William Blake Themes

My Pretty Rose Tree - natural desire

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My Pretty Rose Tree- lover's vulnerability

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Holy Thursday (Innocence)- undermining of the Rich

A visionless 18th Century society may view Holy Thursday as a poem depicting the Holy Thursday day of charity, on which wealthy members of society kindly give money to impoverished orphans. However, on a deeper level Blake undermines the goodness of the rich philanthropists in their prevention of these orphans from accessing God. In 'beneath them sit the aged men', Blake highlights the irony of the rich's superiority complex. While 'aged' perhaps points to the men's greater life length and thus, experience, as their source of percieved superiority, Blake's personal belief that children were the purest and most innocent form of human existence maybe reinforces the irony that children are closer to God. In 'mighty wind', Blake perhaps depicts the children as a personification of divinity, insofar as their ability to summon on earth the powers of the Greek Gods Boreas and Eurus (the Gods of wind). In illustrating the children's seeming power, Blake amplifies their sense of helplessness: they are at the mercy of the supposedly charitable men which control them.

A Divine Image (Experience)- pessimism of humanity

Blake explores humans as "divine images" or imitations of God, with god-like powers. The poet capitalises the defining human characteristics so they represent universal emotions and traits. They form a lexical field of evil. The first word 'cruelty' sets the uncompromising tone. The poem comprises two quatrains, that is four-lined stanzas, with an ABCB rhyme pattern. The rhyme is strong and heavy and emphatic. The metrical rhythm is iambic tetrameter, that is four metrical feet per line, where a foot comprises one unstressed followed by one stressed syllable. This creates a solemn, heavy tread that reflects the frighteningly negative view. Blake draws a powerful links between the human heart and its capacity for cruelty; they seem almost to be synonymous. Despite living in what purported to be a Christian country, Blake was appalled by the terrible conditions he observed around him, particularly in London. The established Church promoted a punitive form of Christianity that offered no kindness or compassion, but instead exacerbated suffering. In these circumstances the potential for good in humans was obliterated, replaced by cruelty. "Terror of human form divine" This echoes the line in stanza five of the matching poem The Divine Image in Songs of Innocence. Blake believed in the perfectibility and beauty of the human form and spirit, made as it is in God's image, as set out in Genesis 1:27. The Church of Blake's time was, in his view, corrupt, with powerful churchmen living luxurious lives and propounding a punitive form of religion, unrelated in Blake's view to Christ's teaching. It was, in short, a form of social control and exploitation of uneducated people through fear and ignorance. The Church preached terror and damnation rather than God's mercy, undermining human self-belief. The 'human dress' is an outward display, an expression of the natural secrecy within humans. The two words are repeated again at the beginning of the next stanza, a device known as anadiplosis. The effect is to create a sense of circularity, that the evil will repeat itself again and again.

The Shepherd- Love

The metaphor of the parent as shepherd and the child as lamb reflects Christ and God. In this ideal version of the world everything is spiritually perfect and pure. The metrical rhythm is broadly anapaestic, an anapaest being two unstressed syllables followed by a stressed syllable. This gives a jaunty rhythm. The rhyme scheme in both stanzas is ABCB. According to Blake, God is within us and thus, we have to listen only to our inner voices. He says that he knows no other Christianity or Gospel except the one that incite man to exercise the divine arts of imagination. tone shifts from energetic joy to somber peacefulness. "the lambs innocent call" These songs of praise echo the song sung in the Introduction, leading the reader to see the following poems of Songs of Innocence as the shepherd's pastorally-inspired, spontaneous songs. 18th C society moving away from religion and denying God impacted peoples lives. Trusting in God and he will offer protection. "for they know when their Shepherd is nigh" could be referencing to Revelation 7:17 'For the Lamb at the centre of the throne will be their shepherd;

Song (How sweet I roam'd from field to field)- Love

William Blake describes the perfect example of the paradoxical pleasure and pain of failing in love in his poem, 'How Sweet I Roam'd from Field to Field'. Throughout this poem is a young lady who happens to fall in love with a prince. As the poem progresses through the stanzas she unintentionally gets tangled in his love only to be left feeling the bitter pain of love. The opening line of the poem starts off with this young girl who appears to be innocent, as she roams "from field to field". This line may signify her youth and carefree personality as she is not in search of anything specific.

The Divine Image (Innocence)

William Blake uses fairly traditional and simple language to highlight the high regard for virtue by humans. He metaphorically likens the four virtues; love, mercy, pity, and peace with God himself. He further uses imagery to compare these higher values with the human form; where he considers love as a man's divine nature, likens mercy with a man's emotional being, pity with a man's face, and peace with a man's clothes. Blake richly applies a solemn tone; one that confronts a reader with a more profound meditation over the piece. T he choice of words such as 'all pray in their distress' stir in the reader a yearning for a deeper, near spiritual regard of the four values. Towards the close of the poem, the poet reconciles God with men by first, making a claim that these values embody God's very nature. He then suggests that God yearns for them in all men; men whom God perceive as in his image. Blake then uses personification where he states that the four virtues 'Is Man, his child and care.' He ends by claiming that humanity has a divine dimension which creates in the reader an image of inseparability of the values, humanity, and Godliness.

The Lamb- Wonder of Creation

"The Lamb" is a religious poem that marvels at the wonders of God's creation. In the poem, a child addresses a lamb, wondering how it came to exist, before affirming that all existence comes from God. Furthermore, the lamb is not just made by God—it's an expression of God, as is the speaker. Through the example of the lamb, the speaker suggests that the entire world is in fact an expression of God. Blake frames the poem in a question and answer form, with the the question in the first stanza being who made the lamb, and the answer in the second stanza being God. It argues in favour for the teleological theory of God, reinforced by the symmetrical structure representing the beauty and purpose of God's creation. "Little Lamb who made thee"-Meter is trochaic which gives the poem a lyrical quality which is reminiscent of a hymn. The rhyming couplets have a unifying sound mirroring the affinity the speaker feels with the lamb. The alliteration creates a gentle and delicate tone, reflecting vulnerability of the lamb. The lamb is symbolic of God's divine creation, and it's existence celebrates God's power, reinforced by the celebratory and joyous tone. Lamb showcases God's capacity for tenderness +gentleness, as well as having an important role in Christianity- Jesus is described as a "Lamb of God" in John 1:29. Blake was linked to Swedenborgianism, a religious organisation developed from Emanuel Swedenborg. It is a belief in the holy trinity, and where someone goes after they die depends on their character. Blake's belief in the holy trinity is seen in that the poem is not just marvelling at the lamb itself, but also at the way in which the lamb is God, just as the Bible describes Jesus himself to be God. Both the lamb and the speaker, who is a child, are "called by his name." That is, in addition to being called "lamb" and whatever the speaker's name may be, they are both also called "God." That's because, ultimately, everything that exists was created by God and nothing is separate from its creator. "Gave thee such a tender voice" trochaic tetrameter gives the steady (and symmetrical) sound, lending the poem its emphatic quality, which is important for getting across the speaker's enthusiasm for the lamb and, more generally, God's creation.

The Little Black Boy-equality

"The Little Black Boy" is an 18th-century poem in which a Black child attempts to figure out his place in this world and the next (that is, in the spiritual afterlife). The poem says that race will cease to matter when the speaker is united with God in the afterlife. The poem thus argues that divine love transcends race, and that all races are equal in the eyes of God. The rhythmic picture of the poem aims to convey the words of a little black boy as if it were a direct speech. For this purpose, William Blake constructed the stanzas of the poem as quatrains with the rhyme pattern "ABAB," and most importantly, used the iambic pentameter. This poetic meter recreates human speech as part of an epic or dramatic narrative. This choice is extremely appropriate in the case of this poem, as the author appeals to the values of the Christian faith in relation to the lack of freedom of the black population. The rhythmic of this poetic meter makes The Little Black Boy look like a dramatic ballad. In a certain sense, the poem is a ballad because it expresses the main character's innocent reflections on the people's external inequality and the equal internal spirituality in a musical and rhythmic manner. It is also noteworthy that the whole poem is a direct speech or the thoughts of a little black boy. At the same time, the third, fourth, and fifth stanzas are the words of his mother, describing the unity of human souls in accordance with the Christian faith. The poem makes no formal distinction between the boy's speech and that of his mother. Given the co-direction and agreement of the ideas expressed by both characters, this technique can be a sign of unity between mother and child in faith and recognition of their spiritual essence. Blake often uses comparisons and metaphors in this poem. Examples are found in the first stanza - "white as an angel...", in the fourth stanza - "... like a shady grove", and in the fifth stanza - "... like lambs rejoice". These comparisons are created on the principle of contrasting light and dark, black, and white. This opposition highlights the seeming inequality and difference between black and white people.

