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Kubla Kahn, a la Shmoop. Poetus interruptus: the unfortunate, premature
termination of a potential work of genius. Are we preventing ourselves from creating
masterpieces… because of all our distractions?
Rumor has it that Samuel Taylor Coleridge dreamt his epic poem, “Kubla Khan.”
Have you ever dreamt of doing something epic?
Ol’ Sam woke up and furiously wrote… … until someone came knocking.
Stopped in his tracks… …Sam took time to hang with his visitor.
They hung out for hours. But by the time his visitor left…
…Sam had forgotten most of his dream…and most of his poem.
These days, people are sleeping less… …and doing more and more.
But are we being any more productive? Interruptions are everywhere.
When’s the last time you had a conversation… …during which the other person didn’t
check their phone? Even our parents are riding the short attention
span wave. These days, art is rarely created in a vacuum.
Art’s even created in front of its audience. How are artists going to write the next great
American Novel? When the world is always ‘on’?
Is instant gratification too ‘instant’?
Some artists are rediscovering the joy… …of shutting the world out…
…and letting their imaginations grow… …so that they can create tomorrow’s masterpieces.
To enrich and explain our lives… …and for us to enjoy forever and ever. That
is: until someone knocks on the door. So what do you think? Is our inspiration being
stunted by constant interruptions? Shmoop Amongst Yourselves.