William Blake is considered to be one of the greatest poets of British history. He wrote poems in such a unique way which made him stand out through his illustrations and ideas. Blake was from the 19th century English Romantic period, his writing style made it possible for the common people to understand since he wanted to make it accessible to them. This was a time when poets valued imagination and emotion as well as the concern with the particular human being. As a young boy, Blake had visions that he said to be the source of his inspiration (Allen, 1072). His parents did all they could to discourage his “gift” but then they realized that he was different and Blake got home schooled. His imagination definitely stayed with him as he grew up …show more content…
He saw the state of innocence as being loving and trusting, which he would relate it to children. Experience taught him that the world was cruel, which then lead to his image of Christ as a warrior against evil where he found a spiritual meaning in nature. In “The Tyger,” Blake uses meter and rhyme to make his message standout and flow with the rhythm of his poem. He frequently uses end-stops which give a chanting feeling. By using different devices, Blake has created a solid poem. The image of a tiger secretly moving around through the dark forest is created in the first stanza. The poem starts off with: “Tyger! Tyger! burning bright In the forests of the night...”(---”The Tyger”). As the reader, the picture of a tiger in a dark forest with a coat on fire comes up in your mind. This brings up a negative impression of the tiger, some might consider the tiger as a symbol of evil and it might even stir up the opinion of it being scary. In this poem, Blake creates a mixed metaphor. The tiger is a symbol of nature but is yet feared by many since he can be intimidating and violent. With this he is referring to the idea that there are two different types of people in this world but we need both for …show more content…
When I first read this poem, I thought it was very negative since it mentions words like destruction, and revenge. This poem is about two lovers. One of them cheated on their partner and the other one wants revenge. The poem is very contradictory since the beginning. “O Rose, thou art sick” (---”The Sick Rose”). This is from the first stanza and roses are usually seen as symbol of love, beauty and romance. But then, it mentions the words sick so we get the sense that something bad happened. Either the rose could be hurt or just represent a bad occasion. I think that Blake intended for the rose to be thought of being the woman and he is being portrayed by the worm. The rose is a symbol of love, which has become infected and is dying away. He mentions how he doesn 't know what caused her to ruin the great relationship they had and that it truly got him by surprise. Love is an airborne virus and you don 't really see it coming, it just happens and it might leave you heartbroken. Blake’s message is that love could either tear you down or build you up but if you are being guided by God then that love will impact you positively while building you
William Blake was probably more concerned than any other major Romantic author with the process of publication and its implications for the interpretation of his artistic creations. He paid a price for this degree of control over the process of printing, however: Blake lived in poverty and artistic obscurity throughout his entire life. Later, when his poems began to be distributed among a wider audience, they were frequently shorn of their original contexts. For William Blake, there has been a trade-off between the size of the audience he has reached and the degree of control he exerted over the publication process.
On November 28, 1757 in the large bustling town of London, England; James and Catherine Blake welcomed their son William Blake into the world (Paananen xix-xxi). A happy and powerfully imaginative child, William was one of five (Bedard 8-14). Contrary to what his linguistic talents may dictate he received no formal education, due to his parents’ intense religious beliefs and hesitations to branch beyond their sect, in regards to education (Bedard 8-14). William was however taught basic reading and writing skills by his mother (Bedard 8-14). At the age of ten he was enrolled in the Paris Drawing School where he learned the basics of drawing (Bedard 8-14). Many years later on August 18, 1782 he married Catherine Boucher, an uneducated maid (Bedard 8-14). Though a seemingly unlikely couple, they remained faithful to each other until William’s death on August 12, 1827 (Paananen xix-xxi). He was buried in an unmarked grave in Bunhill Fields with the rights of the Church of England (Paananen xix-xxi).
William Blake is a literature genius. Most of his work speaks volume to the readers. Blake’s poem “The Mental Traveller” features a conflict between a male and female that all readers can relate to because of the lessons learned as you read. The poet William Blake isn’t just known for just writing. He was also a well-known painter and a printmaker. Blake is considered a seminal figure in the history of poetry. His poems are from the Romantic age (The end of the 18th Century). He was born in Soho, London, Great Britain. He was the third of seven children. Even though Blake was such an inspiration as a writer he only went to school just enough to read and write. According to Bloom’s critical views on William Blake; one of Blake’s inspirations was the Bible because he believed and belonged to the Moravian Church.
Blake’s poetry focuses on imagination. When Blake created his work, it gained very little attention. Blake’s artistic and poetic vision is reflected in his creations. Blake was against the Church of England because he thought the doctrines were being misused as a form of social control, it meant the people were taught to be passively obedient and accept oppression, poverty, and inequality. In Blake’s poems “The Lamb,” “The Tyger,” and Proverbs of Hell, he shows that good requires evil in order to exist through imagery of animals and man.
