1
Q
When was Blake alive (years)?
A
1757 - 1827
2
Q
Describe Blake’s early childhood
A
- didn’t attend school
o was allowed to wander around the city and the surrounding countryside - had religious visions (later used in illustrations)
o his parents didn’t believe him, and discouraged him talking about them - at 10, started in James Pars’ art school
- 14, apprenticeship with master engraver
3
Q
Where did Blake move in 1790, then in 1800?
A
- 1790, moved from London to Lambeth (then a rural area)
o in 1794, first published the combined ‘Songs of Innocence and of Experience Shewing the Two Contrary States of the Human Soul’ - 1800, moved back into London
4
Q
What were Thomas Malthus’ theories about population growth?
A
- society has a propensity for using abundance to grow population, not maintain high living standards
- populations tend to grow until the lower class suffered hardship, want, and greater susceptibility to war, famine, and disease
note: Malthus’ ‘An Essay on the Principle of Population’ wasn’t published until 1798, 4 years after London and other poems from Blake’s ‘Songs of Innocence and of Experience Shewing…’, but Blake later supported him in debates with Ricardo in the 1820s on the political economy, so likely he may have agreed with Malthus’ arguments anyway (use as a LENS not direct context)
5
Q
How did William Blake see himself + why?
A
- rejected prophet
- parents not believing his visions
- reliance on patrons who disliked his interpretations of their wishes (pushed him into numerous financial problems)
6
Q
Why is Blake commonly seen as the first English Romantic poet?
A
- his insistence on the power
- opposition to rationalism
7
Q
What was Blake’s attitude towards John Locke?
A
- said was an “agent of the devil”
- Locke’s emphasis on rationality being the centre of human life = distortion of humanity
o instead said imagination central, bc allows to perceive, relate to and express divine reality
o can only understand + perceive (natural world) through imagination bc God = creative imagination responsible for the world - people can’t understand anything fundamental about the natural world by observing, measuring or analysing it
8
Q
Describe Blake’s reactions to the scientific method embodied in Newton’s works and also Deism (William Paley)
A
- despised scientific method as produced a model of the world as a mechanism to be measured, analysed and regulated
- rejected Deism
o gave a very mechanical view of the world, which implied that rules/law governs the world, so ppl could be fulfilled by following them even though they’re man-made and “imprison” the human spirit
o the Deist arguments (eg. Paley) leaned towards rationalism
o said rendered the world dead and devoid of the active presence of creative divine power (imagination)
9
Q
Who is supposedly the speaker in ‘Songs of Experience’ and what is the effect?
A
- Blake’s ‘Bard’
o in the ‘Introduction to the Songs of Experience’, Blake writes “Hear the voice of the Bard!/Who Present, Past and Future sees/Whose ears have heard,/The Holy Word,/That walk’d among the ancient trees.” - bards often tell tales that are prophetic in nature or have some vein of moral and spiritual truth in their songs -> Blake as a moral authority in the ‘Songs of Experience’
10
Q
Who is the speaker in Blake’s ‘Songs of Innocence’ and what is the effect?
A
- Blake’s ‘Piper’
o in the ‘Introduction to the Songs of Innocence’, a “Piper” narrates - last two lines = “And I wrote my happy songs/Every child may joy to hear”
o also says a child “laughing on a cloud” asked him to “Pipe a song about a Lamb;” - Pied Piper of Hamelin legend (dates back to Middle Ages in Germany); often used as a figure to represent a person who attracts a following through charisma or false promises -> nature of the innocence/naivety expressed in this collection?
11
Q
The Sick Rose
A
The Sick Rose
12
Q
What is significant about the structure of The Sick Rose?
A
- two quatrain stanzas
- ABCBDEFE rhyme scheme
[] consistency of the rhyme scheme with the A/C/D/F being unrhymed may imply the unrest and unsettling tone of the poem, as if something is inherently off - eg. the Church attempts to establish rules and regulations surrounding human love and sexual conduct, then present it as a natural way of being stemming from God with anything else as shameful, but this is inherently off and uncanny to our humanity (Blake as a strong proponent of free love and rejectionist of institutionalised religion)
[] this rhyme scheme is also typical of ballads (a ballad typically is of unknown authorship and narrates a simple story - is passed on from generation to generation)
[] the connotations of balladic verse fit almost perfectly into The Sick Rose, as its speaker is entirely unknown and gives an omniscient air or perhaps that of a messenger more than a character in the story itself, and the poem seems to warn future generations of the power of the Church in controlling what should be human nature in terms of love and the freedom of love/sex, or the negative power of humanity in destroying nature etc. - uses anapestic dimeter, albeit roughly (combination of anapests and iambs used, as well as other combinations of stressed syllables (eg. line 7 with 3 stressed syllables))
[] anapest = da-da-DUM (line 2 ‘truest’ line of anapestic dimeter)
[] iamb = da-DUM
[] the irregularity of the stresses again contributes to the overall unsettling feeling of the poem
[] the three stresses on line 7 also aid in emphasising the sheer destructive force of the “invisible worm” and creates an overwhelming sense of its presence despite its invisibility - comment on omnipresence of the restrictions of the Church in England on human nature and love, Industrial Revolution’s impact on nature, shame etc. - the only two lines with a definitive end to the sentence are the first and last lines (!, .), which end in the words “sick” and “destroy” respectively
[] ultimately, the result of the restrictions/destruction of the Church/humans (i.e, the “sickness”) is the ultimate sorrow of death and complete marring
13
Q
Why was The Sick Rose written?
A
- criticism of the Church’s stance on free love and sexual desire
- criticism of the restrictions surrounding free love and sex as a result of the Church and societal taboos as a whole (results in shame)
- criticism of the Industrial Revolution
- criticism of the destruction of innocence by society’s teaching methods etc. (John Locke and the Dissenters?)
- possibly in support of the French Revolution and British reformists (SCI, LCS) and thus in protest of their persecution by royalists etc. (rethink some annotations in line with this argument - worm shouldn’t be these)
14
Q
Describe rising tensions between reformists in Britain (SCI and LCS) and the Crown
A
- May 1792, the government issued a Royal Proclamation against “seditious writing”
- November/December of the same year, the ‘Association for the Protection of Liberty and Property against Republicans and Levellers’ was established
[] centred around the persecution and denunciation of reformists, as well as the circulation of royalist pamphlets and tracts - branches also organised other things like 300 burnings of Thomas Paine’s ‘The Rights of Man’ - 1794, leading members of both the SCI and LCS were arrested on suspicion of treason and executed
15
Q
“O rose, thou art sick!”
A
- “O” = lamentation that something so lovely could be corrupted (shown as well by the exclamation mark)
[] plays into Blake’s lamentations of free love being degraded and shamed by the Church despite love being a pure and lovely thing
[] love in Christianity viewed as one of the key things that separate humans from the rest of creation in terms of our relationship to God, so the fact that the Church condemns free love = problem
[] may also be a lamentation of the speaker arriving too late to deliver the prevention message and stop the rose from becoming sick (can be read like this in conjunction with being a support of British reformists after the French Revolution, and also being a criticism of the Industrial Revolution) - feeling of lament exacerbated by the open vowels in “O rose thou”
[] also gives a sense of the rose’s beauty and elegance, making its sickness even more devastating (contrast between the lovely open vowels and the harsh crack of “sick” which snaps them shut - “rose” = red, passion, love, flower (delicacy), rose black spot (have to conjecture as first named in like. 1830s), natural world generally
[] as well as being conducive to a reading of this in the light of the Industrial Revolution, also illustrates the shame/Church/love/sex reading
[] young women often described as flowers or “budding roses” particularly in regards to sexuality, so if sick (mayyybe with rose black spot) could signify a corruption of what should be their natural attitude towards and state of sexuality and love (free) according to Blake
[] roses are also used sometimes as symbols of new beginnings - reformists (the country and our ways of life as the rose)
[] roses and flowers also beautiful and innocent -> children’s innocence destroyed by society’s teachings and institutions thus attempting to control or destroy any traces of innate/pure human nature - “sick”
[] connotes corruption, else destruction from the inside out
[] from the Church reading, could signify the fact that one’s religion, thus one’s innermost feeling and connection to divinity and God is being twisted by an institution to control their innermost nature and deepest love according to societal wants - this is ultimately a sickness caused by society and the institutional hunger for power
[] from the Industrial Revolution reading, illustrates the ‘sickness’ of the natural world caused by humanity’s greed and hunger for power through controlling the natural world, as well as the IR’s role in damaging nature seemingly irreparably, else changing it fundamentally (copious amounts of smog in London, destruction of natural spaces to make room for more factories and the expansion of the city etc.)
