Choose 2 poems by William Blake and consider how they capture his concerns as a poet.

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February 2004                        English Coursework                Subika Sultan

Choose 2 poems by William Blake and consider how they capture his concerns as a poet.

William Blake was a first generation Romantic poet. Many of his poems were critical of a society who thought them selves to be almost perfect, a society run by, not their own free will, but the use of technology. He wanted people to question what they had always done, and whether it was morally right. He did so by using varying techniques that set up clashes between ideologies and reality. His poems allow us to see into ‘the eternal world of the spirit’ and his dreams of the sacred England he had always wanted, a place undamaged by technology, a place that is peaceful and tranquil.  But not all his poems reflect this. In fact, from Blake’s ‘Songs of Innocence and of Experience’ there are a number of poems, describing what life could be like and in reality what life is like. Two examples are ‘The Lamb’ and ‘The Tyger’. We can see he uses poetic techniques to set up such clashes. These two poems demonstrate exactly Blake’s views on the ills of society, mainly referring to the industrial revolution and the impacts and consequences it brought.

‘The Lamb’ and ‘The Tyger’ are both poems written in the form of a lyric which describes the capturing of a particular moment and most importantly the mood or insight it stimulates in the poet. Blake thought that a lyric gives the freedom to tell anything and explore the emotions and ideas that some incident has created. Blake shows the original meaning of ‘lyric’ by actually titling his volume ‘Songs of Innocence and of Experience’.

The ‘Songs of Innocence’ are poems which bring out happy feelings and show the greatness in life. They represent innocence and a child - like vision, thus ‘The Lamb’ is about God creating a lamb who is a special and holy creature. The ‘Songs of Experience’ are poems unveiling what life is really like and leaving unanswered questions, unveiling: sin, guilt, cruelty and exploitation. ‘The Tyger’ (taken from ‘Songs of Experience’) is asking who created such a different and fierce creature, who would dare to create such a creature: ‘Did he who made the Lamb make thee?’

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The tone in ‘The Lamb’ is pensive. As the poem is taken from the ‘Songs of Innocence’ it is comforting and reassuring; the lamb itself being a symbol of spirituality. Also there is a sense of innocence and freedom as the lamb is ‘meek & mild’ likes Jesus, who the Lamb is representing. In ‘The Tyger’ the reader gets a sinister feel because unlike in ‘The Lamb’ where everything is positive and reassuring and the questions are all answered: ‘Little Lamb I’ll tell thee…’, ‘The Tyger’ is not comforting and leaves unanswered questions: ‘what immortal hand or eye, Dare ...

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