Main Ideas from the Works of William Blake spirit” that religious domination and social conventions had been imposed on them. His strong feelings of outrage at the complacency of the individual, as well as his insults against the authority of institutions like the monarchy and the Church, constitute some of Blake's most interesting and compelling poetry. However, although satire forms an important element in many of Blake's poems, it is by no means the full extent of his commentary on society and human nature - although he does use irony where appropriate, the Songs are not primarily a satire but an expression of "two contrary states of the human soul." Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on 'Why violent video games should not be banned'? Get an original essay In Songs of Innocence in particular, Blake's use of satire is subtle - he states in his introduction that he wrote his "joyful songs, Every child only joy to hear" and in this context, an overtly satirical approach would have been inappropriate. Nevertheless, Blake attempts to tackle the racial injustices of the 18th century in "The Little Black Boy" through satire At the time of writing, slavery still had 20 years left before it was finally outlawed, and so Blake's abolitionist position would have been very much in the minority. verse, in which the black boy himself laments the color of his skin, saying: "White as an angel is the English child but I am black as deprived of light" These two lines very effectively highlight the. how black people were perceived in the 18th century; Blake's use of language in "Mourning for Light" suggests that black people were godless, in comparison to the white child, who is angelic simply because he is of English descent, and therefore Christian. Although we as modern audiences would immediately consider this assumption ironic, in the 18th century poems extolling exactly this view were numerous, and a contemporary audience might well have simply accepted this boy's reaction to his own skin color as normal and acceptable. , which makes the conclusion of the poem, in which these hypotheses are firmly rejected, even more striking. Blake's criticism of racial prejudice becomes more evident when the figure of the mother, clearly depicted in a positive way as she 'took [the boy] on her knees and kissed [him]' corrects his son. She demonstrates not only knowledge, but also a proper respect and appreciation of God, and her explanation of "these black bodies" as being "a cloud" that protects us until "our souls have learned to bear the heat” makes an ironic contrast with their description in the first stanza. Additionally, their description as a "shady grove" implies that they are more able to withstand the warmth of God's love than their white English counterparts. When attention returns to the little black boy in the final verse, Blake's satire returns to the fore, with the image of the black boy intent on "rising up and stroking [the English boy's] silver hair", demonstrating 'true Christian compassion and paralleling Christ in his position by God. There is certainly an unmistakable irony in the fact that it is now the black boy who has the ability to give freedom, of a more powerful and spiritual kind, to the white child, and astriking contrast with the situation at the time. However, there may also be another hint of irony in the last verse. The last line, where the black boy says, "I will be like him, and then he will love me," ends almost sadly - although there is hope, there is also the implication that in this moment, the white boy doesn't like. him, and we are led to wonder if this innocent hypothesis is not too simplistic, and perhaps simply naivety on the part of the little black boy. This would fit well with [the guy in the band] who described many of Innocence's songs as "an oblique commentary on a world that is terrible in its imperfections and its cruelty", and this poignant suggestion that the boy's innocence can be misguided and exploited by the world of experience, points out. Innocence is another example of Blake giving voice to those who were persecuted in 18th century society. At first glance, this poem seems to encourage children to accept their lot in life - "little Tom Dacre" agrees to have his "head bent like a lamb's back" shaved and, as a result, was released this that night by an “angel”. , telling him "if he were a good boy, he would have God for his father and would never want joy." This message, that "if all do their duty, they need not fear harm" does not seem out of place in a children's poem, as this anthology claimed - the most popular children's poetry books Most popular at that time were indeed those with such religious connotations. However, if we are to read this poem solely from this perspective, it would seem surprising that Blake would encourage a view that was so synonymous with the teachings of the Church. So it seems likely that there are in fact ironic overtones in this poem. The reference to the lamb clearly refers to the symbol of Christ, which is used throughout the Songs, and the image of the shaved lamb suggests a sacrifice - Blake is perhaps here pointing out that these boys, like Christ , are