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WILLIAM BLAKE (1757-1827) - Coggle Diagram
WILLIAM BLAKE
(1757-1827)
LIFE
London, 1757
humble origins, worked as engraver
he studied at the Royal Academy of Arts
with his paintings he broke the conventions of perspective and proportions to emphasise the power of imagination
he made illustrations for
John Milton
,
The Bible
and made some drawings inspired by Dante's
Divine Comedy
Politics:
radical, supported the French Revolution
purifying violence for the redemption of man
wanted the abolition of slavery
later: disillusionment
he focused on the evil consequences of the Industrial Revolution
he sympathised with the victims of industrial society: children, prostitutes, orphans, soldiers
Role of the artist: guardian of the spirit and imagination
Strong sense of RELIGION
died in London in 1827
LITERATURE
regarded as an
EARLY ROMANTIC
because he rejected neoclassical style
IMAGINATION
overcomes REASON:
ideal forms don't come from
the observation of nature
but from
INNER VISIONS
creator of the
ILLUMINATED PRINTING
: combination of picture and poetic text
WORKS
Songs of Innocence
(1789)
before the French Revolution, enthusiasm for liberal ideas
Narrator:
a
shepherd
who receives inspiration from a
child
in a cloud to pipe his songs celebrating the divine in all creation
lambs, flowers, children playing on the village green
Main theme:
CHILDHOOD
as symbol of
innocence
connected with happiness, freedom,
imagination
Language:
simple and musical
Songs of Experience
(1794)
period of the Terror in France
Narrator:
the
bard
, the counterpart of the shepherd who questions the themes of the previous collection
Main theme:
ADULTHOOD
as symbol of
experience
connected with pessimism, irony,
complexity of visual world
The Songs are paired with the ones of the previous collection and are intended to be read together
Prophetic books
(complex personal mythology)
Visions of the daughters of Albion
(1793)
Attack of the conventions of sexual morality for women
America: a Prophecy
(1793)
political change
Europe: a Prophecy
(1794)
The marriage of Heaven and Hell
(1790s)
Hell and Satan: liberty and energy.
Heaven: the place of lawgiving
IMAGINATION
the means through which
man knows the world
the Divine Vision
shared by
the child
the poet
God
the power of
creating things
Poet=
prophet
who can see more deeply and warns man of the evils of society
STYLE
use of symbols
the father
experience
Christ
higher innocence
the child
innocence
linear and rhytmical verse, frequent repetitions
close relationship between sound and meaning
simple structure
SONGS
London
(Songs of Experience)
I wander thro' each charter'd street /
Near where the charter'd Thames does flow.../
In every cry of every Man.../
The mind-forg'd manacles I hear
it conveys the view of the city, of the desease and suffering brought about by industrialisation
The Lamb
(Songs of Innocence)
Little Lamb who made thee/
Dost thou know who made thee /
Gave thee life & bid thee feed
The poets wants to know who created the lamb. he was created by someone who 'calls himself a lamb' and shares the animal's and child's innocence, as well as the poet himself.
The Tyger
(Songs of Experience)
Tyger! Tyger! burning bright /
in the forests of the night /
what immortal hand or eye /
could frame thy fearful symmetry?
Powerful imagery and original rhythm
Infant Joy
(Songs of Innocence)
I have no name: /
I am but two days old. /
What shall I call thee?
simple introduction to innocence and joy, represented by a baby called Joy who decides his own nature
Infant Sorrow
(Songs of Experience)
My mother groaned! My father wept, /
Into the dangerous world I leapt, /
Helpless, naked, piping loud, /
Like a fiend hid in a cloud
introduction of the world of experience and the consciousness of it