COMPARE THE WAYS IN WHICH WILLIAM BLAKE & WILLIAM WORDSWORTH DESCRIBLE LONDON AND ITS EFFECTS ON THEM IN THEIR POEMS "COMPOSED UPON WESTMINSTER BRIDGE, SEPTEMBER 3RD 1802" AND "LONDON"
30/05/08 COMPARE THE WAYS IN WHICH WILLIAM BLAKE & WILLIAM WORDSWORTH DESCRIBLE LONDON AND ITS EFFECTS ON THEM IN THEIR POEMS "COMPOSED UPON WESTMINSTER BRIDGE, SEPTEMBER 3RD 1802" AND "LONDON" William Blake had a very eventful lifetime, which perhaps influenced his poems and to add to this Blake was very religious which could also have an effect on his poems. He was once an artist, a religious painter as well as a religious believer, but was also a phenomenal poet. He is known as the father of romantics as he is the one who took it off its feet and really explored into it. His book was called `Songs of Innocence and Experience` and `London` can be found in the `experience` part of the book as this was classed as an unnatural poem in his work, therefore it was not in the innocence part because it was a natural poem. Wordsworth spent most of his time in the Lake District and through hard work and determination, got involved with the romantics and wrote the poem `Composed Upon Westminster Bridge`. Romanticism is a complex artistic, literary, and intellectual movement that originated in the second half of the 18th century in Western Europe, and gained strength during the Industrial Revolution. It was partly a revolt against aristocratic social and political norms of the Age of Enlightenment and a reaction against the scientific rationalisation of nature, and was employed most
Compare and Contrast how Blake and Wordsworth depict London
The city of London has inspired many poets throughout the ages: from Chaucer’s Pilgrims to Larkin’s ‘The Whitsun Weddings’. Two of the most distinctive portrayals are William Blake’s London (1794) and William Wordsworth’s Composed upon Westminster Bridge, Sept. 3, 1803. Blake’s poem presents a bleak view of London in the late 18th century, a dismal picture of fallen humanity. By contrast, Wordsworth’s Composed upon Westminster Bridge shows the city of London as beautiful and benign, not in any way threatening or corrupting. This essay explores how these two impressions of London depend on what aspect of London is being examined. Blake wanders around London viewing its inhabitants and describing what he sees and hears; whereas Wordsworth remains static on Westminster Bridge admiring an early morning snapshot view of London while its inhabitants are asleep: an unusual opinion of the city for him. It is more usual for Wordsworth to reject cities in favour of the countryside and nature. In Lines Written a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey composed in 1798, some five years earlier than Composed upon Westminster Bridge, Wordsworth writes: …I am still A lover of the meadows and the woods, And mountains; and of all that we behold From this green earth; of all the mighty world Of eye and ear, both what they half-create, And what perceive; well pleased to recognize
Choose three sonnets, which have made a strong impression on you and explain they have achieved this impression?
English Coursework Choose three sonnets, which have made a strong impression on you and explain they have achieved this impression? The three sonnets I have chosen to use are, "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?" by William Shakespeare "How do I love thee? Let me count the ways" by Elizabeth Barrett Browning "Since brass, nor stone, nor boundless sea" also by William Shakespeare. I have chosen these three sonnets because I think they all convey undying, untouchable love and yet they are all described in such different ways but somehow have the same effect. "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?" Shakespeare starts this sonnet with a question and all through the sonnet seems to linger on the answer instead of answering strait away. He starts the sonnet by asking himself a rhetorical question in which he compares her beauty with the most beautiful natural thing such as summer before he goes on to answer his rhetorical question as if saying why or why not. However throughout the first two quatrains he seems to explain that she is,
Portrayal of Women in Pre 1914 poetry - A Woman to Her Lover by Cristina Walsh (1756-1800), 1889) and Cousin Kate by Christina Georgina Rossetti (1830-1894).
