From: Scott Chase (ecphoric@hotmail.com)
Date: Fri 23 May 2003 - 02:49:30 GMT
William Benzon has posted about possible influences on Coleridge and his
writing of Kubla Khan, including the 18th century Philadelphian naturalist
William Bartram (aka "Puc Puggy"). Well the influence of Bartram may be
subtle, if actual, but there's a not so subtle impact Coleridge has made on
the artifacts many Rushians (followers of the power rock trio from the Great
White North) have stored in their compact disc collections. There's a little
ditty (well at just over 11 minutes a long ditty) on the Rush CD "A Farewell
to Kings" called "Xanadu". Don't know whether Coleridge's case was
cryptomnesia, but with an opening verse like:
"To seek the sacred river Alph
To walk the caves of Ice
To break my fast on honey dew
And drink the milk of Paradise...."
there's no mistaking this one by Rush and lyricist / uberdrummermeister Neil
Peart.
Rush's performance of this may be quite efficacious in passing the influence
of Coleridge (and perhaps Bartram?) down the generations...well at least if
people buy stuff other than Britney Spears and N-Stync when they shop for
music :-)
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