Pre 1914 Poetry William Blake

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                                                                        1st February 2006

GSCE ENGLISH AND ENGLISH LITERATURE

PRE-1914 POETRY

William Blake (1757-1827)

Holy Thursday (Innocence) (1789)

Holy Thursday (Experience) (1793)

        

These poems ‘Holy Thursday (experience)’ and Holy Thursday (innocence) are set on Ascension Day in a service in St. Paul’s church. This was a special occasion for the orphans who came from London Charity Schools.

        

The ‘Holy Thursday (innocence)’ poem can be interpreted in two different ways. The impression we get at first is that the orphans are treated well and they lead happy lives but after reading ‘Holy Thursday (experience)’ you start to realise that there is a negative way of understanding the same poem. This view shows the orphans to be mistreated and very unhappy.

The phrase ‘their innocent faces clean’ suggests children that are being well looked after rather than being abandoned and roaming the streets of London.

        

There is a suggestion that the children have companions, are well behaved and have a sense of order by the line ‘the children walking two by two’ This is further added to by the phrase ‘In red, blue and green’ which implies that they were dressed in bright, smart uniforms rather than rags.

        

The children have angelic guardians to nurture and protect them, as implied by the lines ‘Grey-headed beadles walked before’ who have ‘wands’ are described ‘as white as snow’ which makes us feel that these are enchanted guardians who are pure and magical. Another phrase that adds to this is the sentence ‘Wise guardians to the poor’. There is further reference to the good work that the guardians are doing when William Blake uses the term ‘Multitudes of lambs’ implying the guardians are shepherding and guiding innocent creatures. The idea of lambs conjures up the image of animals all grouped together making sure that they are all safe.

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The orphans are referred to as flowers in the second paragraph, implying delicate, natural and beautiful. Flowers signify peace implying that the children are good-natured. ‘Seated in companies they sit’ like good well-behaved pupils in a school, to say their nature is calm and peaceful rather than loud and rowdy.

        Their god-fearing nature is implied by the words ‘raising their innocent hands’ probably referring to prayer as they are hopeful and eager.

        In the last paragraph William Blake is saying the children enjoy going to church, praying and singing hymns as ‘’like a mighty wind they raise to heaven ...

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