William
Blake, born in London the 1757, was an engraver. He started writing in his late
twenties,
in 1789 he published the songs of
innocence, and in 1794 the which he engraved himself. these are the original
publications: instead of printing the book normally he engraved both the words
and the pictures on copper plates with a special technique of this own called
"illuminated printing".
INFANT JOY
This poem
focuses on the gift of life in a newborn, and celebrates happiness. It is
presented in a form of an imaginary dialogue between a mother and his newborn
child who’s two days old. The mother asks the baby how he wants to be called,
and he names himself Joy because joy is the only emotion he has experienced so
far. The mother blesses the baby with the name Joy, and hopes that joy will
always be his lot in life.
The fact
that the baby names himself Joy may represent
Blake’s desire to see humans determine their own state of bliss and
their own destiny, not following the constrictions established by social and
religious institutions. rough
INFANT SORROW
In contrast
to “Infant joy”, Blake wrote “Infant sorrow”, in which he also speaks about
birth, but from an infant’s prospective, and focuses on the pain and sorrow.
The poet suggests that child birth is not always joyful and happy, but can
bring sorrow and pain. He seems an unwanted child, also because of the behavior
of the parents: in fact his mother “groaned”, and his father “wept”.
This poem
may perhaps represent Blake’s aversion to the industrial revolution , in fact
in that period many factory owners exploited young women and children who
worked in their factories. The child
uses the past tense to describe his own birth, so he possibly has already grown
up and regrets the time when he could find comfort by just laying on his
mother’s breast.
But the
poem can also be considered as symbolic: the fact that the child tries to
escape from the cloth in which he is wrapped may represent the attempt of
rebelling against institution’s oppressions and the final moment of acceptance and
surrender.
LONDON
The poem
London was written during the times of the French revolution, and shows blake’s
views of 18th century London.
1. Blake describes the sights he sees
as he walks through the streets of London. The repetition of the word “charted”
emphasizes his anger towards the ruling classes with their controlling laws and
oppressive ways. In fact, in that period free speech was forbidden, to avoid
Londoners following the example of the French revolutionaries. Blake perceives
that Londoners are suffering by their marked facial expressions of despair and
they are described as weak and full of woe, because of these oppressions.
Here he uses alliteration and repetition ( chartered, marks) to create
and emphasize an atmosphere of oppression and despair.
2. Blake feels as IF the fear and the
cries of every man and child are audible to him and through their silence, he
can hear all that they want to say but cannot because of the fear of being
punished. Moreover, their feelings remain imprisoned in their own minds. (as
mind forg'd manacles )
He again uses repetition the
every and cry to symbolize the depression that inflicts not certain individuals
but all of society.
3. Blake criticizes the authorities
like the church and the palace (ruling class). The chimneysweepers represent
the poor children whose suffering and cries, blackening the church, which
should bring light to its people. In addition, protect children and the poor.
The soldiers represent the pain of those who were forced to serve the army in
desperate conditions, and their blood spills down the palace walls.
Here he uses images of destruction and despair (chimneysweepers cry,
black'ning church, blood down palace walls)
4. Blake talks about a young girl who
because of her poverty is forced to walk in the darkness of the streets as a
prostitute, and he can hear her cursing, for what she is going through her
curses will blast a new born infants tear and blight with plague a marriage
hearse) he says that a new born child will be born into poverty, disease and
despair and that moral corruption and unfaithfulness is like a plague which
will lead to death . Blake criticizes rich men who exploit prostitutes and
destitutes not caring of how their actions affect the lives of innocent people.