persecuted despite their goodness. and innocence. Tom's dream, while seemingly beautiful, also places constraints on the boys - the angel's voice is condescending, telling Tom to "be a good boy" and accept his duty, and we are reminded of the figure of Urizen from Blake's mythology - the "selfish father of men" who binds humans to "duty" and imposes rules and restrictions on them. The effect of all this is to make us reflect on the meaning of accepting this philosophy; the idea that "if all do their duty, they need fear no harm" seems naive, and the description of Tom as "happy and warm" provides an ironic contrast to the "darkness" and "cold » in the morning; which suggests that he is completely oblivious to the reality of his situation. Here, Blake uses satire to criticize the idea of "disorganized innocence", thereby drawing our attention to the problems of ignoring the world of experience rather than working between two opposites. The Church's attitudes toward poverty are also addressed in the Songs of Innocence. version of Maundy Thursday. The basis of the title was the annual service at which children from London's charity schools thanked their benefactors. Once again, Blake presents us with a poem that can be seen as either a simple innocent perspective or an ironic attack on the religious establishment. Much of his language is deliberately ambiguous – the children are described as "multitudes of lambs", which emphasizes both their innocence and the implication that they are being sacrificed by the "grey-headed beadles". Likewise, the last line: "Then have mercy, lest you cast an angel from your door" can be readin two ways; we do not know whether these angels are the beadles, in which case the poem is a warning to children to be grateful for the charity shown to them, or whether the angels are the children themselves - in fact, it is their song that 'they ascend to Heaven.' If this were the case, then the poem's tone is deeply satirical: it implies that "old men", whom he has placed "below" children, perhaps not only physically but also morally, should " cherish pity” and be grateful to them. have the opportunity to help children, and perhaps they are unaware of the “radiation” of children. The description of the beadles as “wise guardians of the poor” also seems bitterly ironic; Blake was strongly opposed to the regimentation of children, and the rows of "children marching two by two in red, blue, and green" show both their oppression and their loss of individuality. Blake's use of satire in this poem is particularly effective; it is not an explicitly satirical attack on the church, but a simple poem with a lilting rhythm and vivid imagery, which makes the overall effect much more poignant - the ambiguity challenges the perception that 'religion tells the reader in a way that a flood of ironic commentary does not, and this is what makes the poem particularly striking. Blake continues to question the Church's attitude toward children in The Little Wanderer. The child speaking is described as a "wanderer" for his blasphemous opinions, but as we read the poem we get the distinct impression that there is a good deal of truth in his honest and innocently expressed ideas. There is great irony in the fact that the child feels that it is the tavern that is "healthy, pleasant and warm", and gives him "a pleasant fire to feast our souls", when it is clearly the effect that religion should have. . Likewise, his description of the "modest Lady Lurch", who would seem to be a model of Christian virtue because she "is always in church", is deeply satirical, as she and her "bandit children" feel no only suffering, highlighting the hypocrisy Blake saw in the teachings of the Church. The satire reaches its climax in the last verse, which is also the most controversial. Blake expresses the opinion that, if the Church were more like a tavern, God would be "like a father rejoicing to see his children as pleasant and happy as he is", which contrasts sharply with the Church's own condemnation of taverns. Church as places of sin. The final image, of God having "no more quarrel with the Devil" and being reconciled with him, is in direct opposition to the teachings of the Church, in that God and the Devil are seen as polar opposites , impossible to reconcile. and yet the "wanderer's" idea that God will "embrace [the devil] and give him both drink and raiment" is clearly adopted from Christian teaching and is more than a little reminiscent of the prodigal son. In this way, Blake successfully uses satire to contrast the teachings of the Church with those of Jesus, clearly highlighting his own views on the hypocrisy and incongruity of religion in the 18th century. Blake also satirizes the state of human relationships in his society. My Pretty Rose Tree attempts to challenge conventional (and again religious) attitudes towards marriage, and particularly commitment. The poem describes how "a flower such as May never wore" was given to the narrator, symbolizing the temptation of another woman, and the language clearly suggests that she was young, beautiful, and that it was of an opportunity that might never come again