A Laughing Song- Pastoral tradition

'Laughing Song' is about an imagined instance of what will happen "[w]hen" a time comes, but will only happen after a series of impossible obstacles. This poem pays homage to the Pastoral tradition — a literary movement which depicts a past, fantasy golden age of simplicity and closeness to nature. The concept of the human relationship to the natural world and the benefits it brings was a feature also of the Romantic poets The dominant poetic device is personification in that it is extended through the poem where the birds and landscape are given human attributes, for example, the 'meadows laugh'. This has the effect of bring man and nature together in a mutually beneficial relationship. William Blake opens the poem with words that echo the Old Testament book Jeremiah 33:11: "the voice of joy and the voice of gladness" This establishes the theme of the poem, in which Blake or the speaker and the personified environment revel in joy that closeness to nature can bring. Gerunds of 'dimpling' and 'laughing' imply a sense of continuity and contrast with the past tense reference of "when" which is repeated anaphorically. Indefinite time frame of "When" they occur, the figurative notion escalates since this means it is not in the past, is not happening, and may never happen if it turns into a fleeting idea for the future. That the birds are 'painted' is a metaphor that suggests bright colours, but also the possibility of a higher power that is responsible for their creation. The stanza ends with a rhythmic, song-like couplet. The repetition of 'and' in line three forms a syndetic list that continues the jaunty pace and provides an appropriate ending.

The Blossom- microcosm for Humanity

'The Blossom' is on the surface a depiction of an ideal, but there is a veiled cynicism about nature. The robin receives no response from nature in respect of its distress. The sparrow finds a home in its branches and the robin weeps, but the tree is indifferent, with nothing to give it personality or feeling. The weeping robin could be a metaphor for suffering, vulnerable humanity. The poem comprises two sestets, that is, six-lined stanzas. Each has an ABCAAC rhyme scheme, although some of the lines may qualify as near rhymes rather than true rhymes; for example, are assonant, for example 'blossom' and 'bosom'. The erratic nature of the rhymes reflects the se also what might be described as visual rhymingly arbitrary attitude of nature; hard to predict, and indifferent to human will. The language is simple, accessible, but this masks the complexity of the poem. Ostensibly presenting an ideal picture of the natural world, it is complex, conveying a picture of a harsher world than at first seems. Blake conveys his meaning through metaphor. The birds could represent humans, vulnerable on the one hand, but capable of enjoying freedom and flight. The robin is 'sobbing' and the reason is a matter of speculation. The bird could represent suffering, vulnerable humanity, but the blossom doesn't respond; only hears. Is this natural world as benign as it seems from the opening lines?

The Crystal Cabinet

'The Crystal Cabinet' is an outstanding example of Blake's use of an alternative reality to evoke readers to contemplate the boundaries of their society in light of knowledge about another world where these boundaries do not exist. Through the poem which was written just after the French Revolution, Blake offers the extreme of human experiences; as the central metaphor of the poem symbolizes a deep human truth. The poem's simple goal is to tell a story and share a wisdom. The poem contains seven stanzas, several stanzas containing a different world and a different boundary; within each stanza one is able to find a rhyme scheme which closely follows a broken dactylic tetrameter. The Crystal Cabinet's seven stanzas forms a superstructure upon which the story elements can be intertwined, and imagination can be overlaid as deeper themes of Blake's philosophy can be also be embedded. The first stanza is the main and central metaphor which one should focus on as it unfolds line by line before connecting with the second stanza to further evoke readers on the different dimensions and boundaries. Through this poem which catapults the reader into a realm of the persona's imagination, Blake description and different realm throughout the fifth stanza is a world containing 'love', for which was given and returned. This particular stanza differs from the first four as it is filled with joy, happiness and love, without having a halt. 'O, the happiness and joy for which fulfilled my soul as though a flame being burnt, no composition, no question, I seek the love as I kiss the lovely 'Maid' and found that the love I seek was returned.' Notice the 'Maid' in the third line of this stanza, is capitalized, which in terms represents something more than just a maid we understand in modern day, for this 'Maid' is not one who cleans up after our mess, but a context used metaphorically to describe a woman in particular, a woman whom the persona is trapped with respects and cares about, perhaps a lover.

A Nurse's Song (experience)-deception

'the voice that speaks is not of loving care but of sour age, envious of a happiness which it can no longer share and eager to point out the menaces and the perils of the dark.' C.M. Bowra "When the voices of children are heard on the green, And whisperings are in the dale" The 'whisperings' are not explained, but these could be the trials that the children will face when they are older. They could also potentially be the children's subdued voices, reflecting their lack of autonomy and the oppressive control of the Nurse. In Nurse's Song (Innocence) the children's voices are clearly heard, indicating equality and harmony. Furthermore, in 'Nurse's Song' (Innocence) the children are situated on a hill and are therefore closer to God. Here they are in a dale (i.e. a valley) and so are perhaps further away from God, making them vulnerable to corruption and the Nurse's cynicism. "Your spring and your day are wasted in play, And your winter and night in disguise." Silence of the children= reflects the silence of children in the 18th C, lack of voice Winter and night might represent the end of innocence and the darkness of adult life that the poem implies soon awaits the children. The word "disguise" builds on the mention of "whisperings" from the previous stanza to suggest that there's something sinister and deceptive on the horizon; perhaps the children already on the cusp of adulthood in the nurse's eyes, and their daytime antics belie darker impulses. What's clear is that their play will soon come to an end. In this version of "Nurse's Song," the rhythms of the natural world symbolize the transition from youth to adulthood and from innocence to experience.

Holy Thursday (Innocence)- innocence and children's closeness to God

A visionless Georgian may perceive the occasion as solely good natured, as evidenced by the semantic field of purity 'white as snow' 'flowers' 'lambs' 'heaven', yet Blake undermines Holy Thursday as far from so. In the opening line, the 'innocent faces clean' may seem to convey absolute purity. However, 'faces clean' suggests inauthenticity, like the children have been prepared to appear innocent. It also suggests they were once dirty, possibly hinting at the damaging effects of the experienced men upon shaping the children. Furthermore, in 'the children walking two and two', Blake creates a sweet and innocent image; perhaps referring to Noah's arc and how the Church has saved them. However, 'two and two' could indicate the restriction placed upon the children by the aged and experienced beadles which lead them. This goes against Blake's belief in a fenceless existence, perhaps highlighting how the constraint of the aged and experienced men hinder the children's ability to access God. In addition, a visionless society may view Blake's employment of the semantic field of community seen in 'multitude' 'companies' 'thousands' as a reflection of the unity of the rich philanthropists and the orphans. However, the community belongs only to the children, which could be reflective of the isolation of the impoverished in Georgian society. In 'raising their innocent hands', a "visionless" society may interpret such behaviour as the children expressing thankfulness towards the rich philanthropists. Alternatively, Blake may be signifying their helplessness in their prayer - a call to for God's help to free them of their metaphorical shackles placed upon them by the rich philanthropists

The Ecchoing Green- restriction of industrialisation

Alternatively, Blake could be signifying the end of a fenceless, rural existence, thus hinting at the dawn of industrialisation and the restriction it brings. In 'many sisters and brothers/like birds in their nest/are ready for rest', Blake uses a sense of innocence tied with imagery of the children's rest to ominously undercut the merry tone of the poem; the children are unaware that, in their sleep, their ability to play within nature is metaphorically dying- with every sleep, industrialisation looms nearer. Blake confirms such an idea in how sport 'is no more seen/ on the darkening Green.' depicting both fading innocence and the death of a rural/unrestrained existence; such loss amplified by the definitive nature of the full stop. Consequently, Blake exposes the true complexity in what an 18th Century society may view as a simple subject matter.