[] from the revolutionary reading, could imply a breach in the safety of the Society for Constitutional Information (SCI) and London Corresponding Society (LCS) - both reformist groups spurred on by the FR - tensions between them and the Crown
[] shame
16
Q
“invisible worm”
A
- “invisible”
[] completely unseen and yet with the power for ultimate destruction - you don’t recognise it until it’s too late (similar to the “mind forged manacles”)
[] St Augustine’s writing
[] also like the “mind forged manacled” could be a criticism of societal taboos and Church restrictions surrounding free love and sexual desire: it’s invisible because it DOESN’T ACTUALLY EXIST - just a method of control
[] if you reaaaally wanted to do a Marxist reading on this you could argue that this is part of the ideological state apparatus though i’d argue it more in the case of the patriarchy and the rights of women as opposed to pure Marxism - “worm”
[] phallic imagery perhaps
[] again plays into the idea of corruption and destruction beginning internally (worm in an apple, parasitic worms)
[] worms in older literature weren’t necessarily literal worms - were also dragons, snakes etc. -> from this stance, the archaic feel of the word lends itself to the overall prophetic tone of the poem, and the balladic purpose of being passed from generation to generation - as long as society and religion and humans as humans with tools and trade have existed, the problems and corruption facing us have existed also
[] also Biblical allusion (the devil as a snake tempting - the rose (humanity) bit the apple (power, industrialisation (?)) and is now worse off for it, destroying itself in the process, OR a criticism of the Church’s condemnation of desire through religion
[] innocence reading - worm is societal teachings and institutions like school and government attempting to control ‘true’ human nature
[] from reformist reading, country as rose, reformists as the worm (England’s national flower = rose)
[] in ‘The Four Zoas’ (uncompleted prophetic book by Blake), Blake states that ‘man is a worm’ (context = critiquing the selfishness of man in seeking his own growth (butterfly))
[] believed in spirit world with invisible “larvae” spirits which are similar to demons, and are capable of travel from one person’s mind to another (these spirits are discussed in the works of the influential fourth-century theologian, Saint Augustine) -> social contagion of the Church’s impositions on free love, the speed and efficacy pf the Industrial Revolution, the rising tensions
17
Q
“flies in the night,”
“In the howling storm,”
A
- “night”
[] illicit dealings, prostitution (sexual shame)
[] affairs and free love otherwise condemned by the Church to secrecy else public shame
[] the reformists forced into the shadows by the government in attempt to prevent revolt (fear because of the FR)
[] worm still flies in the dark, not actually able to stop (?) - “howling storm”
[] storms in literature are typically used to present divine anger/disapproval of humanity
[] thus anger at the “worm” (shame, the Church, IR)
[] note that reformist line of argument is a bit confused here thus making it a subsidiary point of the poem (perhaps) and not a main interpretation
[] the fact that this worm flies even through the fierce storm -> its power? or the strength of human ignorance to God’s/nature’s will etc.
[] “howling” -> gives an animal, wild quality to the storm, exacerbating its strength as well as perhaps making the point that even the most ancient of powers in our world are being willfully ignored, or the world is actively being harmed by humanity as the “worm” (howling connotes pain also)
18
Q
“found out thy bed”
A
- “found out”
[] gives sense that the rose was hiding its “bed” or hiding full stop from the worm
[] presents the worm as a fearsome, vengeful entity, even evil to some extent, as well as being relentless - all qualities of the Church’s regulations and/or humanity’s destruction of (true human) nature in order to facilitate greed/control of the natural world etc.
[] presents the rose thus as terrified of the worm - doesn’t welcome it readily and views it actively as a catalyst of its fall - forced into hiding to survive
[] if innocence reading, fear similar to London line “In every Infant’s cry of fear” - “bed”
[] typically a place of rest/repose, dreaming etc., when one is sleeping they’re unconscious so ca be caught unawares (adds to unsettling nature of the worm and the perpetual fear of the rose even in sleep - Macbeth (Duncan) ???? maybbeee ??? - Blake loved Shakespeare’s work, creating many illustrations of it in his early days so yk. it’s possible) (innocence reading)
[] bed also where people have sex -> “crimson joy” -> Church or agents of the Church have either found out literal ‘sinner’ (person having sex) and thus shaming like that/excommunication etcetc. or the shame as a result of the Church’s teachings has ruined humanity’s ability to have sex freely and engage in free love without being condemned for it, OR
[] could also be read as a literal flower bed, where the flower grows from, it’s roots deep in the soil - if this bed is destroyed, the deepest, most important aspect of the flower is destroyed thus destroying the entire plant - IR reading (humanity’s destruction of the natural world for growth of cities etc. is the catalyst for even further destruction in future - landslide ?? could also be destruction of innermost human nature from the root (childhood) via school, government, Church, state etc.)
19
Q
“crimson joy”
A
- “crimson”
[] again the same connotations of red (blood, passion, eroticism) but darker than red - links it more explicitly with sexual shame and the Church as a sin
[] if going with Church reading, perhaps hint at losing virginity outside of marriage etc. or prostitution of young girls? semi-myth that girls bleed when first having sex as the hymen breaks, hence the “crimson” staining the “bed” as a result of the shameful “joy” the Church and societal taboos attribute to these young women despite being often forced into the profession, even if not talking about free love etc. - “joy”
[] sexual pleasure
[] innocence
[] being free, untouched by society and humanity (innocence AND IR reading)
20
Q
“his dark secret love”
A
- “dark”
[] do i really need to explain this one. evil, sin, sinister strength and overpowering everything “light” and innocent by contrast. stains. etcetera. - “secret love”
[] the “love” here is less actual love and moreso an attraction of sorts that needs to be fulfilled (innocence, IR reading)
[] alternatively, the love is an actual sense of care etc. (eg. Church trying to guide humanity, society trying to teach children how to be good etc. (Hobbes - society makes us good vs. Rousseau’s society makes us bad (noble savage))) BUT it appears “secret” or hidden away due to the undeniable amounts of harm this “love” actually does to whatever it’s trying to protect
[] alternatively to the alternative, phallic imagery -> shame reading -> criticism of the Church by making a point out of how free love and sex should be a beautiful thing as “love” is often portrayed as, but because of these taboos and restrictions places on it, it is forced into this dark secretive caricature which has the possibility of ruining someone’s entire life and prospects even though it’s really not that deep
21
Q
“does thy life destroy.”
A
- “life”
[] the rose’s ENTIRE life destroyed by the “worm” in all its different readings
[] demonstrates the extent to which harm is done by the worm - destroy
[] last line of the poem - everything ends in destruction and death entirely when faced with the things represented by the worm
22
Q
London
A
London
23
Q
What is significant about the structure of London by William Blake ?
