There are a myriad of critical theoretical lenses that can be applied and used to closely observe pieces of literature. One of these theories is John Keats' Negative Abilities Theory which consists of an idea of ​​"...when man is capable of being in uncertainties, mysteries, doubts, without any irritable search for facts and reason…” (Keats 968). Ultimately this means that in poetry the emphasis should be on the importance of curiosity and questioning the life and landscape around us rather than placing importance on the in-depth search for answers. This theory can be applied to a multitude of works, but for these reasons what will be criticized will be Samuel Coleridge's Kubla Khan. Keats's personal opinion on this subject is that "...Coleridge, for example, would let go of a beautiful verisimilitude drawn from the Penetralium of mystery, because he was incapable of being content with half-knowledge" (Keats, 968 ). This lofty language makes it clear that Keats does not believe that Coleridge illustrates his theory in his works, and that Coleridge always seeks the full truth and never settles for the unknown. Interestingly enough, that's not entirely true. Coleridge embodies this theory creatively, although it contains slight flaws. Although this work sometimes disembodies negative capability, through its content in Kubla Khan, Coleridge ultimately displays this theory through the opportunity for his readers to pursue the concept, as well as to cultivate this theory a little further than intentions and Keats's objectives. contains an overabundance of descriptive language that creates a vivid but simultaneously fragmented image in the reader's mind; the...... middle of paper ......world where not only are readers forced to familiarize themselves with this unknown dream world, but they also associate this unknown with a sense of wonderful pleasure and magic. Overall, the instances where Coleridge does not illustrate negative capability are trivial in comparison to the larger associations and ideas he creates from Keats's theory. Works Cited Coleridge, Samuel Taylor. “Kubla Khan.” The Norton Anthology: English Literature. Ninth edition. Stephen Greenblatt, ed. New York: WW Norton & Company, 2012. 459-462. Print.Keats, John. “Letters: to George and Thomas Keats. » The Norton Anthology: English Literature. Ninth edition. Stephen Greenblatt, ed. New York: WW Norton & Company, 2012. 967-968. Print.The Norton Anthology: English Literature. Ninth edition. Stephen Greenblatt, ed. New York: WW Norton & Company, 2012. 460. Print.