Controversial and Courageous

William Blake's "The Marriage of Heaven and Hell" can be seen as a manifesto of his ideas against institutionalized Christianity, as well as a satire. Anna Letitia Barbauld's "Eighteen Hundred and Eleven" can also be seen as an outspoken piece of literature, classified by some as a satire as well. There is reason to believe that, based on the criticism these poems received, the masses of the Romantic time period did not look at these works with open minds.

However, each poem received a good deal of negative attention, and probably caught the eye of a good deal of people. My question is this: did Blake and Barbauld write their poems just to let off some steam, or did they intentionally write their controversial poetry about taboo topics to get others to think about things in a different way?

These two poems so not seem similar at first glance. Blake's poem is choppy; he shifts between poetry and prose often, sometimes making the poem difficult to read. Barbauld's poem is consistent throughout with its rhyming couplets. But, while in form these poems differ, the passion in which each poet expresses himself or herself is very strong, and their poetry proved to be the perfect outlet.

Both "The Marriage of Heaven and Hell" and "Eighteen Hundred and Eleven" were not very well received by critics. Blake's poem was obviously portraying anger and resentment toward the Church, and Barbauld's poem was seen as unpatriotic because of its blatant questioning of England's supreme power.

These works dealt with taboo topics, and, as satires, they were very sarcastic and tongue-in-cheek. The readers of the time did not appreciate the attitude the poets expressed when dealing with these touchy subjects, and both poets received a backlash, rather than praise, for their poems.

Barbauld was shot down because, as a woman, she was not taken as seriously. Subsequent reviews of "Eighteen Hundred and Eleven" were condescending and misogynistic. Blake angered the God-fearing public by questioning certain Biblical contradictions in his "Marriage of Heaven and Hell."

Despite the criticism, both of the poems succeeded at making people think. In Barbauld's poem, she has the reader wondering if she has a point when she questions the longevity of England's supremacy. She may have even scared people by suggesting that England's amazing literature may not last very long. Blake puts his ideas forward and asks the reader how heaven and hell, like body and soul, can possibly be separated.