English literature coursework The Portrayal of Women in Pre 1914 Poetry Women in the Victorian Era were treated like marital slaves. In the 18th and 19th centuries women had no power or rights over men. They had to serve many of their husbands requests or were treated as ornaments to admire. Women were of a lower status than men and men in these times were running a dictatorship and limited women's rights. The portrayal of women in these three poems reflects the dilemmas of women in the 18th and 19th centuries, as the victims of sexual prejudice and suppression. "A Woman to Her Lover" by Cristina Walsh (1756-1800), 1889) and "Cousin Kate" by Christina Georgina Rossetti (1830-1894). Both poems reflect how women were portrayed, how men were manipulative and how they bullied women and in the modern day would face serious sanctions for their prejudice actions towards the opposite sex. Christina Walsh's views in her poem "A Woman to Her Lover" are challenging and outspoken in the context of 18th century thinking. She was a "wakened woman" of her time. This means that she has overcome being brainwashed by men. The poet sets out what she does not want from a marriage in stanzas 1,2 and 3. In stanza 4 she sets out what she does want from a marriage. Stanza 1 and 3 both are equal with 7 lines, this may show the equality Christina Walsh is trying to show In stanza 1 Walsh says
Pre 20th Century Poetry Coursework
Pre 20th Century Poetry Coursework Simran Lotay 4P The poets John Donne, Andrew Marvell and William Shakespeare all use numerous different devices to seduce their audiences. Some of the techniques employed are similar between the poets, but there are also differences. The poem 'The Flea' is a metaphysical poem, using metaphysical conceit to persuade the audience. In the poem the 'flea' could be understood as an extended metaphor for virginity, 'how little that which thou deniest me' The poet could be likening the flea's size to the importance of her virginity, in order to convince his audience that the loss of virginity is not a big deal. Donne tells his audience that 'in this flea our too bloods mingled be'. And that 'this cannot be said a sin, nor shame, nor loss of maidenhead'. The poet could be suggesting that his audience can't say that what the flea has done is a sin, and she has now lost her virginity, so her loosing her virginity to him would also not be a sin. There is also mention of 'Pamper'd swells with one blood made of two', which could be a suggestion of a child. A child is born from two parents or is 'one blood made of two'. The poet says that the flea is doing. 'More than we would do'. The poet is trying to say the flea has already joined them together, but it is an act which they should partake in. Donne says to spare the flea because 'three lives in
Compare and Contrast Two Pre 1914 Poems About Women and Sex
Compare and Contrast Two Pre 1914 Poems About Women and Sex In this essay I will be writing about two poems, which are based on the themes of women and sex before marriage. The first poem is to his coy mistress, which was written by Andrew Marvell in the 1600's and describes why Marvell's girlfriend should sleep with him before they are married. The second is the beggar woman written at a similar time by William King and this poem deals with the possible consequences for women of sex before marriage. During the seventeenth century sex before marriage was socially unacceptable and any woman who became pregnant as a result risked being ostracised from her family. Andrew Marvell was a seventeenth century poet, who also became a member of Parliament for Hull. He was a metaphysical poet. In the poem 'To His Coy Mistress', Marvell tries to persuade his girlfriend to sleep with him now because if they wait then there will be a possibility that they could die. 'To His Coy Mistress' is written in rhyming couplets a romantic style of poetry, which ties in with the theme of love in the poem. Despite the romance the poem is written as a very logical argument divided into three sections in which Marvell makes his point. The rhythm and constant rhyme keeps the poem lowing. The poem is divided into three sections. In the first section Marvell describes what they would
Compare and contrast 'To Autumn' and 'Spring', showing how Keats and Hopkins reveal the qualities of the seasons
Compare and contrast 'To Autumn' and 'Spring', showing how Keats and Hopkins reveal the qualities of the seasons. In the two poems 'To Autumn' by Keats and 'Spring' by Hopkins, the qualities of the two seasons are revealed in many different ways. Keats wrote 'To Autumn' on September 19, 1819, half a year before he died. Keats suffered from consumption, and therefore would have known that he was about to die, so it is possible that an element of his poem showing autumn coming to an end, could also be referring to his life coming to an end. Keats was a well known Romantic poet (often inspiring pre-Raphaelite painters) and so his writing contained many appeals to the senses. Hopkins had a love of individuality in his writing, and wrote very lavishly, showing nature as it should be when un-interfered with by man. He wrote his poem, 'Spring', in May 1877, before becoming a Jesuit priest in the summer of the same year. Because Hopkins did not publish his poems, he was able to have his own ideas and didn't have to worry about pleasing people with his poems. The structures of the poems are very similar in some ways. For example, both have very clear stanzas - 'Spring' is made up of two stanzas and 'To Autumn' consists of three equal stanzas. However, in 'Spring' the stanzas are unequal; one being an octave and the other a sestet. Also, each poet has given each stanza a