A
- quatrain (four line) stanzas all the way through the poem
- four quatrain stanzas
- rhyme scheme (alternate) remains the same throughout
[] parodies the style of moralistic verse aimed at children during the Age of Reason (pre-Romantics)
[] instead of teaching children to love and deify London and the country and all the institutions that come with it, teaches the ‘truth’ about London from experience (Songs of Experience) and reveals its true nature
[] in essence, rips off the mind forged manacles and satirises the style of verse constructed to maintain its implementation in the future - enjambment utilised in the last two stanzas aids to a sense of rising urgency and conviction in the tone - perhaps anger at the situation of London and its inhabitants (namely youth) at the hands of institutions?
- monotony and consistency echoes tone of pessimism in the poem that the bad things about London will never change/no escape from misery DUE TO SOCIETY’S STRICT RULES, LIKE THE STRUCTURAL RULES EMPLOYED
- condemns Enlightenment and puts forward Romantic idea of individualism/back to nature
- also condemns Deism due to its implication that laws and rules are fulfilling to the human soul, thus the idea that they rightfully govern the world
24
Q
Why was London written?
A
- criticism of industrialisation + institutions (church + monarchy)
- criticism of the class system
- criticism of society
- criticism of Deism
25
Shifts in the poem
- distinct lack of shifts tonally exacerbates the monotony of life in London and the monotony of a life lived in servitude of rules and conceptual manacles (criticism of Deism again here)
- also a lack of shifts in metre; trochaic tetrametre the entire way through
[] trochaic tetrametre famously used in Macbeth as a symbol of the thwarting of the natural order by the Witches - makes them out to be evil for usurping it and thus is used to maintain this Great Chain of Being (Marxism when applied to London, but also discord of society - natural way turned upside down by the Industrial Revolution and mind forged manacles etc.)
[] the discord present through society is ever-reigning and inescapable
- each stanza shifts to a new area in which the restriction of society is demonstrated (nature, humanity, institutions, youth)
26
"I wander"
- "wandering" is often associated with aimlessness, and a wanderer is typically someone widely travelled, or at least a traveller at present
- by presenting the speaker as a wanderer through the streets of London, gives the impression that the suffering in London is so potent that it can be easily picked out by a stranger to them, as well as one who is not actively searching for signs of the suffering (aimlessness)
- wanderers often also have no end in sight for their journey - they journey for the sake of it
[] may be a comment on how the people of London are so restricted in their thinking and actions by the "mind forged manacles" that they may as well be thoughtless and aimless themselves - their purpose becomes following rules and meandering through life in all else (CRITICISM OF DEISM)
[] also may be exacerbating the eternity of the misery present in London - no one will ever escape it because it penetrates everything and is inescapable ("marks of weakness, marks of woe" - "marks" connotes permanence)
27
"chartered street"/"chartered Thames"
- chartered = to map out and legally define an area of land
[] repetition reinforces the prevalence of rules and control from the upper classes in one's life
[] restricts nature and creation
[] forces human convention on nature
[] could also be read from Marxist pov as bourgeoisie's way of controlling proletariat; their lives are also chartered in a sense
[] criticism of society - romanticism
28
"Infant's cry of fear"
- "Infant's cry"
[] Rousseau's idolatry of childhood as the peak of innocence in our existence makes the misery permeating even INFANTS, not just children but the youngest children there are, even more tragic
[] capitalisation of "Infant" perhaps = every single child born in London subject to the same treatment and conditions, so every single adult in the next generation will grow up with these same fears, the same rules, the same doom as their predecessors - children are supposed to be symbolic of a new start and fresh ideas but these conditions of society condemn them to monotony and rip the prospect of critical thought from their pudgy little hands
[] from a Marxist reading, this is illustrative of the tactics and "mind forged manacles" utilised by the bourgeoisie to keep the proletariat beneath them and maintain power in society in the long run whilst remaining unchallenged for said power
- "cry of fear"
[] could imply that this fear felt by infants in London is translated over into adult life also - not only is misery omnipresent in London, but fear too: fear of death, fear of financial difficulty (black'ning churches and their reluctance to support parishioners instead of robbing them, Blake's financial troubles in life), fear of imprisonment for eternity (?)
[] could also be the fear felt by infants in London when arriving in it - supposedly children are the most deeply connected and even come from Heaven (Plato, Dissenters against John Locke's assertion that there are no innate ideas (on the grounds that, if there are no innate ideas and principles and everything about the world must be learned, slavery and other forms of social oppression like class are morally correct))
29
"In every... In every... In every"
- anaphora
[] could represent next generation being affected by previous plights of London
[] emphasises how widespread London's problems were and how deeply they affected society
30
"mind forged manacles"
- consonance of "m" sound creates monotonous atmosphere
[] demonstrates how society's rules stifle individualism and freedom - romanticism
- "forged" = to shape metal (strong material"
[] usually refers to weapons - shows how the rules of society harms people
- "manacles" = handcuffs/chains
[] Rousseau: "man is born free but everywhere is in chains"
- "mind" = the chains and rules of society placed on humans are completely societal constructs, not real things that have any substance besides the meanings that we give them
[] shows how society brainwashes people into caring about such trivial things and thus shaping their lives around these rules, benefitting the bourgeoisie (MARXISM)
[] ideological state apparatus
[] from a feminist perspective; patriarchy
- the phrase in its entirety is hard to articulate
[] may show how society has not only forged the manacles, but also made it taboo to discuss them/freedom - blocks comprehension of the 'manacles'
31
"chimney sweeper's cry"
- chinney sweepers are poorly paid
[] the poor are more vulnerable and live worse lives simply based on the lack of money - another human construct that rules people's lives and harms people despite being imaginary
- "cry" = misery, ALSO loudly crying out for help
[] the fact that the poor who ask for help are not given it shows how society's rules dictate even the smallest details of life
[] poverty is inescapable for many
[] marxism
32
"black'ning church appalls"
- "black'ning" = evil, Church becoming corrupt due to avarice and inclusion of politics in religion OR literally turning black from all the soot of factories
[] romantic criticism of institutions
[] romantic criticism of industrialism
[] rise of science and complex societal rules killing religion in its true form
[] church not supporting people who go to Church, keeping money for themselves instead of helping people as they are supposed to
33
"hapless Soldier's sigh"
- sibilance is both onomatopoeic and tonal
[] replicates sound of sighing
[] creates bitter tone towards the institution (the Crown) forcing soldiers to go and fight and risk their lives only for more land or power - made up rules of society having adverse affect on individual lives
- "hapless" = hopeless
[] London is so deep in corruption and violence and rules that there is no hope for improvement; romantic criticism of society and ALSO Marxism
[] "hapless"/"Palace" = internal rhyme; the luxury of the palace comes at the expense of the wellbeing, mental health and lives of the very people it is meant to lead and protect
- "Soldier" is capitalised - it is not one simple soldier who is discontented with the monarchy - it is Every Single Soldier in the history of everything, perhaps not just for the British monarchy also
[] could potentially represent the people of England too - each one is a soldier under the all too restrictive nature of society and institutional rule, made to march in one body and follow each rule to the letter, else be punished for it
34
"runs in blood down palace walls"
- blood running down palace walls as death of soldiers is monarchy's fault
[] criticism of institutions
[] blood stains walls easily; monarchy's reputation and legacy stained by the blood of the innocent - power not natural, forcefully taken and harms humans which people simply accept due to made up rules (marxism)
[] blood is red, red = violence, passion etc. ; could also be a criticism of patriotism (red is a big feature in English and British flags)
35
"runs in blood down palace walls"
- blood running down palace walls as death of soldiers is monarchy's fault
[] criticism of institutions
[] blood stains walls easily; monarchy's reputation and legacy stained by the blood of the innocent - power not natural, forcefully taken and harms humans which people simply accept due to made up rules (marxism)
[] blood is red, red = violence, passion etc. ; could also be a criticism of patriotism (red is a big feature in English and British flags)
36
"...woe."