The Ecchoing Green- childhood innocence

An 18th Century society may interpret the Ecchoing Green as a poem simply about children playing and the elderly watching. However, Blake's deeper exploration reveals the subject of fading innocence. For the elderly, this seems to take the form of the acceptance of passing away, while for the children- unbeknownst to them- Blake hints at the dawn of Industrialisation encroaching on the children's unrestrained and innocent existence within nature. In the harmonious co-existence of the young and the old, Blake also highlights the notion of the circle of life. In how 'the sun does arise' and 'the sun does descend' Blake perhaps presents the day as a metaphor for the circle of life- the youth are just beginning their lives, whereas the elderly, in 'laugh away care', Blake displays a merry tone associated with the elderly, perhaps presenting his ideal: that we should not be bitter towards the coming and going of life- it is the law of nature. To support this further, Blake ties the semantic field of joy with nature imagery: 'happy the skies', 'merry bells ring/To welcome the spring', 'the sky lark (...) the birds (...) sing (...) to the bells' cheerful sound'. In addition, Blake's choice to physically distance the elderly from the playing children is perhaps a wider metaphor for the distance of the elderly to their youth, thus illustrating their fading innocence. Likewise, in 'our youth time were seen', the past tense verb creates a sense of nostalgia from the elderly of the irretrievable memory of youth. On the one hand, 'The sun does descend/and our sports have an end' could be symbolic of the elderly approaching death.

The Little Boy Lost- Vulnerability

Blake appeals to the reader's emotions by highlighting the vulnerability of the little boy, "the child was wet with dew". The use of alliteration here denotes a feeling of sadness as the child is left alone in poor conditions. On the one hand, the "dew" could be a literal reference to the cold conditions the child is suffering through, or the dew could perhaps allude to the child's tears as he cries for his parents to come and find him. This makes the reader feel sympathy for the little boy as his childhood innocence shines through. Additionally, a sense of pathos is produced when Blake ends the poem without a sense of resolution "and away the vapour flew." The use of an end stopped line here creates a sense of finality, as if no-one is coming to save the boy who seems only able to rely on himself, despite his young age. The uneven line lengths within both stanzas reflects the confusion of the little boy as he searches for his parents, creating a sense of injustice in the reader as it should not be up to the little boy to find his parents, but the other way round. Blake creates a sense of sympathy in the child, and anger to the father in the poem, by highlighting the inadequacy of this Victorian parenting. The child is clearly solely dependent upon the father who abandons his child carelessly.

The Little Boy Lost- Dependency

Blake appeals to the reader's emotions by presenting how dependent the little boy is on his father "father father where are you going?". Here the repetition of "father", emphasises the supposedly affectionate relationship between the two, as a son loves his father for guidance and support. Furthermore, the child goes onto plead with his father. "Speak father, speak to your little boy", with the imperatives "speak" creating a sense of desperation. Moreover, the use of a third person here, draws attention to the injustice of the little boy's treatment with the noun "your" creating an accusatory tone. Therefore, the reader is left with a sense of anger as it is clear that the father has failed his responsibilities by abandoning his son.

To Summer -Rise of the Empire

Blake is celebrating the season of summer, as well as themes of joy and success. The latter is related to the poem's broader context as it alluded to England's role in the world when the poem was written. Joy and summer are connected to the speaker's mind. He imagines summer as a god-like figure who visits England each year and brings pleasure to the worlds of the young men, women, and artists of the nation. He uses words like "golden," "ruddy," and "flames" to convey what the season is like for those who experience it. Three-stanza poem separated into two sets of six lines, known as sestets, and one set of seven. The stanzas do not follow a specific rhyme scheme, but there are several examples of half-rhyme. The second stanza of 'To Summer' emphasizes how important this season is to the people of the area. Everyone is bolstered by the summer's presence, which is his intention. The speaker looks into the past and recalls all the times that the coming of summer, described as his arrival "upon his fervid car, " brought them joy. The final stanza of 'To Summer' is the most evocative. Blake uses anaphora in order to list out several of the people in the country who celebrate in their own ways the coming of summer. The bards, singers, and writers of poetry are striking their silver wire, playing their instruments. Blake says, "than the southern swains." This suggests that the use of England is even more passionate and alive than those who live in the southern climes and are more used to this kind of weather. England's maidens, at the same time, or even fairer as they dance.When the "sultry heat" comes to England, "we" lack nothing.The men and women of the country celebrate just as well as anyone else.(A03) Some scholars have associated this poem, especially this passage, with a broader understanding of the British Empire. This poem was written as the empire was rising, which could very well be represented as a sultry summer where the heat and happiness or power are rising.

Holy Thursday (Experience)-children and hardship

Blake outlines the hardship and misery these children are ultimately destined for. The syntactic parallels emphasise the bleakness of their lives, with the repetition of "and their"- trying to raise awareness. ''And their ways are filled with thorns' is a metaphor for the hard lives they will endure when released from the poor care of their childhood. It may also be a reference to the crown of thorns worn by the crucified Jesus. Either the children will suffer hardship, as they are ill-equipped with personal resources to cope, or their personalities have been damaged, reduced to 'thorns', due to deprivation in early life. 'Eternal winter', echoing the 'sun does never shine', is a metaphor for their poverty and sense of hopelessness. The orphans have nothing to look forward to, nothing to expect- eternal winter is forever without warmth or light, as the orphans are. The tone is ironic and critical. The final stanza depicts the desired ideal, the metaphorical and literal sun and rain — the grief and happiness — that make up normal life. The hungry babe seeks a normal loving life as well as sufficient food. This represents the something never achieved in society in Blake's time. The final line, with the verb 'appal', has the greatest impact, reflecting Blake's own compassion. The wellbeing of children is inherently linked with nature in this poem, suggesting that it is unnatural for children to suffer and reflecting the Romantic view that childhood should be an innocent, natural state. Also, the Biblical, references, sweeping statements about a one true heaven-like place) may be Blake's way of condemning the Church while still upholding his Christian beliefs

The Chimney Sweeper (Experience) Exploitation and corruption

Blake presents child exploitation to be the greatest wrong. In "The Chimney Sweeper" (Experience), Blake demonstrates the poor conditions children were forced to work in as Chimney sweepers, "a little black thing among the snow". The epithet "thing" has an almost distancing and dehumanizing effect, showing the way that the boy has been made literally and metaphorically unidentifiable—as though he is no longer a child, but a mere black shape, a dark mark on the conscience of society. Furthermore, The adjective "little" exemplifies the child's innocence and vulnerability, the juxtaposition between the dirty "black", child and the pure white "snow" perpetuates a sense of loneliness. Critic Marsh states that "the church plays an active role in children's oppression" which is evident throughout this poem as Blake criticises the corrupt nature of the Church who sell orphans to Chimney sweeps for profit. The poem here also uses epizeuxis in the repetition of "weep! 'weep!" This is an echo of the other "The Chimney Sweeper" in Songs of Innocence. It's an important link because this poem essentially undoes the false moralizing of the first poem. "They think they have done me no injury"- The gentleness of the sound subtly evokes the line's sentiment—that, from the adults' perspective, nothing wrong has been done (because they are dutiful Christians). People think that as long they do what the Church tells them to then they will be rewarded by God. No one takes responsibility for the children, meaning that nobody steps in to prevent them from leading short, miserable lives.

Mary- Purity and Religion

Blake sets out to invalidate religious standards of his time in regards to gender. "Sweet Mary" Characterisation of Mary as Saccharine, endearing religious imagery within the poem: "An Angel" "heavenly climes" "Christian Love" "Angel" foregrounds the evangelic tone seen throughout the poem. "her blushes all fled; Her lilies and roses are blighted and shed" Evokes the theme of innocence and naivety Lilies: The flowers represent purity, innocence and rebirth: in religious iconography, they often represent the Virgin Mary, and are also often depicted at the Resurrection of Christ. Roses: The red rose symbolizes romance, love, beauty, and courage. A red rosebud signifies beauty and purity. Virgin Mary: The New Testament account of her humility and obedience to the message of God have made her an exemplar for all ages of Christians. Out of the details supplied in the New Testament by the Gospels about the maid of Galilee, Christian piety and theology have constructed a picture of Mary that fulfils the prediction ascribed to her in the Magnificat (Luke 1:48): "Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed." "To be weak as a Lamb" Similes Lamb: In Christianity, the lamb represents Christ as both suffering and triumphant; it is typically a sacrificial animal, and may also symbolize gentleness, innocence, and purity.Mary acts as a sacrifice to the oppression of men, and represents her loss of identity as her body becomes an object. rhyme scheme is AABB rhyme scheme- sense of perfection mirrors how Mary embodies the process of socialisation that teaches girls to cultivate an identity of calculated childishness and fragility, reinforced by this childish rhyme. St. Mary Magdalene was a disciple of Jesus. According to the Gospel accounts, Jesus cleansed her of seven demons, and she financially aided him in Galilee. She was one of the witnesses of the Crucifixion and burial of Jesus and, famously, was the first person to see him after the Resurrection.