William Blake was an English romantic poet who lived from 1757 to 1827 through both the American and the French revolutions. Although he lived during the Romantic Age, and was clearly part of the movement, Blake was a modern thinker who had a rebellious political spirit. He was the first to turn poetry and art into sociopolitical weapons to be raised rebelliously against the establishment. His poetry exemplified many of the same topics being discussed today. Although he was known as both a madman and a mystic, (Elliott) his poetry is both relevant and radical. He employed a brilliant approach as he took in the uncomfortable political and moral topics of his day and from them he created unique artistic representations. His poetry recounts in symbolic allegory the negative effects of the French and American revolutions and his visual art portrays the violence and sadistic nature of slavery. Blake was arguably one of the most stubbornly anti-oppression and anti-establishment writers in the English canon.
The ideas that are presented in poems are often the same ideas everyone is thinking but are too afraid to speak their mind for fear that they might be judged. Allen Ginsberg explained this predicament when he said “[p]oetry is the one place where people can speak their original human mind. It is the outlet for people to say in public what is known in private” (Ginsberg). This quote applies especially to “The Tyger” by William Blake. William Blake’s poem “The Tyger” at the surface is very simplistic; however, with further analysis the story’s theme of religion asks fundamental questions that pertain to one’s worldview with the use of symbolism.
William Blake is remembered by his poetry, engravements, printmaking, and paintings. He was born in Soho, London, Great Britain on November 28, 1757. William was the third of seven siblings, which two of them died from infancy. As a kid he didn’t attend school, instead he was homeschooled by his mother. His mother thought him to read and write. As a little boy he was always different. Most kids of his age were going to school, hanging out with friends, or just simply playing. While William was getting visions of unusual things. At the age of four he had a vision of god and when he was nine he had another vision of angles on trees.
The two poems, “The Tyger” and “The Lamb,” deal with the difference between different types of people. A tiger is a person who goes and gets whatever he or she wants, and won’t let anything get in his or her way. Tigers are the rich people. Lambs are the ones who are content to get bossed around. They are scared to disobey orders. Lambs are the poor people. Blake writes, “Little lamb God bless thee.” Lambs are the people of God. Blake...
William Blake was born to Catherine Wright and her second husband James Blake on November 28, 1757. Both Catherine’s first husband Thomas Armitage and Blake’s father James Blake were hosiers. This allowed Blakes family to live in a less fashionable, yet respectable neighborhood(). It is speculated that Wright and Armitage were members of the Moravian church; this early influence from his mother affected Blake’s later works as some readers “detect echoes of Moravian hymns in Blake’s poetry” (blake archive). Even as a child, Blake was a level headed and spiritual individual. Because his parents recognized these qualities as different from others his age, he was allowed to skip all forma...
William Blake’s 1793 poem “The Tyger” has many interpretations, but its main purpose is to question God as a creator. Its poetic techniques generate a vivid picture that encourages the reader to see the Tyger as a horrifying and terrible being. The speaker addresses the question of whether or not the same God who made the lamb, a gentle creature, could have also formed the Tyger and all its darkness. This issue is addressed through many poetic devices including rhyme, repetition, allusion, and symbolism, all of which show up throughout the poem and are combined to create a strong image of the Tyger and a less than thorough interpretation of its maker.
Blake is saying to the lamb, I'll tell you who made you, and it is
William Blake’s works’ were simpler than Lord Byron’s. Blake took a softer approach as he expressed his ideas without saying too much. His works included phrases that had more meaning to its simple message. He took what he had learned in the world and added it into his poetry. He was able to capture all sides of life whether it dealt with a child or the unknown presence of an object. He was bale to take the little and turn it into something big that would be remembered for a long time.
In conclusion these two poems by William Blake are both deep and have hidden meanings, they both use imagery, repetition, alliteration and ryming couplets as well as biblical references to create a vivid pictures in the readers head. But these poems do differ in many ways such as the structure, theme and way it is written. The Tyger appeals to me most as it has more hidden meanings than the Lamb and the Lamb is boring and as if written by a child (for effect). In this essay I have analysed, contrasted and compared the two poems The Tyger and The Lamb to the best of my ability detailing the poetic devices used and the underlying meanings.
The sublime is the feeling of delightful horror associated with powerful, large objects that produce both a feeling of awe and fear. Blake alludes to the “fearful symmetry” (4) of the Tyger in order to create the sublime feeling that the creature is both daunting but exquisite. The sublime quality develops further when Blake asks “What dread hand? & what dread feet?” (12). Implementing the word “dread” adds to the frightening tone of the poem, creating a sense of wonder and mystery that derives from the sublime. Blake uses the sublime notion to allow the readers to process the enormity of both the Tyger and its creator, helping develop the poet’s main question; what “immortal hand or eye” (3) could be so powerful to create a formidable creature like the Tyger? The poem “The Tyger” is complexified by the unusual spelling Blake chose for the word “tiger”. The purpose of the alternative spelling is to enhance the complexity of divine creation, Blake’s main concern throughout the poem. The spelling of “Tyger” is also employed to suggest to the reader that the Tyger discussed in the poem is a different, darker beast than the jungle tiger. Humanity, the devil, or sinful actions themselves could all be argued as the “Tyger” Blake refers to. Blake himself does not explain why he misspelled the word, adding to the unanswered questions, which the entire poem consists of,
"William Blake - Biography and Works. Search Texts, Read Online. Discuss." The Literature Network: Online Classic Literature, Poems, and Quotes. Essays & Summaries. Web. 07 July 2011. .