The Divine Image Defined

Mercy, Pity, Peace, and Love the four tradition Christian virtues are used as the human form for William Blake’s poem, Divine Image, published in Songs of Innocence in 1789 and later in the joint collection of Songs of Innocence and of Experience five years later. William Blake is trying to convey in this work that when we pray, we pray mostly for mercy, pity, peace, and love. These things we pray for make up God and his virtues that we praise him for his caring and comforting us through prayer.

 In the poem it states that mercy is the human heart, pity is a human face, love is the human form divine, and peace is the human dress relating to humans, yet it also states, “For Mercy, Pity, Peace, and Love,/ Is God our Father dear;/ And Mercy, Pity, Peace, and Love,/ Is man, his child and care.” These lines reflect that mercy, pity, peace, and love are not only in God, but that those virtues are us and we are the “divine image”.

The stanza, “Then every man, of every clime,/ That prays in his distress,/ Prays to the human form divine:/ Love, Mercy, Pity, Peace/ And all must love the human form,/ In heathen, Turk, or Jew” is explaining that we share the same virtues as God that anyone who is praying, is praying to the divine image and we must all love it that means we are praying to ourselves and we must also learn to love ourselves not only God. The lines, “Where Mercy, Love, and Pity dwell,/ There God is dwelling too” means since we are all of those virtues, God is living inside of us as the peacemaker because it is the only one missing from those four.

"LORD BYRON!"

                                                                  The Blog site Lord Byron, created by these four lovely girls, Alejandra Hernandez, Danielle Henry, Natasha King, and Sydney Leliefeld was a site I truly enjoyed. They had a goal to teach people about Byron and that is just what they did. Their effort was shown in all aspects of the work completed. Every entry seemed very organized and in depth about their subject. It was easily shown that every member not only taught someone else about Byron but they had learned so much through all the intense research they had completed. They had made their blog quite simple and easy to navigate, even for someone (me) who may not know how Blogspot works all to well. The biggest aspect of the page I noticed would be some of the slight humor within some of the writings. I do have to say I enjoyed Natasha Kings' Prose Poem a lot. It was simple, to the point but yet someone else could interpret it differently than I had. The videos on the site helped explain and get what the author was trying to say across to their readers. The page is not boring in the slightest. There are multiple objects that can and will attract your attention. The background is simple and may I add pretty AWESOME! I enjoyed the visualization through their pictures which allowed me to connect a face to his story. For someone who would know almost nothing about romanticism this site would be very helpful. It explains who Byron was in his art and who he was just as a person in his everyday life. We can learn the fine details that maybe aren't that important but are quite interesting, such as he was a “true gentleman”, despite his “modern day 'Booty Call' ”! The reader will get an example of his poetry applied not just explained. Through learning about who Lord Byron was, this group can write a poem similar to the way Byron himself may have written one. I would say if anyone wanted to expand their own knowledge about Byron they should start with the "Lord Byron" group and not become hesitant to read it from start to finish. You shall be intrigued... ENJOY!

   

The Lamb



The Lamb


The Lamb by William Blake could be interpreted as innocence. To me, the first to lines is asking if the lamb knows who is his creator and if he does could it be the same one who had created me? The next two lines express that the being who had created both lamb and me gave me both life and food to live on. Had this creator gave me a live near the river for fresh water and for food? It could be he gave me the rich soil to live upon. He had given me the clothing I needed,  not just any clothing, clothing of delight. Does not the sheep of clothing of delight? He gave me a soft and tender voice to speak with. So is the creator of this lamb the creator of me?
This creator calls this sweet little animal by his name, Little Lamb. That will be the name we shall call he. Is the lamb just a reflection of a young child? I believe that Blake is trying to express how people my all be young little lambs that grow up. Even though people may grow this may not change where we originated from. The same creator, the same chances and the same beauty that was given and shared since the beginning. We should not hide who we truly are from one another for we started in the same way. We had not been given any special treatment or abilities but how one uses it shall change their own future.
                                                                           

THE LAMB

   Little Lamb, who make thee
   Dost thou know who made thee,
 Gave thee life, and bid thee feed
 By the stream and o'er the mead;
 Gave thee clothing of delight,
 Softest clothing, wolly, bright;
 Gave thee such a tender voice,
 Making all the vales rejoice?
   Little Lamb, who made thee?
   Dost thou know who made thee?

   Little Lamb, I'll tell thee;
   Little Lamb, I'll tell thee:
 He is called by thy name,
 For He calls Himself a Lamb
 He is meek, and He is mild,
 He became a little child.
 I a child, and thou a lamb,
 We are called by His name.
   Little Lamb, God bless thee!
   Little Lamb, God bless thee!