Mary- Social

Blake sets out to invalidate social standards of his time in regards to gender. Form is 12 quatrains, this Rigid structure could reflect the strictness enforced within society. Alternatively, the neat structure could reflect the vanity of Mary. what word is repeated 8 times? "face"- idea of vanity and beauty "Mary moves in soft beauty and conscious delight""that sweet Love and Beauty are worthy our care" Almost this voyeuristic portrayal by the 3rd person speaker. Women are constantly on display, an object for society to judge openly and freely. We as readers are contributing to this by reading and imagining Mary. Beauty are determining factors into why women are valid in society. In order to be worthy you must possess the defining traits. Blake purposefully constructs Mary to align with the societal expectations. Mary Wollstonecraft was a British writer, philosopher, and advocate of women's rights. Until the late 20th century, Wollstonecraft's life, which encompassed several unconventional personal relationships at the time, received more attention than her writing. Wollstonecraft is best known for A Vindication of the Rights of Woman (1792), in which she argues that women are not naturally inferior to men, but appear to be only because they lack education. She suggests that both men and women should be treated as rational beings and imagines a social order founded on reason. what story by Mary Wollstone Craft links to the floral imagery? Original Stories from real life Mrs Mason uses flowers to teach about beauty that comes from internal goodness Blake epitomises Romanticism with his revolutionary theme of an unjust system of a society pointing towards immoral conduct.

Holy Thursday (Experience)- corruption of the Church

Blake undermines the goodness of the rich philanthropists in their prevention of these orphans from accessing God. Holy Thursday is Ascension Day in the Christian calendar. In Blake's time the children living in the charity-run orphanages of London would make their way to St Paul's Cathedral and sing. In the matching poem in Songs of Innocence this event was depicted idealistically, but here there is only criticism and bitter resentment. Blake uses a rhetorical question in the first lines, asking readers to consider what the poor children, "reduced to misery," say about the "holy" nature of the day and supposedly "good" Christians' beliefs. Blake also juxtaposes the idea of 'holiness' in a Christian country with 'Babes reduced to misery'. The 'cold hand' is synecdoche for the people responsible for the children who provide no love. The adjective 'usurous' refers to money lending, where a debt may be called in with no account taken of the suffering that may mean for poor people unable to repay it. Blake juxtaposes the positives of the 'rich and fruitful land' with the terrible poverty and conditions suffered by children. "And so many children poor? It is a land of poverty!" Blake is saying that the potential of the land is not met, when children suffer. The abrupt interruption of the ABAB rhyme scheme in the half rhyme "joy" and "poverty" shows the two can't be rhymed as they do not link, as well as raising awareness for the corruption of the Church.

The Lamb- Childhood

By making the speaker in this poem a child, Blake argues that people need to hold onto the values childhood represents—not unlearn and reject them through the fears and worries of adulthood. All of the poem's joyful appreciation of the lamb, nature, and God is tied to the speaker's childhood perspective. Childhood, then, is not a state of ignorance, but one of innate understanding. The child has an intuitive understanding of "who made" the Lamb, made clear in the question and answer form. "For he calls himself a Lamb, he is meek and mild" The child instinctively understands that the lamb is an expression of God's design—and that the child, too, is a part of this design. The child refers to Jesus, pointing out that he—the savior of humankind—was also born into the world with all the innocence, vulnerability, and curiosity of a child. Jesus was God himself, showing that childhood is, in fact, something sacred. Like repeated alliteration on the /l/ sound, this is intended to evoke tenderness and gentleness in keeping with the figure of the lamb. This line is also an allusion to Matthew 5:5 from the Bible: "Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth." The biblical reference shows Instead, it is an enlightened way of seeing religion that the poem implores its readers to retain—in doing so, it argues, they will see the joy and beauty that surround them.

Garden of Love- Damaging nature of organised religion

Complexity can be seen in Blake's exploration of the damaging nature of organised religion in the restraint it places upon society's natural desires. In 'thou shalt not' writ over the door', Blake perhaps ties the identity of organised religion with restriction and punishment, implying a condoning of self restraint. It could also be referencing the ten commandments, demonstrating the traditional and rigid values of the Church, which are restricting and oppressive. Blake's personal beliefs perhaps inform the narrator's word choice, as Blake himself stood strongly by freedom of desire; that it is natural for sexuality to run freely, this clashes with the beliefs of the church. 'the gates of this chapel were shut'. The capitalisation of 'Chapel' adorns it with a sense of importance emphasising the power and influence of the Church. The Marriage Act of 1753, passed by Lord Hardwicke said that all marriages had to be solemnized according to the rules of the Church of England, highlighting its tight control over relationships and love. There is an unwelcoming tone reflected in the gates being "shut". In turning to the 'Garden of Love', Blake ties sexual desire with nature imagery, perhaps suggesting that the two belong together. This is evident by Blake linking 'sweet flowers to sexual offerings. The flowers mirror the delicacy of true love and relationships which are ruined by the Church. However, they have been replaced by "graves", and the juxtaposition of the beauty of the flowers and the sinister connotations of the graves alludes to the way organised religion kills joy and love.

The Chimney Sweeper (Experience)- organised religion

In 'The Chimney Sweeper', Blake is overt in his message that corrupting influence of organized religion has on society. It specifically suggests that the Church encroaches on the freedoms and joys of childhood and robs children of their youth. Whereas the chimney sweeps in the Songs of Innocence hold on to their religious beliefs as a way of coping, the sweep of this poem is aware that organized religion is a form of oppression, not salvation. Blake exposes these hypocrisies and deceptions in the fact the Sweeps parents are "both gone up to the church to pray". This suggesting that the Church, which could be a metonym for organized religion, has literally led them astray. His mother and father are too occupied with satisfying their religious authorities to give the young chimney sweep a childhood full of joy and freedom. The Church, the poem thus suggests, is an actively corrupting influence on the sweep and his family. And as the chimney sweeps came from poor families, this perhaps speaks to Blake's belief that organized religion sold false hope to those in poverty. "because I was happy upon the heath" These two /h/ sounds ring together playfully, fitting the image of a happy child frolicking on the heath. "They clothed me in the clothes of death" this metaphor both literally and metaphorically hints that the children are set up for death. This links to Rousseau's idea that children are born free and society puts them in chains. "because I am happy and dance and sing" This line is mostly anapaestic, except for its final foot, and has a light, almost dance-like quality. Accompanied by the syndetic listing, this helps the poem draw out the distinction between these two contrary states: youth and freedom on the one hand, organized religion, exploitation and restriction on the other. "And are gone to praise God & his Priest &King, who make up a heaven of our misery" Heaven is supposed to be a place of bliss, beauty, joy, freedom, and communion with God. However here it is a corrupt place literally built on the labour and exploitation—the "misery"—of the young and impoverished (this mirrors the way that sweeps would have to clean the chimneys of the middle and upper classes). Poem is half as long as Innocence- weakening life force of the Sweepers.

The Garden of Love- Organised religion leading to death

In 'tomb stones where flowers should be' Blake is perhaps implying that in restricting society's ability to freely express one's sexuality- as indicated by the Church's 'Thou shalt not' teachings- organised religion leads people to their deaths. Blake's description of priests in 'black gowns' may support this idea, as blackness commonly connotes death, whilst 'rounds' provides further imagery of regimentation. The colour black also implies secrecy and evil, which could allude to the corrupt nature of the church and it's servants. Blake presents repression as the greatest wrong. In 'binding with briars my joys and desires', Blake villainises organised religion, with the tightness connoted by 'binding' indicative of the extent to which Blake perhaps believes religion restricts desire which, according to nature, should run free. Such idea is heightened by internal rhyme of 'briars' and 'desires', suggesting regimentation and conformity. Therefore, Blake sheds light on the true complexity of what may be perceived by a "visionless" 18th Century Georgian as a poem on garden and love.