"...hear. (the mind forged manacles)"
"...walls."
"...hearse."
each stanza ends with an expression of misery as well as a full stop
- there is nothing beyond misery, repression, death etc. in London
37
"But most, thro' midnight streets I hear/How the youthful Harlot's curse"
- "But most"
[] the crux of London's restriction is that its youth and posterity suffer as a result of it
[] so, no change, no revolt, no purpose, no joy, no FREEDOM ever - humanity is condemned by itself (granted, the upper classes but yk)
[] seems to support instead Rousseau's ideal of the noble savage, and that the notions of society and power bring pain, sorrow and a detrimental hunger for said power instead of anything beneficial
- "midnight streets"
[] midnight is when prostitutes come out to solicit etc.
[] it might literally be midnight OR it is metaphorically always midnight in London - eg. always rife with misery, sorrow, 'sin' (emotional blackness), or perhaps the air is so thick with smog from the factories (fed by child labour, destroying nature, controlled by the bourgeoisie) that it seems dark enough to be midnight
38
"youthful Harlot's curse"
- "Harlot" = prositute
[] loss of innocence
[] criminalised despite often being forced into the profession - Marxism, repressive state apparatus
- curse = long term ailment as a repercussion of something that one did
[] at the time STDs could be deadly due to lack of scientific/medical development
[] criticism of society; people became harlots when they had no money due to unequal distribution of wealth between classes - Marxism
- youthful = innocence, purity, positive word generally
[] children forced out of childhood fun and innocence to raise money (mind forged manacles, ideological state apparatus)
- the word "curse" presents the prostitution not as a sinful delight of these young women, but as a cumbersome necessity - a damaging one at that (protest against the RSA)
[] is true of all harlots (capitalisation)
39
"Blasts the new-born Infant's tear"
- plosives = harsh sounds
[] emphasises speaker's anger at the injustice of society - the fact that the poem ends badly and nothing changes however shows that the state apparatuses and societal rules are so carefully crafted and strong that they last forever - POWER OF HUMANS
- "new-born Infant's tear"
[] newborn children can inherit STDs from their parents
[] deadly to newborns and "blasts" their first tears (babies cry when born to start their lungs working - by "blasting" thus destroying their first tear, kills immediately)
[] alternatively, can demonstrate how every person's misery in life is laid out in front of them from the very beginning and due to the societal rules cannot stray from this path
[] Marxism
40
"Blights with plagues the marriage hearse."
- STDs picked up by partners about to marry
[] high rates of prostitution in London
[] both partners contract the disease and both die
[] marriage is supposed to be happiest day ever of life, and is a religious ceremony - adultery via prostitution goes against religion etc.
[] critism romantically
- "plagues"
[] literal plague; emphasises widespread nature of STDs in London
[] adultery could also cause many tensions during marriage and plague the marriage emotionally
[] corruption of individual moral centres also can be considered a plague
- juxtaposition of "marriage hearse"
[] both partners die quickly
[] last word is "hearse" so all ends inevitably in death and misery; no escape from misery of London
[] marriage is both the start and end if society carries on in the same way
41
The Tyger
The Tyger
42
What is significant about the structure of The Tyger?
- tight AABB rhyme scheme
o symbolises the control and intention of God
o God could theoretically choose to make only benevolent things, beautiful creatures and scenery, and yet he creates strife and grief and horror as shown in the image of the Tyger
o the rhyme scheme's simplicity could ALSO symbolise the innocence of other aspects of Creation, such as children and the 'Lamb', thus contrasting them with the evils of the world embodied in the Tyger -> lends despair to the seemingly fated struggle between innocence and experience in the world
o the simplicity could ALSOALSO symbolise that God's Creation seems deceptively simple on the surface -> could make only benevolent things on the surface, but God has a deeper, more intrinsic plan and so is required to create both good AND evil to satisfy this plan - Book of Job, Psalms, St. Augustine, St. Irenaeus
- full rhymes used throughout the poem EXCEPT for third and fourth lines ("eye"/"symmetry")
o on surface they can be made to rhyme, but this is forced
o echoes perfection of God, with the break in rhyme encompassing all that is incomprehensible to a human eye about God's perfection
o alternatively, could be read as sarcastic - God may seem benevolent and perfect and all-knowing, but there is regardless a distinct lack of symmetry between the amount of good and evil in the world - the Tyger (evil) is so much more powerful than the Lamb (good) and thus easily triumphs - unfair
- poem is in trochaic tetrametre
o famously used by Shakespeare in 'Macbeth' to symbolise the evil of the witches and their disordering of the natural hierarchy (Jacobean Great Chain of Being)
o thus makes comment on what SHOULD be the natural hierarchy (good over evil) yet this is often subverted
o also has rhythm of hammer on an anvil, or perhaps a heartbeat -> makes God feel present and alive in his Creation (retort against Deism - God didn't just create and leave, but has a purpose for making like he did, and will be there to answer one day)
- shift between natural imagery and industrial/man-made imagery
o evil could be composed of two forces - both natural and human ? (tentative reading)
43
Describe the theoretical responses to evil and suffering
St. Augustine:
- evil/suffering isn't God's fault, as it stems from misuse of the free will that God gave to humans
- God wanted to create people who were free entirely to worship or not worship him, to live their lives by their choosing; if he didn't give the ability to choose to do evil as well as good, humans wouldn't be truly free
St Irenaeus:
- evil and suffering are not a problem, because they're part of a plan that those who suffer in this life will be rewarded in the next
[] "So the last will be first and the first will be last" - Bible
- experience of evil and suffering is necessary to become good, kind and conscious individuals who will be rewarded in heaven
- God's omnibenevolence is shown through his allowance of every person to be rewarded in heaven once suffered and become good
44
comparison with The Lamb (I) and how this impacts reading of The Tyger
- The Tyger is comprised of a set of genuine questions to a higher power, whilst The Lamb is a set of questions that the speaker already has the answer to ("Dost thou know who made thee?"/"Little lamb I'll tell thee!" - also the fact there are no question marks present in The Lamb, whilst the Tyger is riddled with them)
o good is self-explanatory in its creation
o even humans possessing the answer for who made the Lamb in all its goodness could show that good is very easy and comprehensible, so then in conjunction with The Tyger, it is INcomprehensible why evil should exist or be committed by anyone
o could also show that religious institutions focus far too much on the benevolent aspects of God in the New Testament, whilst neglecting the Old Testament - thus, humans are isolated from an entire side of God and his Creation by virtue of the Church's (human institution - Romantic criticism of institution) control of the portrayal of God -> cannot comprehend him in all his glory (sublime) because of this -> mirrored in Wordsworth's 'The Prelude'
- Lamb portrayed as a child
o "Little lamb"/"became a child"/"lamb"
o close to Godliness because of this (Jesus "calls himself a lamb", and Rousseau)
o contrast between Lamb and Tyger in Innocence and Experience -> experience kills innocence and thus the human link to God and Nature in its most pure forms
o also, Jesus and lambs used as symbols of sacrifice -> for society (rich) to benefit from "experience" in the way of education, innovation and Enlightenment, everything good and pure and natural about humanity must be first sacrificed -> Romantic criticism of Enlightenment
- The Lamb sounds very cheerful in its vowels - "thee" "feed" "mead" "rejoice", whilst The Tyger is harsher
45
Why was The Tyger written?