Prose Poem: Fire

Looking at the fire in my chimney at midnight that warms my house I start to wonder: how could something so beautiful bring life and at the same time destruction? How could the roaring of the flames bring heat that brings us back from the dead, that those same exact flames could also kill us in a flash leaving the body unrecognizable?

How can that same fire who could destroy acres of forests ignited from the sun's burning rays, bring it back to life even better after it destroyed it? Is it cause it is not only destruction but also life? Watching the fire, hearing its crisp and crackling sound is soothing and calming yet at the same time  unnerving. Calming when I look at the flames change color and how it goes up and down. The crackling when I throw a piece of wood into it making the flame go higher to give out more heat. Unnerving that at any given moment a spark can fly away from where it is suppose to be and land on wood burning my house down.

If that where to happen then there wouldn't be anything left but to pray that the fire's enemy would come soon: water. The tears that would have rolled down my face, where to be the one's coming down the sky to beat away the fire and save me from the hard, lonely, and cold streets.

Yet on the long run if the rain never came and the firemen couldn't do anything to stop it and had to watch my home slowly burn away, and in its place be left ashes of the past that leave me out in the cold. I hope that there would have been a lesson worth all that pain and suffering of losing my home. Maybe the lesson would have been that materialistic things are not forever, but perishable items that break and are replaceable. The only one true thing one has in life and in this world forever other than yourself, will always be your family whether in your heart or physically. I would have later on been grateful for this lesson of letting go of materialistic things and hold onto things that are more sacred. The fire may have destroyed a home but it built a new and better home.

Newton!



Newton

     William Blake's artwork, Newton was created in 1795 while he lived in Lambeth. This art piece was a color print with pen and ink with watercolor. Blake wanted to depict the great Sr. Isaac Newton as a hero who was simply misguided by science alone. Within this photo he is solely admiring the sterile geometrical diagrams that are shown on the ground in which any geometer would take delight in studying.  Newton was one of the twelve largest colored prints created between 1795 and 1805. While painting this picture Blake stated, "Art is the Tree of Life. Science is the Tree of Death." This expression clearly states Blake's opinion on science. This allows people to assume he wasn't a fan of Isaac Newton or maybe just science in general. Newton's theory of optics was extremely offensive to Blake. Blake had a clear vision of a "vegetative eye" and spiritual vision. Newton's view of there being a god who sits back and attends to nothing such as creation seemed somewhat absurd to Blake. According to Blake this theory made no sense due to the fact that he has his spiritual visions. It seemed as though he was trying to compare himself to Newton on a more personal level. He down-graded Newton due to the fact they had opposite ways of thinking and theories. Blake was one to explore opposites which might have inspired him to express Newton and who he was through one of his very own work of art. Blake's tension towards Newton was mostly because if Newton's theory was correct then that would prove Blake to be a lie. So who's theory is correct? What do we believe, Science or religion? Can both be the correct way of thinking?

     Blake had held his evaluation of his imagination far above science and Newton's "New World View". Newton's view of the "Clock-wise Universe" was referred to as "Newton's sleep" in a verse in Blake's letter to Thomas Butts,

“Now I a fourfold vision see,
And a fourfold vision is given to me;
'Tis fourfold in my supreme delight
And threefold in soft Beulah's night
And twofold Always. May God us keep
From Single vision & Newton's sleep!”

     Blake's opinions and theories are what makes up all of his artwork, so is it not unusual for him to paint and then describe someone who he might be slightly intimidated by? Was Blake trying to tear Newton apart or just simply protect himself and his own theory?

"Lord Byron" (Community Blog)

Looking at the blog's done by my fellew peers, the "Lord Byron" blog really caught my attention.  This blog composed by Alejandra Hernandez, Danielle Henry, Natasha King, and Sydney Leliefeld is devoted to Byron and is really helpful if you want to know more about his life and his works. The blog has a nice background appealing to the eye, and a picture of Byron which I thought was good because that way people would know how he looked like. I like that this blog has many informative posts, including one that compares Byron and Wordsworth. Byron's style combines culture and nature into one, while Wordsworth thinks the opposite, nature is an ecological understanding isolated from culture. That would help someone who does not know anything about Romanticism because they would not be learning about one poet, but would have a glimpse of another great poet, William Wordsworth. I also found it helpful that they provided a tremendous amount of insight of Byron's life. It found it extremely interesting that he would not want to take any money for his work and would rather be in dept to withhold his image to not be seen as a writer. I also would have never guessed that a poet would have ever had a wild partying or "playboy" lifestyle. His partying lifestyle began at Cambride University where he also found his playboy lifestyle appealing to both sexes. Or the fact that he had numerous affairs with married women, one being Lady Caroline, who she later made his life miserable. This blog has many videos that are used as a visual that are helpful if you need more understanding of it. Overall, this blog has many useful posts for people who want to learn more about Byron, his poems, and his life. I really enjoyed reading all of these posts, they helped me have more of an inside look of what he went through and clarifies some of his poems. If you want to learn anything about the Romanticism era, aiming more towards the poet Byron than the other great poets, I suggest you read this blog.

