reading of Poetry: "Kublakhan" as a Case Study
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Abstract
Samuel Taylor's Coleridge's poem "Kublakhan" was composed when the poet experienced an opium-influenced dream and after reading a book on Xanadu and the Mongol Emperor Kublai Khan. The present study aims to analyze this genuine poem by means of Roland Barthes's theory of the author's death. It also refers to Sigmund Freud's principles of psycho-analytical criticism. It focuses on the interpretation of the dream in it as a kin way to make a literary analysis of it. The study significantly defies "The death of the author" theory, arguing that "Kublakhan" is a representation of Coleridge's id; hence a close reading of the poet's biography would help better to understand the scattered images of the poem. The study contends that “Kublakhan” is a reflection of Coleridge’s abandonment and self-defeat. It resembles his wish to fulfill his desire for personal success and self- confidence.
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