- criticism of the Church for controlling God's image (?)
- explore disparity between good and evil in society and lament how evil always seems to triumph despite this being unnatural
- explore if there is an actual reason for suffering in this world that people simply cannot comprehend
- criticise societal control and censorship of the darker and taboo aspects of art
- criticise Industrial Revolution
- criticise society/'experience'
46
"Tyger, tyger, burning bright"
- "tyger" = predatory animal, solitary, great strength, stealth (hunts by ambush)
47
"forest of the night"
48
What immortal hand or eye"
49
"Could Frame thy fearful symmetry?
50
"distant deeps or skies"
51
"Burnt the fire of thine eyes?"
52
"On what wings dare he aspire?"
53
"hand dare seize the fire?"
54
"What shoulder, what art/Could twist the sinews of thy heart?"
55
"And, when thy heart begin to beat,/What dread hand and what dread feet?"
56
"hammer"/"chain"/"anvil" ("what dread" them)
- industrial tools
o blunt, heavy, powerful -> can shape and restrain - God's power in forging forces exactly how he envisions
o creativity -> the power of artists to shape ideas even if rejected by society at large
o alternatively, industrial quality could = criticism of Industrial Rev -> Tyger and all its evils in destroying the Lamb (nature) and burning in forests (nature) is borne of industrialisation and humanity's attempts to control Creation
57
"In what furnace was thy brain?"
- continues the metaphor of the Tyger being forged in a workshop
- "furnace" = EXTREMELY hot oven for blacksmithing
o Tyger is a force that is borne of the hottest fire -> emphasises its power
o associating the Tyger with fire also emphasises the immensity of its destruction, or alternatively could harken back to Prometheus being punished for giving fire to humans by the gods -> if humans take the fire of Creation and innovation FROM God and use it to suit their own designs, they will be punished
o critique of IR
58
"When the stars threw down their spears,/And watered heaven with their tears,"
- "stars"
o connotations of fate, guidance, being close to heaven (celestial bodies)
o Providence?
- "spears"
o war - specifically ancient warfare (think Romans)
- at seeing God make something so evil and powerful as the Tyger, the stars (guidance, Providence) gave up their fight for protecting and guiding the Lamb and sobbed in desperation -> knew that could not possibly triumph over something so terrible (?)
o exacerbates terror and power of the Tyger
o comment on how industrialisation and human evil will forever destroy any semblance of innocence and nature -> goes directly against the wishes and efforts of Providence -> HUMANS are the ones rejecting God through Englightenment and its associations?
o God not evil for creating Tyger - pains, but is necessary nonetheless?
- sibilance in phrase "stars threw down their spears"
o bittersweet emotion of God's creation of the Tyger
- "watered heaven"
o grief for humanity so great and multitudinous that heaven is inundated with the stars' tears
59
"Did he who made the lamb make thee?"
- direct reference to The Lamb (I) -> "Dost thou know who made thee?"
- "lamb" = good, innocent, godly, whilst "tyger" = evil, powerful, primordial
o questioning the fearsome power of God to the point of questioning whether God is the sole creator due to the seeming impossibility for one being to make both something so evil and so lovely, especially when the lamb seems to be a sacrifice exclusively to the tyger - there is literally no way a lamb could triumph over it
o poses God not as an idealised, watered-down depiction of goodness, but as truly powerful over all aspects of Creation and existence -> Old Testament (criticism of Church watering down God by preaching only New Testament consistently) -> more archaic, truly natural and pure depiction of God here
60
"What immortal hand or eye/Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?"
- "could" vs "dare" from the first to the last stanza
o the question changes from one of capacity to one of intention
o regardless of WHO created the Tyger, this act was still extremely bold and against the grain of what should be created in a nice, lovely society
o criticism of censorship (Blake's spotty publishing history and his clients' dissatisfaction with his art - saw himself as rejected prophet)
o if from godly perspective, "dares" often carry the connotation of potential harm for those who enact them -> creating evil, though necessary, poses a threat to belief in God -> Job, St. Irenaeus, St. Augustine, Psalms
61
Songs of Innocence: Holy Thursday
Songs of Innocence: Holy Thursday
62
What is significant about the structure of Holy Thursday (I)?
- 3 quatrain stanzas - 12 lines total
o could bring to mind the 12 apostles? makes the poor children to be holy followers of God and the closest to him (Plato) -> emphasises their purity and goodness
o alternatively, may be comment on how giving alms/refuge to these poor children is a method of serving God
- AABB rhyme scheme
o simple, childish rhyme scheme
o evocative of the children's innocence and pure strength in the face of the world's complexities and evils (like poverty)
o perhaps alternatively comments on the simplicity of being charitable and encourages more people to be so
o despite this more optimistic reading, there is a more cynical reading: the tightness of the rhyme scheme could show the restrictions that they children are under via their poverty/the control of society over their lives (depend on charity + entire poverty situation controlled) and the beadles that chauffeur them around/'care' for them
- iambic heptameter; rhythm is much like that of a children's playground song or a procession itself
o again, innocence + resilience of children in taking all in their stride and maintaining their holy, innocent, happy disposition - also imbues poem with the power of that many children marching in the procession at once -> criticism of how many children poor and their uniformity in their suffering?
o Rousseau
63
Why did Blake write Holy Thursday (I)?
- criticism of society's complacency, cruelty, hypocrisy, endorsement/ignorance of poverty
- call to be more sympathetic and charitable -> could also be a call to critically think and try to root out the CAUSES of suffering by challenging the suffering itself, not just taking "pity" on suffering children
- praising the strength of children as holy ambassadors for a pure and just method of life?
64
"Twas on a Holy Thursday"
- in this poem, "Holy Thursday" refers not to Maundy Thursday, but to Ascension Day, where orphans from London's charity schools are paraded through London before attending service at St. Paul's
o AD = when Jesus promises his disciples they will be gifted with God’s Spirit, to be their comfort and strength for the work of mission that lies before them
- "Twas"
o opens like a children's story -> connotations of a moral story, one where there is an element of good conquering evil and one which brings hope and joy
o speaker's view of the procession = naive bc of this but presented as good thing
65
"their innocent faces clean"
- "clean"
o emphasises the children's purity and goodness; could be that their faces are literally clean or alternatively could be read as morally clean (especially bc of the addition of "innocent" as a descriptor beforehand)
o alternatively, implies that it is a rare thing to see these children's faces clean -> poor and selective provision for impoverished and vulnerable children in London - only cleaned/well-dressed when for a public event where they need to look presentable; prioritisation of society over the actual individual lives of the children (critique of the regimentation of society?)
o also, if this is the case, the speaker doesn't elaborate on or question why the children's faces are never clean other times -> subtle criticism/irony in showcasing society's complacency and willingness to accept societal evils such as poverty and the mistreatment of children like this
- "innocent"
o ofc means they are literally innocent
o could also tell that it is NOT the children's fault that they are treated this way and are not clean usually -> places the blame on society
66
"children walking two and two, in red and blue and green:"
- "two and two"
o brings to mind Noah's Ark; could be that the richer spectators view themselves as saviours for these children via their donations (virtue signalling) even though these are never truly enough to mean anything significant, and the donations/saviour complexes are incredibly patronising and strip the children of individuality and authority
o Noah's Ark = saving all those worth being saved whilst God drowns the sinners -> could lend to a reading of this as all the children being worth saving, and those in the service with them to give donations and uplift them also worth saving - praises charity?