Biography: Blake before he was "Blake"

     Born in 1757, William Blake was just one from six children. He had two brothers and just one sister. The other two had died during Blake's young childhood. He was raised by a Hosiery merchant who owned and ran his shop on Broad Street. As a young boy, William Blake had an extensive imagination. He was considered too “different” for public school resulting in an education from home. His father was weird for his son in a social enviroment. From a young age he talked about spiritual visionary experiences which aren't usual for most people. When Blake was ten years old, he saw a tree filled with multiple angels from a simple stroll down the countryside.

     This happened to be the start of of what colored the rest of his life. When he turned eleven he had entered Par's Drawing School in the Strand Theater. He than began writing poetry a year later. In 1770, at age twelve, he claimed to have read Milton where he then started writing “Poetic Sketches”. His style of writing was considered unique because his ideas were new to the time period. At fourteen years old he took part in a seven year apprentice program to an engraver named James Basire. He got the chance to learn the craft of copy engraving at the end of the eighteenth century. This gave Blake an opportunity to paint, draw and express himself even though his family could not support him by any means of wealth. He was very much interested in painting and drawing, but his family could not afford it. Even though his family could not help their son financially they were extremely supportive of his ideas and dreams.

     In June of 1780 violent anti-Catholic demonstrations, and the Gordon Riots, spread through out the streets of London. On June 6^th, the third day into the riot, Blake was swept along into a large mob involuntary and witness the destruction of the Newgate Prison. That summer William and his friend Thomas strothard were mistaken as spies and arrested on the spot as they were walking to find an area to sketch. After a little explaining they were released.

     In 1789 he published the poems Songs of Innocence, that begins:

“Piping down the valleys wild
Piping songs of pleasant glee
On a cloud I saw a child
And he laughing said to me
Pipe a song about a Lamb
So I piped with merry cheer
Piper pipe that song again
So I piped, he wept to hear.”

Blake's childhood enabled him to foster his creative talents by supporting his artistic aptitudes. This led to the development of a world class artist, and effected romantic poetry.

The Angel Who Got Lost

The Angel, a poem by William Blake published with Songs of Experience in 1974 refers to when he was a child and had frequent visions of God and angels. For example, when he was four years old he claims to have seen “God put his head to the window” and when he was nine he looked up at a tree and saw it “filled with angels”.  From a young age Blake possessed one of the most valuable gifts one could have, imagination mixed along with innocence. 

The first stanza means that he had a dream where a kind and gentle angel protects him from distress, but he couldn’t fool the angel. The second stanza says that he cries day and night most probably from problems he was facing, so the guardian angel comforts him by drying away his tears. He couldn’t fool the angel, but “hid from him my heart’s delight” causing the angel to take off his wings and leave him behind taking his innocence along with him leaving the boy to face the harsh reality of life alone because he wasn’t open enough to him.

The third stanza is generally stating the next morning was a “blushed rosy red” reflecting the shame the boy felt for disgracing the angel. With the angel gone he had no other choice but to wipe his own tears away while he “armed my fears/ With ten-thousand shields and spears” meaning he was becoming older and started to loose his innocence because he started to face real problems enabling him to dream more about the reality of situations, rather than angels and other childlike things. When one becomes older our experience and knowledge determine our final perception of faith. This isn’t surprising that people are afraid of things that can’t be explained with science or on a rational level, like God and if he really does exist or is just something we have to believe in for one of the most intriguing questions, why are we here, what is our purpose? With this in mind, the boy and people just put an end to believing and trusting that any “guardian angel” can protect us from the harsh reality of the world, so we arm ourselves with reasoning and logic.

The final stanza explains how years have passed and the little boy lost his childhood to turn into an elderly man with grey hairs that reflect he is prepared, educated, and has gained wisdom preparing him for life. The angel finally comes back into his new stage of life, but he had no purpose in returning because the once little boy was now armed with reasoning and close to death.

