William blake Context

Question 1

Industrial revolution

Answer 1

1757 time of social political, philosophical and economic upheaval

• emergence of large industrial over populated cities
• resulting society was one of oppression and poverty - Blake disgusted by it

Question 2

Where did he live and opinion on church

Answer 2

London

• saw poverty and child labour
• disillusioned with the Christian church, though not with God

Question 3

Romanticism

Answer 3

Early influential romanticist
- expressed extreme affirmation of the self, spiritually tended to encourage a sense of understanding of the infinite and supernatural

Question 4

The church

Answer 4

Didn’t like the established church - saw it as corrupt and self- serving

• Blake’s poetry focuses on individual religious experiences
• critical of church and Government and God because of poverty - critical of I just uses that were exposed upon society

Question 5

What did he believe about the soul?

Answer 5

Split into two halves the good and the bad

Question 6

Innocence and experience

Answer 6

Saw the world in contrasts

• innocence as the revolutionary devour of pre- revolution France and ‘experience’ as the age of terror that followed the French Revolution
• contrast between innocent youth and uncorrupted pastor/ countryside nature VS corrupt and spoilt landscape of London