- "in red and blue and green"
o bright colours could be representative of the bright hopeful sight of all the children in the parade, or perhaps their bright disposition even in the face of dire situations - resilience, natural mental strength of children, Romantic idolisation of children
o however, bright colours (perhaps the uniforms of the charity schools) also group the children as a monolith (regimenting them and removing their individuality -> makes it easier to view them as a spectacle and not to engage emotionally or critically with the fact that there are So Many impoverished children who are all suffering; criticism of the complacency of society and also the loss of individuality in a society where suffering in large groups is normalised
o also makes the parade a spectacle for richer viewers; feels disgusting and dehumanising in a sense
- POLYSYNDETON of the line (all the "ands") makes it feel like a procession that carries on for a While
o this is not questioned or challenged - why are there THIS MANY impoverished children in one city alone? and a rich one at that? -> criticises complacencyyyyyy
67
"Grey-headed beadles"/"Beneath them sit the aged men, wise guardians of the poor."
- "Grey-headed"
o contrast between the grey and white of the beadles/adults and the brightly coloured children - perhaps suggests that the 'adult' way of life is bleak and lacking spirit/vitality in comparison to children -> encourages readers to take the disposition of children as an example of how to live (WW -> "the child is father of the man")
o alternatively, grey = wise, dignified; beadles are church officials who are specifically dedicated to charity work in the parish - praises them for their efforts in charity work and encourages more of the same from readers?
o grey HEADED -> could be a criticism of the ideology? societal ideology upheld by institutional religion withers away vitality and life of children perhaps
- same kinda stuff for "aged men"
- "Beneath them sit"
o while the children are singing, the beadles (leading before) take a step back; the children overshadow the beadles and take precedence in the service -> children praised as more holy and righteous than the beadles as adults/institutional religious workers
o "sit" -> inaction further exacerbates
- "wise guardians of the poor"
o "wise" could be genuine praise or more ironic considering the words before
o the fact that the poor need "guardians" is a thing of tragic irony; firstly, they need effective guardians and this is not provided by the beadles, and secondly, the fact that the poor need guardians emphasises just how vulnerable and mistreated the poor in society are
o again, the speaker doesn't criticise or challenge this 'fact' and simply accepts it
68
"wands as white as snow,"
- "wands"
o imply magic or even paganistic rituals -> the holiness and magic of the children being commanded by these wise guardians and guides (feels patronising perhaps? but also just praises the beadles for their charity)
o the pagan thing could be a Romantic image of this relationship between young and old generations stemming from very early society, more natural and beautiful etc.
o these "wands" also = walking sticks perhaps -> in a more sinister turn, these sticks may have been used to hit children for disobedience or as a form of punishment; cruelty and hypocrisy of society and institutionalised religion - a beadle's whole job is to genuinely protect the poor and vulnerable and yet cruelty persists
- "white as snow"
o purity and goodness for being so charitable and wise and for being able to nurture/direct the same faculties of the children
o however, "snow" is cold -> may link to the "cold" hand feeding the children in HT(E) and may show implicitly the cruelty and stinginess of the beadles and those in higher positions in society when it comes to their complacency in solving social issues
o also, hypocrisy in the "whiteness" of the sticks if used to beat the children
- sibilance in this line could evoke a floaty, wondrous mood? -> magic of it all and amazement of the speaker in the face of this huge procession
69
"they like Thames waters flow"/"these flowers of London town!"/"like a mighty wind"/"harmonious thunderings the seats of heaven among"
- semantic field of nature (can also split into semantic field of nature and semantic field of weather)
o Romanticism - linking children to nature makes them seem more in tune with the world and purer than those who have been altered by society -> exacerbates holiness and innocence
o could also make them seem more alive, fruitful, thriving -> direct contrast to the vision of nature given in HT(E) which is "bleak and bare" with a sun that "never does shine"
o semantic field of weather could again link them to God and holiness as weather and pathetic fallacy (especially strong weather such as storms, strong winds etc.) is typically used in literature to signify the displeasure of the divine -> eg. in Macbeth
o because it is DISPLEASURE, could be representative of the fact that society is in fact going against God's wishes - yeah sure there's charity but it's insufficient and it shouldn't HAVE to exist anyway because everyone should be fully provided for by society and the world ANYWAY (Malthus, HT(E))
- "Thames"/"London"
o reminders that this massive procession of orphaned and poor children is happening in ONE city -> there shouldn't be this much strife, and yet it goes completely unquestioned by the speaker -> criticises complacency of society
- "flow"
o the sheer amount of children makes them seem like a large liquid body; lack of individualisation, the evil of how many children are poor and mistreated
o alt., makes the children seem graceful or like a powerful, singular force of nature - emphasises the idolisation of children (Romanticism)
- "flowers"
o beautiful, symbols of youth and spring and new beginnings, delicate -> emphasises the innocence, vulnerability and inspiration of the children in the face of their dire situations
o flowers also picked to roll into a bouquet for presentation - cuts them off from the soil and nourishment though; paralleled in the children's situation (???)
- "harmonious thunderings"
o "thunderings" = storm, anger, power, displeasure of the gods -> the children are a powerful force of their own and sing on behalf of the gods - outrage at their situation is NOT being taken seriously by the spectators and speaker and is instead used as a source of inspiration porn and entertainment for the well-off -> patronisation of the children and the failure to aptly recognise and attack their suffering critcised
- breathy h alliteration in harmonious line gives feeling of being out of breath or amazed -> the speaker is truly in awe of the power of the children and their innocence and holiness
70
"Seated in companies they sit"
- use of diacope (repetition) in "seated" and "sit"
o gives feeling of the speaker perhaps doing a double take at just how immense the gathering of children is
- "companies" -> loss of individualisation again
o the fact that there are enough for "companies" of children -> criticism of amount + how society let it get to this stage (greed and Malthus ahahaha)
o camaraderie of the children? resilience in their suffering?
- sibilance in this phrase
o ????????
71
"with radiance all their own."/"they raise to heaven the voice of song"/"lest you drive an angel from your door."
- semantic field of heaven/holiness
o emphasises the innocence and holiness of the children and really hammers home the idolisation of children as the purest beings on earth
- "radiance all their own"
o not just bright but RADIANT -> has heavenly connotations and also connotes having so much light that it spreads and illuminates the space surrounding the radiant thing; children are so radiant in their purity and holiness that they light the way for others to follow too -> deified in a Christ-like manner
o additionally, them being described as "radiant" makes these poor children a spectacle AGAIN
o this radiance is "all their own" and cannot be attributed to any teachings of society, the beadles' guidance etc. - it is entirely natural and an innate virtue of children
o all this exacerbates implicitly the tragedy that these pure, unmarred children are thus mistreated by society in such a cruel fashion and critiques the complacency of society also for doing nothing to help these or even follow these who are guiding them
- in the first two lines quoted here, the children are all addressed as one body
o loss of individualisation due to the sheer amount of poor children present -> dehumanises and abstracts the children so that it is harder to identify on an emotional and human level with them -> critique of society in distancing from the poor etc.
o could alternatively be read as a body of Christ sort of thing - collective holy power of all children?