The Chimney Sweeper (Innocence)- innocence and corruption

In England, during the 1700′s and 1800′s, Master Sweeps would buy young children from orphanages and take in young homeless children from the streets and turn them into indentured servants. These were usually small boys between the ages of 5 and 10, although most were under the age of seven, and some were even as young as four. These boys were used to clamber up chimneys to clean out deposits of soot. "Could scarcely cry "weep! weep! weep! weep!" So your chimneys I sweep & in soot I sleep." The Innocent Imagery morphed with despair. Rhyming couplets immediately evoke child-like tone. The epizeuxis here—emphasizes the speaker's poverty and hardship. This line captures the extent to which the sweep's situation is worthy of weeping. The sibilance in line 4 helps convey the dustiness of the sweeps' working environment. These young chimney sweeps would sleep in cellars on bags of soot collected from the chimneys they swept. "That curled like a lamb's"-Blake creates sympathy for Tom, who arguably represents other neglected children in poverty. His sacrificial life to society is emphasised through the simile of the lamb. The lamb symbolises the Christian theme of Christ's purity, sacrifice to humanity and temporal neglect of his father. "white hair" symbol for youthful innocence- shaved- represents loss of this. "soot" metaphor for evil and corruption. "Then down a green plain" possible allusion to biblical quote "all flesh is grass"- Blake wants to show the power of nature (pantheism) "And wash in a river and shine in the Sun." almost a prophetic quality from the angel who has come to release them from their fate. "wash in a river"-baptismal, juxtaposition of the urban and pastoral heightens the contrast of innocence and experience. Indeed, the poem argues that this is a kind of exploitation that effectively robs the children of their childhood, stealing their freedom and joy.

The Shepherd- Guardianship

In the first line of the poem, 'Shepherd' begins with a capital letter. Rather more than the lovely scenery of a landscape with a few sheep and a shepherd, it has a deeper symbolic meaning. The Shepherd stands for God or Christ and the sheep represent human beings. Human beings are happy under the protection or blessings of God. All the other lines are in present tenses whereas the third and fourth are in the future tense. This may hint at the fact that the Shepherd, as he does in the present world, 'shall' follow his flock and sing halleluiahs in the other world also. More than referring to Christ 'the Shepherd' may also refer to man whose charity and broad heartedness is the core and kernel of all religions, as well as that of Christianity. Thus we see that Blake is more practical than theoretical with regard to his dogma or maxim of religion. "How sweet is the shepherd's sweet lot! From the morn to the evening he strays"- There is a sense of peace and gentleness in the word 'strays'. It suggests lack of force, trusting in whatever power exists that all will be well. It is interesting that 'strays' is often used in religious contexts to signify deviating from the path of righteousness. Here it is the opposite. "He shall follow his sheep all the day, And his tongue shall be filled with praise." The Shepherd's role in the poem is never an active one. He plays the role of a guardian angel. His presence is not to guide, nor to put a curb on his flock; instead, it is meant only to ensure their security. And this security is felt by the flock that graze peacefully. Links to Libertarianism.

A Nurse's Song (innocence)-adults and children in harmony

In this poem, Blake demonstrates a world in which children and adults lived equally, in harmony. Blake describes the "green" in which this colour has connotations of spring and growth. The village 'greens' of Blake's time were common land, free from authority and represent the importance of imagination and freedom. "My heart is at rest within my breast"-the nurse says that her heart is "at rest"—that is, calm and serene. She knows the children are happy, safe, and doing what they do best. The internal rhyme between "rest" and "breast" lends the line a satisfying sound that evokes the nurse's contentment. At the end of the poem, Blake states that 'all the hills echoed', which suggests a harmonious link with children and nature, with the echo perhaps representing an eternal laughter and enjoyment of the children. "Nurse's Song" uses a loose meter built from anapaests' and iambs. This rising meter fills the poem with a joyful, bouncy rhythm. She values their spirited attitude towards the world, implicitly prioritizing it over getting them to bed at certain time: joy takes precedence over arbitrary rules. The nurse is a benign guardian, perhaps even a Virgin Mary or Christ-like figure, who watches over them, also peaceful and at one with the surrounding "Blake symbolises the carefree play of the imagination when it is not spoiled by senseless restrictions"

Holy Thursday (Innocence)- innocence and purity

James Thomson argues that "Blake was always poor in world wealth, always rich in spiritual wealth". This is evident in his ability to recognise the corruption hidden in Holy Thursday. "Flowers of London town" These children, flowers, are portrayed as precious and vulnerable, the heart of the city. The metaphor of the flowers, representing the natural world, delicacy and beauty, is in contrast to the corrupt city with its dreadful living conditions for most of the population. The flowers last a short time, so it also suggests the fleeting nature of childhood innocence and the brevity of life due to the high infant mortality rates. It may also suggest that children, like cut flowers, are only there for decoration, to make the Church and the patrons of these orphans look good. Finally, the flowers represent Spring, in contrast to the 'eternal winter' of the paired 'Holy Thursday' poem from Songs of Experience.

To Summer- Orc

Orc symbolises summer and youth. In America: A Prophecy, Orc is described as 'Lover of Wild Rebellion, and transgressor of God's Law.' He symbolises the spirit of rebellion and the love of freedom which provoked the American War of Independence and the French Revolution.Orc appears in four of Blake's prophetic books: America, Europe, The Book of Urizen and The Four Zoas. In contrast to Urizen, a bearded old man who represents law and repression, Orc is a vigorous youth, surrounded by the fires of revolutionary passion and unrepressed lust. The fire of the sun is a metaphor for passion, the speaker recognizing the "fierce stead" of the "the heat [and] flames" and the "joy" the natural world experiences in its glow. Everything appears more beautiful (lines 15-17) in this 'naked/natural ' state ("silk draperies off") and nothing is "lacking" in the "dance" and "sultry heat" of this euphoric season.

A Nurse's Song (Experience)-envy

She clearly believes that childhood and the notion of free, unhindered joy is nothing but a fantasy. "The days of my youth rise fresh in my mind, My face turns green and pale" Assonance- These long vowels seem to impose themselves on the line with a suddenness that evokes the sudden onset of the nurse's memories of youth. Her face is green with envy—she wishes she could be in their position. Perhaps she is jealous of the children's innocence, or maybe this is a kind of nausea that anticipates all the corrupting forces that await the children in her care as they grow up. Either way, the nurse can't simply let the children be children. The sun going down could be a sinister sign, with the 'dews' arising in the 'night' symbolic of the darkness to come in the children's lives— of developing into the harsh reality of adulthood and being exposure to corruption. Imperative use of the phrase 'come home': her mood changes to that of a controlling authority.

From Proverbs of Hell- contrasts

The Marriage of Heaven and Hell is a book by the English poet and printmaker William Blake. It is a series of texts written in imitation of biblical prophecy but expressing Blake's own intensely personal Romantic and revolutionary beliefs. "the busy bee has no time for sorrow"-Symbolises the working class (lower in social status) Avoid questioning the social norms and restrictions of man's laws-Keep busy don't think don't feel so you remain ignorant of your reality + the exploitation you suffer. Links to capitalist idea that the "devil makes work for idle hands". Blake: "Without contraries (there) is no progression...all are necessary to human existence." The proverb compares the consequences of Law and Religion. In the first half, the stones are being compared to the Law. The stones that construct the prison is what physically prevents the prisoners from leaving. However, the Law is the abstraction that contains them in there. Therefore in the second half, bricks are being compared to Religion. The bricks that construct the brothel is what physically prevents the prostitutes from leaving. However, Religion is the abstraction that contains them in there. In other words, the results are caused by the cause. Prisons exist because the Law exists, and brothels exist because Religion exists. William Blake's comparison advances a contemporary problem for his time, the religious teachings regarding sexual relations. During the 18th century, brothels were for men to release their sexual desires because Religion dictated that intimacy in marriage was for the singular purpose of sexual reproduction, and proper woman were discouraged from sexual activities. Prostitutes in brothels were the lowest class of women because they did not have a choice on their partner, as they were pimped out by their brothel-keeper. Furthermore, their living conditions were unhygienic. William Blake's notion holds Religion accountable for the existence of brothels, and the inhumane conditions that the prostitutes experienced. Moreover, Blake advances the importance of opposites. The prison is a representation of guilt and the Law is a representation of innocence. Without the existence of the Law, their are no prisons. Without the existence of prisons, their is no law. T heir meanings are defined by their opposites. Moreover, this notion is reoccurring in William Blake's art. Through comparing the poems in The Songs of Innocence and of Experience are the true meanings revealed. "The Marriage of Heaven and Hell" by William Blake illustrates the significance of opposites in constructing meaning.

