Enfilade (Xanadu)

An enfilade, in architectural and Xanadu-related contexts, refers to a suite of rooms with doorways in a line with each other, allowing a view through the entire series of rooms. This arrangement creates a vista or perspective that is both visually impressive and practically convenient, facilitating movement and communication.

In the context of Samuel Taylor Coleridge's poem "Kubla Khan," referencing Xanadu, the concept of an enfilade can be applied metaphorically to the imagined layout and grandeur of Kubla Khan's pleasure dome. Although not explicitly described as a physical enfilade in the poem, the vision of seemingly endless spaces and interconnected marvels evokes a similar sense of depth and continuous flow. The "sunny pleasure-dome with caves of ice!" suggests a series of contrasting yet connected environments, mirroring the visual effect of an architectural enfilade. The "gardens bright with sinuous rills" and "forests ancient as the hills" further build upon this sense of interconnected spaces, all contributing to the overall impression of vastness and splendor. Thus, while Xanadu may not have contained literal enfilades, the poem utilizes imagery that aligns with the principles of interconnectedness and extended vistas associated with the term.