William Blake

W i l l i a m B l a k e

S t a t u s

●Literarily Blake was a Pre-Romantic or a forerunner of the Romantic

poetry of the 19th century, showing contempt for the rule of reason,

opposing the classical tradition of the 18th century, and treasuring the individual‟s imagination.

●Politically Blake was a rebel, making friends with those radicals. He

strongly criticized the capitalists‟ cruel exploitation. He cherished great expectations and enthusiasm for the French Revolution. He once said that the “dark satanic mills left men unemployed, killed children and forced prostitution”.

L i f e S t o r y

William Blake was born in a business family in London in 1757. He educated himself through self-study. When he was 14, he was apprenticed to be an engraver and then made his living by engraving to illustrate the works for various publishers. He wrote romantic poems and supported the French Revolution. In his old age Blake gave up poetry to devote himself to painting and engraving. In 1827, Blake died in poverty and loneliness.

P o e t i c a l S k e t c h e s

●Blake‟s first collection of poems is named Poetical Sketches, in which he was strongly opposed to the classical tradition in poetry composing of the 18th century not only in form but also in content. Poetical Sketches is a collection of lyrical poems, which are highly musical, and some of them sound like anvil music, rhythmic, short and brief. (An anvil is a large heavy block of iron on which a smith hammers heated metal into shape. )

C o l l e c t i o n s o f B l a k e’s S h o r t L y r i c s

S o n g s o f I n n o c e n c e

●Songs of Innocence contains poems obviously written for children, who are usually

considered naive and innocent. By using the language which even little babies can learn, Blake succeeds in describing the happy condition of a child before it knows anything about the pains of existence, or we can say, before it gets any experiences of life. Here everything seems to be in harmony. However, in some of the poems, we can also find racial discrimination and suffering.

S o n g s o f E x p e r i e n c e

In Songs of Experience, a piece of much more mature work, the atmosphere is no longer sunny but sad and gloomy. Evil is found everywhere in this world. The poet describes pictures of poverty and misery and shows the sufferings of the miserable. He implies the poor should save themselves through passionate rebellion, through revolution. Now he has set himself against the capitalist world.

T h e c o n t r a d i c t i o n o f t h e t w o c o l l e c t i o n s

●Many poems in the two collections contradict each other. They have the same title in the two books, but are opposite in meanings. The contrast is of great significance. It marks a progress in the poet‟s outlook on life.

●For example, in both collections there‟re poems entitled The Chimney Sweeper, but the tone and atmosphere are entirely different.

●The chimney sweeper in Songs of Innocence is really innocent. He works very hard but earns little, however, he does not pay any attention to that. He forgets his misery because he is told God will come to him and promises him that “He‟d have God for his father and never lack joy.” In Songs of Experience, the chimney sweeper is no longer innocent but experienced. He is quite conscious of his miserable living condition and the causes. Now he curses at God and priests and the king who made up a heaven of their misery.

T h e C h i m n e y S w e e p e r

A little black thing among the snow

Crying “…weep! …weep!” in notes of woe!

“Where are thy father and mother? say?”

“They are both gone up to the church to pray.”

Because I was happy upon the heath,

And smil‟d among the winter‟s snow;