Kubla Khan
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Proper noun:
- A historical figure: Kubla Khan refers to the Mongolian emperor of China, grandson of Genghis Khan, who completed the conquest of China, established the Yuan dynasty, and built a great capital.
- A literary subject: Kubla Khan is also the subject and title of a famous poem by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, inspired by this emperor.
Examples of Usage
Proper noun (Historical):
- Kubla Khan founded the Yuan dynasty in China.
- The court of Kubla Khan was visited by the explorer Marco Polo.
Proper noun (Literary):
- Coleridge's poem "Kubla Khan" describes a stately pleasure-dome.
- We analyzed the imagery in "Kubla Khan" in our literature class.
Advanced Usage
"A Kubla Khan decree": Used metaphorically to describe an authoritative or grand proclamation, drawing from the emperor's power.
- The CEO's new policy felt like a Kubla Khan decree, absolute and transformative.
"Kubla Khan's pleasure-dome": A direct reference to the central image in Coleridge's poem, often used to evoke an idea of an exotic, magnificent, or artificially created paradise.
- The new theme park was a modern Kubla Khan's pleasure-dome, vast and fantastical.
Variants and Related Words
Kublai Khan: An alternative and more common historical spelling for the same emperor.
- Kublai Khan was a prominent figure in the 13th century.
Khan (noun): A title for a ruler or leader, particularly in Central Asia.
- Genghis Khan was the most famous of all the khans.
Synonyms
- Kublai Khan: The alternate spelling is the primary synonym for the historical figure.
- Emperor: A general term for a sovereign ruler of an empire.
- Yuan Emperor: A specific title referencing his dynasty.
Related Phrases
- In Xanadu did Kubla Khan...: The famous opening line of Coleridge's poem, often cited or parodied in cultural contexts.
- The travel brochure began with "In Xanadu..." echoing the famous poem about Kubla Khan.
Related Idioms
- A Kubla Khan ambition: An idiom suggesting an ambition on a vast, imperial, or grandiose scale.
- His plan to build a city in the desert was a true Kubla Khan ambition.
Noun
- Mongolian emperor of China and grandson of Genghis Khan who completed his grandfather's conquest of China; he establish the Yuan dynasty and built a great capital on the site of modern Beijing where he received Marco Polo (1216-1294)