A Nurse's song (innocence)-nature

The children are close to the natural world and identify with the live creatures. The children's reasoning could be expanded as a moral that adults can take, that livelihood and happiness should be kept and treasured for every moment that circumstances allow. "And laughing is heard on the hill"-The children are elevated, on a hill, an external manifestation of their freedom and nearness to God. The 'dews of night' could be dangerous for children, in the days when a temperature (fever) could be fatal. The sounds of "down" and "dews," the heaviness of which perhaps subtly evokes the coming of the night. In the time in which Blake lived children were required to obey and had little say in their lives. Here they have a voice, are able to plead for more time to play and are granted it. The children are close to the natural world and identify with the live creatures. "Birds" typically represent freedom. The sheep, meanwhile, represent innocence. The presence of these animals, in turn, conveys that the children's world is marked by freedom and innocence. There are no threats here, and the children are in harmony with their natural surroundings. That the 'hills echoed' suggests communion between the children and the world around them; they are one with their environment. The echo also suggests an eternal replication of their laughter, perhaps down the generations. These /l/ sounds are playful and sprightly, as though the poem, like the children, suddenly has an extra spring in its step. Notice, too, how this alliteration chimes pleasantly with the consonance of "all the hills," ending the poem on a smooth, musical note.

A Divine Image (Experience)- pessimism

The ongoing feeling and structure of the poem suggests that the fate of human nature described is inevitable. There is no escaping an infinite loop, just as there is no escaping Blake's idea that human nature is doomed. The ABCB rhyme scheme emphasises the heavy rhythmic tread, a plodding progression of destructiveness. The words at the end of each line are monosyllabic masculine rhymes, with doom-laden elongated vowels. The concept of concealment and deception continues in the second stanza and we learn that the "Human Dress is forged Iron." It is rigid and impenetrable, seemingly immune to reason. The industrial imagery is developed in the next line, "The Human Form, a Fiery Forge." Here, the human body is described as being a force for creation and creativity, but also a fearful place of punishment and destruction. Ref to industrial revolution. Alternatively The alliterative 'f's in 'forged', 'form', 'fiery', 'face' and 'furnace' have an emphatic effect. Fire is associated with hell and eternal damnation. Instead of humans being made in God's image, they are associated in this context with destruction. The most interesting part of the poem's structure is the order of the imagery of the human body. The first stanza examines human beings from the inside out, whereas the second stanza works in reverse. Blake places humanity's capacity for lies and deception at the centre of the poem and bookends it with the darkness of the human heart.

A Little Boy Found

The poem comprises two four-lined stanzas known as quatrains, each with an ABCB rhyming pattern. The rhythm is jaunty and lively, expressing the optimistic nature of the message. Blake chose chose to set his poem in 'the lonely fen', significantly because fenlands are swampy and can be treacherous at night. The simple, unadorned introduction leads the reader into the more complex, symbolic lines. The little boy is representative of vulnerable childhood as well as innocent but misguided humankind. "Wander'ing light"- symbolic of whatever has distracted the person from following divine will. Blake juxtaposes the crying child with 'God ever nigh' ('nigh' is an archaic word meaning near). The two are linked in the one line, again significantly. The 'father' is the child's earthly parent but also his Heavenly Father. The 'white' clothes represent innocence and purity. The reunion is natural and peaceful, as if the lost child has never truly been lost. The internal rhyme of line three creates a gentle rhythmic balance in preparation for the happy resolution. The poem works best when read in conjunction with its matching 'Song of Experience', 'The Little Boy Lost'. The last stanza is a fantasy; Blake lived in a time of social deprivation and an uncaring religious establishment. In reality, as Blake was well aware, a lost child might have remained lost until it starved to death, or was forced to beg. This is an idealised depiction..

Song (How sweet I roam'd from field to field)- Power

The poem in short tells the story of the temptation and subsequent betrayal of love. In its first two stanzas, the speaker narrates her discovery of a seemingly loving prince. He gives her roses and lilies to put in her hair; he shows her his beautiful gardens. It seems like nothing maleficent could grow in such a place. However, in the second half of the poem an evil turn unfolds. This is where the speaker begins her comparison of herself to a caged bird. The "May dew," which sounds so benign, wets the speaker's wings, effectively grounding her and rendering her unable to escape. While Phoebus (the sun) lit within her a "vocal rage," the speaker says of the prince, In these lines, Blake creates contrast as he assigns items of beauty with a menacing purpose. The prince of love is obviously not the person the speaker believed him to be. In the fourth and final stanza, we see that the speaker is thus held in captivity for the amusement of the prince. While she entertains him, he laughs and taunts her, even "mocks [her] loss of liberty." The woman who once had all the freedom to roam wherever she pleased is now jailed by the man she thought "the prince of love." So, that's the summary of the poem's events. As for its meaning, we can take the poem in a couple of directions: The prince can be taken as a literal character who seduces and exploits a naïve girl. Alternatively, the prince of love could be a symbol of the god of love, Cupid. Since a mythological reference to Phoebus (Apollo, god of the sun) is written in the poem, such a conclusion would not be a drastic leap. The poem could then signify the betrayal of love itself, as opposed to the betrayal of one person by another. Ultimately, Blake's sweet-sounding but sinister poem speaks to the theme that "all that glitters is not gold"; that which may appear tempting and sweet on its surface may hide an evil intent. Blake even embodies this theme in the style of "How Sweet I Roam'd," via its sing-song cadence and abab cdcd rhyme scheme--a style that lies in sharp juxtaposition with the poem's unsettling sequence of events. "How Sweet I Roam's from Field to Field" therefore speaks to any situation in which one has been drawn in and exploited by that which once appeared too good to be true.

The Blossom- Nature

The poem is about two birds and their different experiences of life. The Sparrow is very happy in its surroundings and in its life, but the robin is distraught. Key Theme One: Theme of sensual freedom "A happy Blossom sees you swift as arrow" The sparrow is naturally beautiful, just like sex is supposed to be, where as this contrasts to the robin which is similarly natural but tainted with red, a colour often used to describe pain, 'near my bosom'. It is not clear why it is 'near my bosom', but we can speculate that Blake is seeking closeness to nature and identifies with the birds and their respective characteristics. Near my 'bosom' also appears at the end of the second stanza, an example of anaphora. The sparrow is free and can fly in the air and escape to freedom, but also seek its mate and offspring in the 'cradle narrow'. The sparrow seems to have free agency in contrast to the robin which appears in the second stanza. Blake paints an idealised picture of the sparrow and its home in the blossom bedecked tree. The blossom is personified, but is it truly 'happy', when it is inanimate? The use of "green" is significant, as the colour is typically associated with nature and the natural world, but there are also connotations of harmony and safety. With this, Blake displays the beauty of nature and what the natural world has to offer, a feat that the Romantic movement often addressed amidst the Industrial Revolution, which posed a mighty threat to this particularly beauty.

A Cradle Song- Pain and Hardness

The poem is clearly an idealised picture. Maternal death in childbirth was common and babies in poor households were often stunted and frail, with high death rate. Blake chose to depict the ideal as a contrast to reality. The first note of caution emerges in the fourth line with the shift in focus, with the reference to 'mother weep'. We might hope that she sheds tears of happiness, but Blake can't keep this ideal world totally ideal; the mother might be fearing for the baby's future in the real world. Brings back the harsh reality of the future pain and struggles The 'Heavenly face' is a continuation of the 'Holy image' in the previous stanza. The link between the baby and the infant Jesus is strong, a manifestation of Blake's belief that human babies had a spiritual existence with God before birth. Note that the last line of the preceding stanza is repeated at the beginning of the next, an example of anadiplosis. This device is repeated in the following stanza.

The Little Black Boy- Love and the afterlife

The poem presents a vision of the Christian afterlife, and argues that people's identities on Earth are only temporary. Here an idealized vision of the afterlife explains and informs the meaning of earthly existence—that to be alive is, in effect, to be passing through the earthly world, and that people will be reunited with a fundamentally loving and kind God. Line 2 then begins to develop its antithesis between blackness and whiteness. The boy is aware of his skin color, but professes that his "soul"—that is, who he is on the inside—is "white." The poem is trying to relate the well-established religious symbolism of light and dark (good and evil) with the skin color. By stating that his "soul is white" the speaker argues that his soul is faithful and pure, regardless of what he looks like. The exclamation mark after "O!" creates a pause, or caesura, in the line that marks the strength of the speaker's feeling. Line 4 uses heavy /b/ alliteration through "but," "black," and "bereav'd," defining the line with one particular attribute in a way that echoes how the boy is defined by his skin. "Bereav'd" is an important word choice because it suggests a sense of loss and sorrow. Though the reader learns little of the speaker's circumstances, his perception of inferiority—or of the potential to be judged as inferior—could be based on his experiences of the world thus far (the Atlantic slave trade, for example, was in full swing). With this in mind, then, the "learn[ing]" of earthly experience could also be a question of learning how to love and be loved. In turn, the speaker wishes to show the same kind of care and affection for the "little English boy," picturing the two of them as God's "lambs" set free from the limitations of earthly identity.