Essay / Main Ideas from the Works of William Blake spirit” that religious domination and social conventions had been imposed on them. His strong feelings of outrage at the complacency of the individual, as well as his insults against the authority of institutions like the monarchy and the Church, constitute some of Blake's most interesting and compelling poetry. However, although satire forms an important element in many of Blake's poems, it is by no means the full extent of his commentary on society and human nature - although he does use irony where appropriate, the Songs are not primarily a satire but an expression of "two contrary states of the human soul." Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on 'Why violent video games should not be banned'? Get an original essay In Songs of Innocence in particular, Blake's use of satire is subtle - he states in his introduction that he wrote his "joyful songs, Every child only joy to hear" and in this context, an overtly satirical approach would have been inappropriate. Nevertheless, Blake attempts to tackle the racial injustices of the 18th century in "The Little Black Boy" through satire At the time of writing, slavery still had 20 years left before it was finally outlawed, and so Blake's abolitionist position would have been very much in the minority. verse, in which the black boy himself laments the color of his skin, saying: "White as an angel is the English child but I am black as deprived of light" These two lines very effectively highlight the. how black people were perceived in the 18th century; Blake's use of language in "Mourning for Light" suggests that black people were godless, in comparison to the white child, who is angelic simply because he is of English descent, and therefore Christian. Although we as modern audiences would immediately consider this assumption ironic, in the 18th century poems extolling exactly this view were numerous, and a contemporary audience might well have simply accepted this boy's reaction to his own skin color as normal and acceptable. , which makes the conclusion of the poem, in which these hypotheses are firmly rejected, even more striking. Blake's criticism of racial prejudice becomes more evident when the figure of the mother, clearly depicted in a positive way as she 'took [the boy] on her knees and kissed [him]' corrects his son. She demonstrates not only knowledge, but also a proper respect and appreciation of God, and her explanation of "these black bodies" as being "a cloud" that protects us until "our souls have learned to bear the heat” makes an ironic contrast with their description in the first stanza. Additionally, their description as a "shady grove" implies that they are more able to withstand the warmth of God's love than their white English counterparts. When attention returns to the little black boy in the final verse, Blake's satire returns to the fore, with the image of the black boy intent on "rising up and stroking [the English boy's] silver hair", demonstrating 'true Christian compassion and paralleling Christ in his position by God. There is certainly an unmistakable irony in the fact that it is now the black boy who has the ability to give freedom, of a more powerful and spiritual kind, to the white child, and astriking contrast with the situation at the time. However, there may also be another hint of irony in the last verse. The last line, where the black boy says, "I will be like him, and then he will love me," ends almost sadly - although there is hope, there is also the implication that in this moment, the white boy doesn't like. him, and we are led to wonder if this innocent hypothesis is not too simplistic, and perhaps simply naivety on the part of the little black boy. This would fit well with [the guy in the band] who described many of Innocence's songs as "an oblique commentary on a world that is terrible in its imperfections and its cruelty", and this poignant suggestion that the boy's innocence can be misguided and exploited by the world of experience, points out. Innocence is another example of Blake giving voice to those who were persecuted in 18th century society. At first glance, this poem seems to encourage children to accept their lot in life - "little Tom Dacre" agrees to have his "head bent like a lamb's back" shaved and, as a result, was released this that night by an “angel”. , telling him "if he were a good boy, he would have God for his father and would never want joy." This message, that "if all do their duty, they need not fear harm" does not seem out of place in a children's poem, as this anthology claimed - the most popular children's poetry books Most popular at that time were indeed those with such religious connotations. However, if we are to read this poem solely from this perspective, it would seem surprising that Blake would encourage a view that was so synonymous with the teachings of the Church. So it seems likely that there are in fact ironic overtones in this poem. The reference to the lamb clearly refers to the symbol of Christ, which is used throughout the Songs, and the image of the shaved lamb suggests a sacrifice - Blake is perhaps here pointing out that these boys, like Christ , are persecuted despite their