A comparison of "Cousin Kate" by Christina Rossetti, and "The Seduction'' by Eileen McCauley
A comparison of "Cousin Kate" by Christina Rossetti, and "The Seduction'' by Eileen McCauley The poem "Cousin Kate" by Christina Rossetti tells the story of a young maiden who is attracted to a lord who tempts her with his riches and then uses her. The lord is then attracted to another women Kate. He abandons the pregnant girl for Kate. But Kate refuses to have anything to do with the lord unless they are married and so the lord marries her. They then try for a child but are unsuccessful because Kate is infertile. By this time the maiden's son has grown and so when she hears of the couple's news she boasts of her son. The poem "The Seduction" by Eileen McCauley describes how a girl meets a boy at a party where they dance and talk all night. He then takes her to a riverbank where he takes advantage of her drunken state and sleeps with her. They do not speak with each other again after that night and three months later the girl discovers she is pregnant. She loses her friend sand is rejected by society as a result of her actions that night. "Cousin Kate" is set in the countryside where the maiden grew up and was hardened by the sun and air. She was contented with her cottage mates, which showed her youth and innocence. The scene then changes when the lord lures her to his "palace home". Because she is plucked from her poor life to live in luxury this gives the story a fairy
Macbeth
MACBETH Out of Shakespeare many plays Macbeth which was written in 1906-1606 is one of the best recognised plays around Britain and the world. Shakespeare mainly wrote three types of plays: * Comedy * Tragedy * History Macbeth is a blood thirsty tale of ambition and the evils we will go through to get what we want. Macbeth is the main character, who we see plot and kill in order to become King of Scotland. As soon as we see Macbeth's wishes fulfilled we gradually witness the world fall around him. Macbeth is an historical account especially published for King James the first, it was also rumoured that King James was a descended of Banquo. Throughout Macbeth witchcraft and black magic lingers in every scene, this is cleverly used by Shakespeare because during the Elizabethan era, people were extremely superstitious and really believed in witchcraft and black magic. Witchcraft and black magic also changes Macbeth's character a lot over the three scenes: * Approached by witches * Seeing of the dagger * Ghost of Banquo Macbeth is also considered unlucky to most actors, so they give Macbeth other play names like "The comedy of Glamis", "the Scottish play" or even "The play". Legend has it that an actor died on stage as well as many others. Macbeth has had so many interpretation over the years, for instance Macbeth has been filmed and adapted for the stage in so many
Compare and contrast the difference between modern day and pre-1900 poems on the topic of love and relationships?
5th October 2007 Compare and contrast attitudes towards love and relationships As presented in three of the poems studied. "T he Beggar Woman", by William King, "To His Coy Mistress" by Andrew Marvell and "Valentine" By Carol-Ann Duffy are all pre-1900 poems which focus on the topic of love and relationships. In this piece of work I will look at the attitudes towards love and relationships in these three poems as presented in the text. The first poem I will look at is "The Beggar Woman" by William King. This poem is set in the seventeenth century when women had no rights, and is about a young gentleman hunter in the woods with his party which he is then separated from. On his way he spots a young beggar woman who he is surprised by as she is quite clean and fresh looking and he is instantly attracted to her. He then asks her to sleep with him, after much arguing she finally obliges and they go through the woods to find a suitable place. Finally, they find one, and the woman's child Bobby seems to be causing a great disturbance so the young hunter offers to strap the baby onto his back. The young beggar woman quickly hands over the baby and departs, leaving baby Bobby with the poor man. There are two main themes to consider here. One is that the woman is trying to teach the man a lesson about being responsible for his own actions. Another theme here from the mans side