The Lamb-Nature

The poem presents an idyllic pastoral scene, painting a vivid picture of the lamb frolicking in its countryside environment. The poem seeks to highlight the beauty of nature, seen in "the stream and o'er the mead". These are places where nature is allowed to grow, and they in turn give the lamb a beautiful and free environment to live in. That's why the lamb's coat isn't just "clothing," but "clothing of delight." Nature allows the lamb to be fully itself, without restriction. That idea is also behind the connotations of the lamb's coat of "brightness"—this is a positive environment without any of the misery of the city. Blake calls on his readers to value the relationship between humanity and nature. It asks its readers to nourish and nurture that relationship in the same way that the unspoiled natural environment allows the lamb to live happily.

The Divine Image (Innocence)-God

The poem's speaker says that humanity was made in God's own image, but that doesn't mean that the human shape physically resembles God. It means that people embody God's powerful goodness: his "Mercy, Pity, Peace, and Love" are expressed on earth through people. And this connection between humanity and God, the speaker insists, also connects human beings to each other: every person expresses the goodness of God, and every living person is thus holy. All people, whatever their background, are thus united by their shared divinity. This poem, uses only five short quatrains and a simple ABCB rhyme scheme. The effect is rather like a nursery rhyme or a hymn. Part of Blake's point in using such a simple form is to suggest that truths like the ones this poem expresses are all part of a natural human wisdom—an instinctive religiosity that people lose as they grow up, and must work to regain. "Then every man, of every clime, Love, Mercy, Pity, Peace." "every clime" everyone is part of God. Alludes to Matthew 21-46 "Love, Mercy, Pity, Peace" is repeated; another example of anaphora. The order in which they are stated has been altered to fit the rhyme, but maybe also to imply that they are interchangeable, one quality deriving from another. 'In heathen, Turk, or Jew' suggests that all humans are associated with salvation and goodness, including those not normally included in Blake's time; heathens, Turks (i.e. Muslims), and Jews are as capable as Christians of divine qualities, in that they possess human form. So the qualities of peace, love etc transcend conventional Christianity. "Blake was always poor in world's wealth, always rich in spiritual wealth"- James Thomson This is highly original and radical, given that the Protestant Church of the time taught Original Sin and the essential sinfulness of man. It is a measure of how far Blake wished to elevate humans and counter the harshness of Christian teaching of the day.

Songs of Innocence introduction- Pastoral

The poems present in this collection expresses a naïve, childlike view of salvation, as most of the poems are addressed to children. This poem titled 'Introduction' sets the tone for the entire sequence. The speaker is "piping down the valleys" before seeing the child on the cloud. There begins the conversation that the poet describes in the poem. The poet using the "reed as a pen" denotes the rustic setting. The theme and the setting evoke an ideal, idyllic world of innocence and simplicity, before the industrial revolution which is considered by many as a Fall of humankind. The 'child' on the cloud symbolizes the angels of God. William Blake uses lamb as a symbol of purity. The title Songs of Innocence is exemplified by the use of Lamb, particularly a representation of Jesus Christ. Lambs are considered docile, innocent and appear frequently in the bible. This section is rhythmic, the repetition suggesting, appropriately, a nursery rhyme. The poet/shepherd is happy to respond to the child's demand, He seems to understand the nature of small children, who like songs or rhyme to be repeated. In this ideal world the piper has time to do this. Moreover, it reaches into the adult world where repetition provides the opportunity to think about deeper meanings. Note the dash which forms a caesura after the third line of stanza two, as if the piper and child are moving together onto a higher spiritual level that is the essence of joy. Shows that this poem still has the neoclassical structure to it (heroic couplets, alliteration, classic references [biblical].) but is romantic in the sense that the goal of songs of innocence (and experience) was to offer the notion that innocence lies in a childlike state full of love, faith, trust, hope, etc., satisfaction/contentment, etc.

To Autumn- abundance

The sheer amount of variation in the poem makes it feel dynamic and unpredictable. The tension between the iambic pentameter—or the suggestion of iambic pentameter—and the surprising shifts makes the poem feel exuberant, "lusty" as Autumn itself. In Blake's mythology Los represents the imagination, and corresponds to the loving and forgiving Christ of the New Testament. (As opposed to Urizen who, according to Blake, is the vengeful and repressive God of the Old Testament). -Los often appears as a blacksmith with the tools of his trade. Blake sees Los crafting objects from molten metal, as he himself forged his visions and inspirations into poetry and art. Once "jolly Autumn" has sung his celebratory song, he gets up, puts his coat back on, and runs off, leaving his "golden load" behind and fleeing over hills that suddenly seem "bleak." His departure thus hints at the inevitability of winter. Perhaps, then, the poem has a subtle but familiar message coursing through its lines—that life is short. Nature's power provides beauty and bounty, which soon enough turn to bitter cold and scarcity. But that's what makes the speaker—and the poem—cherish Autumn so deeply: its arrival, in a way, heralds its own ending. Nature is thus tinged with the electric excitement of growth and change, never static—and this is what makes it all seem so impossibly majestic and beautiful.

Songs of Introduction- Sadness

The shift from singing to writing signifies wider distribution and accessibility. After Gutenberg's printing press was invented, printed works were no longer exclusively available to the wealthy upper class. Blake illuminated and printed his own works. It is also worth noting the trochaic metre that forms the structure of this poem, with stressed followed by unstressed syllables. Significantly, when Blake refers to the first person singular 'I', himself, the syllable is unstressed. By contrast, when the child says "in a book that all may read", the word "all" is stressed, for emphasis. This shows that the pleasure of many matters more than that of one person. The printed book is crucially important in disseminating wonderful ideas to a wider population. the final lines express a sense of urgency, as if Blake is inspired and driven to write and illustrate his ideas about life's potential for innocence and purity. Note that Blake had hallucinations, it is believed due to opiates he ingested, and maybe this reinforced his inspiration. Note that four of the lines begin 'And I ...' followed by a verb. These are like a refrain, a device known as anaphora. They are also syntactic parallels, with the words in identical order — conjunction, subject, verb and object. The repetition of 'And' forms a syndetic list, building up a sense of excitement. The effect is powerful and hypnotic, drawing the reader in to what will be a great poetic achievement. Blake was skilled in the use of such devices. Finally, the reference to the 'hollow reed' and 'rural pen' is significant, suggesting a pastoral context, an archaic affinity to the natural world that brings the bucolic joy described in Songs of Innocence. Also 'stain'd the water clear is an oxymoron; the water must be stained or clouded with ink to allow Blake to write down his clear, perceptive insights. On the other hand, writing down the poet's vision is seen by some critics as an act of destroying the purity as the poet corrupting the purity of vision/imagination by the act of writing.

A Cradle Song- simplicity and joy

The song is essentially a lullaby in praise of the mother-child bond. Children were viewed by Blake as innocent and vulnerable, and the role of the parent was to protect and nurture, a theme of Romantic poetry. Blake, along with Wordsworth, another Romantic poet, also believed that children had an existence in heaven before birth, and were therefore closely linked to God and Jesus. There is a regular AABB rhyme scheme, most of which are perfect, apart from the first couplet where 'shade' and 'head' are consonantly rhymed. The overall effect is a gentle, rocking lullaby rhythm. The pattern of repetition and long vowels continues, building the hypnotic lullaby effect. The 'dovelike sighs' is significant because the dove is a symbol of innocence and peace. Also, the 'down' — the softest feathers on a bird' is picked up again from the reference to 'down' in stanza two. "Holy image I can trace" This is a clear reference to baby Jesus — 'thy maker' —- and the tears he wept a Divine reflection of the tears of all babies. Hence the 'Holy image' that the mother detects the face of her own baby. She recognises God in her child The final stanza pulls together the threads that precede it; smiles; Jesus and his Divine protection, peace and the 'beguiling' nature of the baby who has such a hypnotic hold on its mother. The dominant image is of mother and child as an expression of the perfection of Mary and Jesus. The semantic field of religious imagery angels, 'holy image' and 'heavenly face' reinforces this.

