The three characteristics of Romantic poetry that are most apparent in Samuel Taylor Coleridge's "Kubla Khan" are strong senses and emotions, awe of nature, and the importance of imagination. Examples of strong emotions in the poem are the exclamations that occur in lines 12, 16, 36, and 49. Additionally, the phrases "to such a deep delight 'twould win me," "close your eyes with holy dread," and "haunted by woman wailing" convey strong emotions. Strong senses are evoked by the phrases "ceaseless turmoil seething" and "amid whose swift half-intermitted burst huge fragments vaulted like rebounding hail," which are full of visual and kinesthetic imagery.
The poem reveals awe of nature as it describes the "gardens bright with sinuous rills," the many "incense-bearing tree[s]," and the sacred river "meandering with a mazy motion." The "deep romantic chasm" that travels down the green hill covered by cedars also shows an appreciation of the natural landscape being described.
Finally, "Kubla Khan" is highly imaginative. It creates a semi-historical kingdom that feels enchanted and fairy-like. The pleasure dome is described as "a miracle of rare device," incorporating both sun and caves of ice. "The damsel with a dulcimer" who was seen in a vision and the description of the speaker as an enchanter with "flashing eyes [and] floating hair," who has drunk the "milk of Paradise," is also highly imaginative.
By weaving together strong senses and emotions, awe of nature, and imagination in this poem fragment, Coleridge created a piece that exemplifies the Romantic approach to poetry.
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