goodness. and innocence. Tom's dream, while seemingly beautiful, also places constraints on the boys - the angel's voice is condescending, telling Tom to "be a good boy" and accept his duty, and we are reminded of the figure of Urizen from Blake's mythology - the "selfish father of men" who binds humans to "duty" and imposes rules and restrictions on them. The effect of all this is to make us reflect on the meaning of accepting this philosophy; the idea that "if all do their duty, they need fear no harm" seems naive, and the description of Tom as "happy and warm" provides an ironic contrast to the "darkness" and "cold » in the morning; which suggests that he is completely oblivious to the reality of his situation. Here, Blake uses satire to criticize the idea of "disorganized innocence", thereby drawing our attention to the problems of ignoring the world of experience rather than working between two opposites. The Church's attitudes toward poverty are also addressed in the Songs of Innocence. version of Maundy Thursday. The basis of the title was the annual service at which children from London's charity schools thanked their benefactors. Once again, Blake presents us with a poem that can be seen as either a simple innocent perspective or an ironic attack on the religious establishment. Much of his language is deliberately ambiguous – the children are described as "multitudes of lambs", which emphasizes both their innocence and the implication that they are being sacrificed by the "grey-headed beadles". Likewise, the last line: "Then have mercy, lest you cast an angel from your door" can be readin two ways; we do not know whether these angels are the beadles, in which case the poem is a warning to children to be grateful for the charity shown to them, or whether the angels are the children themselves - in fact, it is their song that 'they ascend to Heaven.' If this were the case, then the poem's tone is deeply satirical: it implies that "old men", whom he has placed "below" children, perhaps not only physically but also morally, should " cherish pity” and be grateful to them. have the opportunity to help children, and perhaps they are unaware of the “radiation” of children. The description of the beadles as “wise guardians of the poor” also seems bitterly ironic; Blake was strongly opposed to the regimentation of children, and the rows of "children marching two by two in red, blue, and green" show both their oppression and their loss of individuality. Blake's use of satire in this poem is particularly effective; it is not an explicitly satirical attack on the church, but a simple poem with a lilting rhythm and vivid imagery, which makes the overall effect much more poignant - the ambiguity challenges the perception that 'religion tells the reader in a way that a flood of ironic commentary does not, and this is what makes the poem particularly striking. Blake continues to question the Church's attitude toward children in The Little Wanderer. The child speaking is described as a "wanderer" for his blasphemous opinions, but as we read the poem we get the distinct impression that there is a good deal of truth in his honest and innocently expressed ideas. There is great irony in the fact that the child feels that it is the tavern that is "healthy, pleasant and warm", and gives him "a pleasant fire to feast our souls", when it is clearly the effect that religion should have. . Likewise, his description of the "modest Lady Lurch", who would seem to be a model of Christian virtue because she "is always in church", is deeply satirical, as she and her "bandit children" feel no only suffering, highlighting the hypocrisy Blake saw in the teachings of the Church. The satire reaches its climax in the last verse, which is also the most controversial. Blake expresses the opinion that, if the Church were more like a tavern, God would be "like a father rejoicing to see his children as pleasant and happy as he is", which contrasts sharply with the Church's own condemnation of taverns. Church as places of sin. The final image, of God having "no more quarrel with the Devil" and being reconciled with him, is in direct opposition to the teachings of the Church, in that God and the Devil are seen as polar opposites , impossible to reconcile. and yet the "wanderer's" idea that God will "embrace [the devil] and give him both drink and raiment" is clearly adopted from Christian teaching and is more than a little reminiscent of the prodigal son. In this way, Blake successfully uses satire to contrast the teachings of the Church with those of Jesus, clearly highlighting his own views on the hypocrisy and incongruity of religion in the 18th century. Blake also satirizes the state of human relationships in his society. My Pretty Rose Tree attempts to challenge conventional (and again religious) attitudes towards marriage, and particularly commitment. The poem describes how "a flower such as May never wore" was given to the narrator, symbolizing the temptation of another woman, and the language clearly suggests that she was young, beautiful, and that it was of an opportunity that might never come again - the reference to.

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