To Spring

The speaker asserts that spring is dawn, the new beginning, and during this season, there is an overall hope that primal unity and innocence will withhold the tyrannical influence of experience. Enitharmon is an important female character in Blake's mythology, playing a main part in some of his prophetic books. She is the Emanation of Los, and with Los gives birth to various children, including Orc. Although symbolising spiritual beauty and poetic inspiration (some critics have argued that Blake's wife Catherine was the inspiration for the character) she is also used by Blake to represent female domination and sexual restraints that limit the artistic imagination. The dew of an early spring or summer morning is joined with a males hair. His angel eyes, paints 'him' as some sort of higher being, and personifies spring as an angel or even a goddess. The earth is represented as a female, maturing to an age of sexual willingness. The speaker is asking for the male angel spring to come down to earth and prepare to sow the seed of a new cycle. the speaker is inviting his spring angel to "scatter thy pearls / upon our lovesick land" hoping to inspire a new commitment to emotion across England ("our western isle") rather than everything being done for reason or sense. After winter's tough temperament of scorn, spring is a season that offers the land a fresh new rising to do away with what has been learned and experience nature with fresh, innocent eyes. -No Rhyme Scheme -Iambic pentameter -4 Stanzas- represents the four seasons

To Autumn- Spiritual and lust

The speaker invites Autumn, personified as a male figure, to sit "beneath my shady roof" and tell the story of his creation ("Sing now the lusty song of fruits and flowers"). Autumn, in this poem, is a time of celebration and harvest, and the speaker delights in its sensual beauty. The speaker acknowledges that Autumn is ultimately a season of transformation—one that follows the growth of summer and leads to the death of winter—but finds joy in its fleeting abundance nonetheless. The first three lines use apostrophe, a direct address: the speaker stops Autumn in his tracks and asks the season to "sit" for a while. It's as though the speaker admires Autumn and wants to be in his company, imploring him to "pass not." the sound patterning in lines 1-3 creates a sonic feast: these lines overflow with harmonious sounds. The caesurae contribute to this effect, making the lines feel like they might spill out of the poem's form—its container—and thus evoking both abundance and indulgence. The metaphor of the "blood of the grape" refers to wine, setting an earthy, bodily (and perhaps Eucharistic) tone that will run all through the poem. The idea that this wine will "stain" also suggests spilled cups and drunken revelry. To this speaker, there's something both spiritual and lusty about Autumn.

The Crystal Cabinet- deceit

There is no other dimension that is capable of allowing one to escape reality forever, as the persona is born into a world 'fill'd with woes the passing wind'. "The altered consciousness takes possession of the mind and begins to reveal the unknown"-Critic In conclusion, this crystal cabinet symbolizes a unique opportunity to unfold meaning and explore further into those minds of the nineteenth century. Using the metaphorical visionary/images to help set a stage for a greater understanding of the environment, situation and journey for which is also a realization of the philosophy of William Blake. This poem is independent, yet linked through the narrative, using colour scheme and the re-use of objects and words from other narrative elements, these different realms of world's and spaces produces a unique, harmonic, and fearful resonance to viewers. It is when the four-fold vision is sought as the Crystal Cabinet breaks, in the seventh and final stanza, summing up everything the poem means and has stood for, is returned back to the original place and location for which they had entered, in the town squares of London. Here, the readers experience has thus triggered a new perception of London, as this perception is the perception seen through the eyes of William Blake himself.

The Chimney Sweeper (Innocence)- Religion and obedience

This dream seems to suggest that if the boys are obedient workers, they'll get into heaven. "thousands of sweepers, Dick, Joe, Ned and Jack, were all of them locked up in coffins of black" Coffins of black= metaphor for the chimneys- Idea of being a sweeper, already set up for death. Apocalyptic vision of sweepers "heaven" "locked" sense of entrapment to this predetermined fate. "then naked and white, all their bags left behind, they rise upon clouds and sport in the wind""naked and white" draws parallels to a cherub, angel imagery "bags left behind" emotional baggage from living "rise upon clouds" ascension to be with God "and the angel told tom if he'd be a good boy he'd have God for his father and never want joy"There is almost an ominous warning here from the Angel. rest of poem is a simple melodic AABB rhyme scheme, Blake allows the last stanza to have no perfect scheme. The sudden lack of rhyme is an abrupt return to the harsh realities away from the innocent fantasy that Tom hopes for. Through the dissonance of "warm" and "harm", Blake interrupts the innocence and fantasy-like quality of the poem to bring attention to the message. Lack of rhyme reflects common theme in life that appearance doesn't equal reality and creates a huge disconnect from the rest of the poem. The comfort of God makes them want to work.- manipulation of religion. Last stanza- the readers become uncomfortable. The optimistic outlook although comforting and real to Tom is revealed to be unrealistic on earth. Blake does comprehend the grim conditions and is appealing for social change.

To Winter

Urizen is the God of the Old Testament who, in alliance with kings and priests, creates 'nets of religion'. With these nets (on which he is resting his elbows in this picture), he keeps the people down. He uses them to restrain their yearning for freedom and justice and to suppress their sexual desire. Urizen is therefore in conflict with Orc, the revolutionary spirit. The end result of all this lust and abandonment. Winter is clearly Blake's Urizen—the embodiment of convention and law, maturity and experience, and the antithesis to summer. Despite the speaker's pleas in the opening stanza, winter, the father/priest/King/tyrant "direful monster" "hears [him] not." In this season all the passion of the sun is gone and the tyrant king "freezes up frail life." Finally, notice how the oppressive ruler rapes the land unlike (stanza three) the joyful union in summer. This time, the consummation of female nature is expressed with brutality and frustration rather than ecstasy. In the end, winter sits in Mount Hecla (in Iceland), ignoring the "mariner's vein cries" for help. The poet is aware that while unable to navigate a frozen and dead world, there will be no relief until the monster is defeated. In the 16th century Caspar Peucer wrote that the Gates of Hell could be found in "the bottomless abyss of Hekla Fell". The belief that Hekla was the gate to Hell persisted until the 1800s. Winter is the dark, cold, desolate time of the year, associated with death. Below the frozen wasteland is the fiery pit, pressing against the unbreakable doors, until the moment when it can burst through with explosive power, raining down fire and brimstone. But in the end, the beast is driven back down into the caves of sulfur, where is will wait until the next time it can break through the adamantine doors.

From Proverbs of Hell- social ideals

William Blake's "Proverbs of Hell" aims to demonstrate the importance of questioning accepted social ideals, as it is the only manner by which new knowledge can be produced. The aphorism "Drive your cart and your plow over the bones of the dead." The tools in the quote represent scepticism and questioning while the "bones of the dead" are the fixed ideologies that have governed societies for years. The usage of "your," puts the power in the readers' hands and reveals they have the tools necessary to deconstruct stagnant views. In critically looking at the elements of the ideologies in question, their contradictions are revealed and one gains a holistic knowledge that acknowledges the varying sides. Despite the new perspectives that sprout from this dismantling, they do not intend to invalidate the existence of the old views, rather they are one and the same. The ideologies of generations past have been a form of understanding the world. There must exist a principle to question and take apart in order to create a new outlook. However, as people challenge the efficacy of these beliefs and look at them through different angles, new truths are revealed. The "bones of the dead" once held up and gave structure to a society. Now they serve as the foundation or soil, which has been exhausted by fixed ideologies whose narrow truths prevent new revelations, for the cart to roll over and the plow to till. Just as questioning ravages accepted beliefs, the plow will desecrate and turn over the bones and earth to make the soil fertile for the seed of new ideas to be sown and grown. These ideas come from considering what has already been socially established as true and adding to or disputing them. Therefore, the pre-established beliefs represented by the bones, never really disappear nor are they replaced by the newfound interpretation but are simply modified. Both are part of the same of learning and obtaining wisdom. They are the knowing and the discovering, both of which are not definite and will continue to be modified as people challenge them. Thus, Blake's proverb tells us no view, whether ancient or new, is inaccurate but neither is a single one the absolute truth. Instead, individual perspectives are only parts of the greater truth. Wisdom is acknowledging the many and emerging contradictions, allowing for knowledge to grow instead of being confined.