72
"multitudes of lambs"
"multitudes" repeated THREE TIMES IN THE SAME STANZA
- repetition of multitudes again emphasises the AMOUNT of children there however this goes. completely unquestioned by the speaker
o critique of complacency and inaction, critique of the power imbalance in society, critique of the mistreatment and lack of protection for all the vulnerable poor children in London
- "lambs"
o Jesus -> sacrifice of the innocent for the saving of humanity and sinners -> illustrates and critiques the self-serving nature of those more well-off in society; make performative donations to keep these children poor and make them feel good about themselves at the same time; also shows the stripped agency from these children as are unwillingly sacrificed by the orders of these richer ppl in society (criticism of class hierarchy, power imbalances)
73
"Thousands of little boys and girls raising their innocent hands"
- "thousands"
o same thing as the "multitudes"
- LOTS of sibilance here -> could be a Freudian thing? speaker is trying to repress any natural moral objection to this because society says it is right and okay, and yet the natural moral objection surfaces anyway in the sibilance, which lends incredibly bitter tone to this line -> this should NOT be happening to all these "thousands" of "innocent" children who have no part in their suffering
- again makes them act in unison
- "raising" -> towards heaven and God -> exemplifies their piety and status as close to God/heaven as children
74
"Then cherish pity,"
- "pity"
o suggests small, meaningless acts of service (such as minor donations) and not anything substantial?
o also feels incredibly patronising and strips the children of agency -> people to be looked down upon and helped via the whims and heartstrings of those well-off, not because there is an innate moral duty to provide an egalitarian and fair society where all are provided for equally
o could also be in a more optimistic light of the fact that the speaker is indeed trying to encourage charity and aid for these poor children, even if going about it in a completely naive, ineffective way which doesn't target the actual problem and serves to perpetuate the power imbalance dynamic where the poor are kept going just enough by the performative donations made via the pity of well-to-do people in society, but not enough to actually take power relatively from the upper echelons of society
75
"lest you drive an angel from your door."
- Biblical allusion perhaps to the parable of the sheep and the goats, where Jesus says that the King who is the Son of Man will separate the "sheep" from the "goats" -> the sheep will be those who "gave [him] something to eat" when he was "hungry", clothed him when he had none, etc.; present in every human being and not always seen explicitly
o similarly, warns the readers to treat the poor with kindness and give alms and help so that they don't turn away an angel in disguise (the angels hide among the poor - alternatively, the poor children Are angels -> their closeness to God and the divine, holy power, etc.)
- plosives in these closing lines make the message of charity and sympathy hit harder
76
Songs of Experience: Holy Thursday
Songs of Experience: Holy Thursday
77
What is significant about the structure of Holy Thursday (E)?
- the first stanza (about the simple thinking of the speaker in HT (I) about the nature of the children gathering in so many multitudes) is in ABAB format - simple, childlike rhyme scheme - naivety
- this rhyme scheme breaks down in the second stanza, with no rhyme scheme (ABCD)
o second stanza is riddled with rhetorical questions, last line being an exclamation spelling out the answer
o hence, break down of the rhyme scheme could show that this naivety and simplistic thinking breaks down wholly when it is challenged by a string of reason -> acceptance of the innocent suffering is not logical and has no place in one's mindset
- stanzas three and four are composed in balladic verse (ABCB rhyme scheme
o lend prophetic or educational/authoritative quality to these stanzas, especially as concern laying out clearly what is wrong with the world's treatment of poor children at present and what must be done about it
o also exacerbates tragedy of the children's treatment - ballads typically about sensational stories, such as tragedies, love stories, comedy etc. -> only with Wordsworth and Coleridge's lyrical ballads did the balladic form become more open to using everyday scenarios as content too
- first stanza could be viewed as moral verse
o utilised in the Age of Reason to teach moral lessons to children (eg. Isaac Watts' 'SONG 24: The Child's Complaint') and then by Blake to parody and mock these beliefs - used simple, tight rhyme schemes and iambic metre - can seem unnatural or mechanic if not done well
o in first stanza, is mocking the speaker of I's naivety -> positions Blake as having a more logical explanation/the RIGHT explanation (then cemented by the use of the ballad form when explaining)
- four quatrain stanzas
o if nothing done, suffering will be prolonged and will not change
o alternatively, could be emphasis on the uniformity of society in ignoring the suffering of the poor (children) thus causing more of the same suffering -> attack on society and moralistic teaching BY society (moral verse thing) for it breeds corruption and apathy
- last stanza has many open vowel sounds -> teaches about what society SHOULD be like and the ideal society in which poverty is not a thing
o the open vowels sound more glamorous and smooth - emphasises the happiness and good that can come of a world where the poor (children) are properly provided and cared for
- no consistent meter in the poem, however there is a consistent use of four stressed syllables per line -> gives the effect of a forceful, angry and outraged wake-up call for society
o kind of sounds like thumping a table?
o reinforces the Bard's moral authority and makes the reader feel at fault or accused of the ignorance/complacency being called out in the poem
78
Why did Blake write Holy Thursday (E)?
- critique society for its class and wealth imbalances
- critique society for its moralistic teaching according to humans
- contrast and clarify the irony and meaning behind Holy Thursday (I)
79
"Is this a holy thing to see/In a rich and fruitful land --"
- rhetorical question
o give feeling that Blake is either mocking the naivety of the speaker in (I)/society for not recognising the true suffering of the orphans, or perhaps bewildered or outraged at how anyone could miss something so obvious
- internal rhyme in these two lines (holy/see, and/land) describing things that SHOULD be conducive to good lifestyle and richness for all shared between humanity fairly
o should be simple, even childishly so, to make sure all have good lives
o note: phrase as a tentative reading, as internal rhyme crops up in other places (eg. "cold AND usurous HAND")
o alternatively, could show that a good lifestyle for all is a part of God or Nature's plan for humanity and life on Earth -> Romantic ideology; reinforced by reference to religious stuff ("holy", "rich and fruitful land" (fruits of HS, fruits in GoE, "milk and honey" quote when describing Promised Land in OT (OT = more naturalistic, untouched image of God - aligns w/Romantic depictions of God a lot)))
- split between these two first lines and the next two of the stanza with the em-dash could signify the split between what SHOULD be happening and what actually is?
- "fruitful" -> Biblical stuff
o Promised Land -> God's chosen land for his chosen people where they can prosper and all fulfil God's plan for them and his wishes; also "rich and fruitful land" has enough to go around for everyone -> irony as this is NOT happening and people/children suffer under poverty anyway
80
"Babes reduced to misery,"
- "Babes"
o doesn't say children, says BABES - could be that the situation is so dire that it literally affects babies, the most innocent of all, the closest to God (Matthew 18:3)
o could alternatively be just referring to all children, but the use of the word "babes" then emphasises just how innocent, unexposed and undeserving of cruelty they are -> makes society's treatment seem worse
- "babe" in bible also associated with Jesus, vulnerability (thus exacerbating the crucial importance of protecting them adequately -> critique of the failure of society to do so), purity and the potential for growth (can become great, fully-fledged members of the world as intended to be -> hopeful future?)
o Matthew 18:3, Jesus uses the example of a child to teach about the kingdom of heaven: "Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."
o this potential dashed by society as they are "reduced to misery" -> no hope or potential left as have been utterly destroyed by society's mistreatment of them -> tragedy of the poor children's plight
- "reduced"
o point above
o imagery of going from something quite massive in stature or greatness and being forcibly tamped down into a little speck of a reminder of the greatness once there very evocative of the purposeful and intentional nature of society's failure of the poor (children)
- sibilance ("babeS reduCed to miSery") lends bitter, almost disappointed and disgusted tone to the line
o Blake's disgust that this is even being allowed to happen in the first place?
81
"Fed with cold and usurous hand?"
- "fed"
o should imply nourishment, care being provided - and in a sense this IS true, as care is provided by (eg.) the "beadles" mentioned in HT (E) and the parishioners in whatever alms they give
o HOWEVER, following words imply it is not substantial enough, and could lend the alternative reading that, in a "rich and fruitful land" where people should have free and complete access to all riches equally, the riches and fruit are being tightly controlled by those in positions of power - "feeding" is a deliberate action, and by controlling the amount of nourishment/"food" in a symbolic and literal sense that these children get, they limit their growth (again in both symbolic and literal senses) -> cruelty and moral failings of society to protect and care for all equally, leading to the social injustice of poverty
- "cold"
o self-explanatory; cruel, morally cold - contrast with the later mention of sunshine and fields in the poem (semantic field of weather/nature - Romantic ideology?) - crops and fruits (fruits of HS? general moral and mental fruit?) cannot grow in the cold (TYPICALLY); nourishment is lacking any warmth or empathy or emotion
o could be critique of the farcical nature of any care taken of children? OR VIRTUE SIGNALLING
- "usurous"
o the word itself means to lend money at exorbitant interest rates
o spells out the nature of societal help to children: taking more than it gives and acting like it is still giving a decent amount; also, the only reason one would take money from an usurous lender is that they have no other option and are desperate for the money in order to buy food, clothes, shelter - means of survival; mimics the situation of poor children and how they are treated and thus exacerbates both the tragedy and their desperation/utter vulnerability, as well as societal evils for not providing properly
82
"Is that trembling cry a song?"/"Can it be a song of joy?"
- "trembling cry"
o contrasts with (I) speaker's description as "harmonious thunderings" -> may make previous speaker sound even more naive for thinking that the children's voices were awe-inspiring etc. and thus lend more credibility to the current speaker/Blake's assertions (important for last two stanzas)?
o could also be to show not only naivety, but willful ignorance of the true suffering of these poor children -> the contrast between a trembling cry and a thundering is so large that it cannot be a simple mistake or a blunder but willful covering up and making excuses for societal treatment as being good enough
o "cry" = cry of pain, cry for help -> calling out for help yet no one is answering them (failure of society to provide for these children); if read as crying boohoo, emphasises children's misery and despondency
- "Can it be"
o aggressive or maybe accusatory tone (general tone plus beginning with a harsh c) -> cements the ridiculousness of the speaker's "harmonious thundering" bs, as well as the outrage that society would willfully make the excuse that such a weak, miserable sound was a healthy and happy song as there is NO way this is possible
o links to next line "And so many children poor?" in the sense of accusing for willful blindness to the fact that the "multitudes" of "lambs" ie. POOR CHILDREN is a bad thing because there shouldn't be SO MANY poor children in the "rich and fruitful land" that is London
83
"It is a land of poverty!"/"It is eternal winter there."
- "It is a land of poverty!"
o "It is" = certainty contrasted with the rhet qs - this is the ultimate truth about the situation of England with all the sugarcoating/naivety/ignorance removed
o spells out after all the rhetorical questions that, for these children, there is nothing prosperous or rich about London because it is all stolen by these upper classes to maintain power, grow society/industry for profit etc. (Malthus' 'An Essay on the Principle of Population')
o the spelling out could be linked to the Romantic ideology that it was the duty of the poet to point out the evils of society to those who couldn't see them (eg. Browning MLD)
o ALTERNATIVELY could be that London is a morally destitute place because of this greed/moral failure of society
o also, the fact that it must be spelled out is indirectly calling out the willful blindness of the well-to-do in England/those like the speaker who ignore the evils of poverty etc. - if they insist on ignoring further, then it is very clear that this cruelty and miserly provision is entirely intentional and packaged by society to look like a virtue
o exclamation mark exacerbates outraged/active tone of the poem in calling all this out
- "It is eternal winter there."
o plosives ('t's) hammer home both the harshness and blow of the eternal winter to the poor children and their wellbeing, as well as the anger of Blake at this injustice
o "eternal winter" - again, crops (typically) don't grow during winter, so the eternal cold of London society means that these poor children will never come to fruition and will never achieve the potential that they had - before the 1870 Education Act, had to pay for schooling
o "there" = distancing speaker and London from the mental world of the poor children; perhaps so little care and connection is taken/formed of/with these children that they seem in a different plane altogether; alternative and more likely reading is a criticism of the disparity between the rich and poor in London and the imbalance in society and the spread of the "richness" amongst people, and thus the rich are in the bright sunny fields whilst the poor children are left behind in an eternal winter where have to toil a lot to get very little out of fields, as well as nearly no crops growing, sad, cold, miserable
- both statements end their respective stanzas with certain punctuation (full stop, exclamation mark) -> forces pauses for comprehension and reflection
84
anaphora of "And" in third stanza when describing troubles of children
- troubles seem never to end and they keep mounting
o yet nothing is DONE about it - exacerbating the tragedy again
85
"their sun does never shine,"
- could be that the warmth of the sun (that is made for them as innocent, good children by God and SHOULD shine on them because they need warmth and care to grow) doesn't hit because of the evils/cold of society -> they can't grow, aren't provided for as they are meant to be
- could also be read as the internal "sun" of the children (brightness, hope, greatness) "never shining/being fulfilled because of their under-provision by society
- is a statement (same with the other statements in the stanza) -> certainty means it seems like it WILL never shine
86
"their fields are bleak and bare,"
- plosives in bleak and bare emphasise the cruelty of this fact
- "their fields"
o metaphor for the lives of the poor children -> do not fruit and flower and shit
- in this stanza, the description of the nature that the children are surrounded by is incredibly divorced from the typical presentation of nature as beautiful and verdant and alive in other Romantic poems, and may act as a metaphor for society going against nature, as nothing does what it should and thus nothing flourishes
87
"their ways are filled with thorns:"
- "thorns"
o perhaps allusion to Jesus' crown of thorns in the Bible? the children are previously compared to lambs in HT(I), which are also heavily associated with Jesus, and gives the image of sacrificing completely pure, innocent beings who ought to be followed for their ideology rather than taken advantage of (like Jesus)
o also, thorns filling the children's "way" means they are trapped in their "bleak and bare" fields with nowhere to go unless they subject themselves to the utter pain of scrambling through the thorns blocking their path -> comment on how inescapable the children's situation is due to the "thorns" of poverty and society, as well as the suffering which envelops any who attempts to escape it and be different (Ortega y Gasset's idea of the "Mass-Man" and the fact that "Anybody who is not like everybody... runs the risk of being eliminated." -> plight of the individual in an increasingly conforming and regimented society -> Romantic ideology (noble savage, Rousseau))
88
"Babes should never hunger there,/Nor poverty the mind appall."
- "Babes"
o same usage as earlier; links to Jesus, innocence, purity and vulnerability
- "should never hunger"
o there is no excuse for poverty - it is entirely possible for a society in which there is no poverty at all, and so it SHOULD be this way - the fact that it isn't is appalling
- "poverty the mind appall."
o directly labels poverty as appalling and in concrete terms admonishes the continuance of poverty in a society where the land is "rich and fruitful" and everyone COULD and SHOULD always have proper provision (Malthus)
A Level English Literature EDEXCEL
flashcards
Decks in class (22)
# Cards
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A Streetcar Named Desire - context69
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A Streetcar Named Desire - quotes113
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A Streetcar Named Desire - essay plans by theme/q2
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Material - Ros Barber31
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An Easy Passage - Julia Copus35
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Genetics - Sinead Morrissey21
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To My Nine-Year-Old Self - Helen Dunmore24
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Effects - Alan Jenkins0
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The Gun - Vicki Feaver21
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A Minor Role - U.A Fanthorpe14
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The Furthest Distances I've Travelled - Leontia Flynn19
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Please Hold - Ciaran O'Driscoll15
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Blake88
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Wordsworth93
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Byron0
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Shelley0
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Keats0
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Romantics: context36
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Tess of the D'Urbervilles - Context1
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Tess of the D'Urbervilles - Quotes0
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Wuthering Heights - context27
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Wuthering Heights - quotes23