The Little Black Boy Revealed

William Blake’s poem, The Little Black Boy, was published during the time when slavery was still legal and the abolition act was still not fully considered. This work of William Blake focuses on racism and how every man is created equal to each other. The poem starts with the little black boy saying how he was born in the south and is implied that he is a slave. Black is always used as the color that symbolizes evil and sin in terms of religion, while white symbolizes the opposite innocence and purity. When it says, “And I am black, but O, my soul is white!” is saying that appearances can be deceiving because on the outside he is “evil” but on the inside he is actually pure and you can't judge everyone based on the color of their skin.

When his mother said, “Look at the rising sun: there God does live,/ And gives His light, and gives His heat away” is using the sun as a metaphor for God and the “rising sun” refers that there is going to be a change, and this change will relate to slavery. In the poem, it is implied that black people are more connected to God than the white people because of their “black bodies” and “sunburnt face” that result from the sun’s rays, and since God is the sun, blacks received more of his “beams of love”. Once everyone learns to love, have compassion for each other and treat each other as equals, when they die they will hear His voice and go to heaven surrounding his “golden tent” everyone united.

The stanza, “When I from black and he from white cloud free,/ And round the tent of God like lambs we joy,/ I’ll shade him from the heat till he can bear/ To lean in joy upon our Father’s knee;/ And then I’ll stand and stroke his silver hair,/ And be like him, and he will then love me” refers to when the little black boy and English boy get free from their “clouds”, which are their bodies, they will leave their body behind but their souls would go to God’s “tent” or kingdom. Once there, the little black boy “shades” the English boy because the paleness of him shows that he was distanced from God and his love by the treatment of slaves. When the English boy learns that they are all the same, the little black boy will then stand up and unshield him, letting him receive all of God’s rays of love. The little black boy then stroke the English boy’s silver hair caused of the “rays” because now they are both equal and love one another.

When Blake used the neutral colors gold and silver for God’s “golden tent” and the English boy’s “silver hair” because they symbolize moral values, spirituality and wisdom. Spirituality was gold because that is where all of the spirits went afterlife, while wisdom was silver for the hair symbolizing that the English boy has gained experience making him wiser.  The picture (above) by William Blake illustrates the main theme of the poem, black and white children are all the same because God knows no difference since they are all his.

Lord Byron Blog! AWESOME!

     Sydney Leliefield, Alejandra Hernandez, Natasha King, and Dani Henry have gone above and beyond by informing people all about the mysterious poet Lord Byron. They really are living up to their claim that they provide "all you need to know" about this poet. If you would like to check it out, please do so!

     At first glance, one can obviously see that all of the ladies in this group have put a lot of time and effort into creating this blog. They really trying to dig deeper into the poet and provide good information to the reader. The way that the blog is presented only makes the reader more interested. The topics are all dispersed and each member of the group has participated equally.

     I think the aspect that I like most about the Lord Byron blog is the amount of graphics. I believe that any kind of graphic can only make an article that much more interesting. Even just a picture of Lord Byron still just adds so much to the writing. I also like the variety of fonts and sizes that the articles are presented.

     I think one of the specific articles that i really enjoyed was Dani Henry's "Byron: A Sexual Magnet, Or A Hero?" First I loved the video that was added for the same reasons that i stated above. The video just provided that little extra information that is awesome to learn in a different way than just reading the article. I also liked the article itself as it was written based on a very interesting topic. Dani's writing is very well presented and keeps the reader engaged all throughout the article. I think she did an awesome job presenting her case about Lord Byron's and all of the different takes people had on his life.

     Another article that I really enjoyed reading was Sydney Leliefield's Prose Poem "Friendships Lost." Sydney was able to write such a interesting prose poem. Her vocabulary and sentence fluency all made the poem that much better. The theme although sad, she was able to create happy scenes with her similes and her descriptive images give the reader a clear idea of what she is trying to portray.

     Overall the Lord Byron Blog shows great work and information to any reader who is interested in learning more about Lord Byron or Romantic Poets in general.

The Dream: Global Warning (Prose Poem)

The dry brisk air numbs the first layer of my lips, before I lose all feeling.

As the frigid breeze keeps penetrating my skin, I feel the horror of this change.

A change in which I nor mankind can quite control.

But wait! It stops, but only for a time,
the time needed to send chills from my head to toe.

I make my journey through wind, rain, sleet and snow.

But why I ask? Why has this change come so fast?

Some would say a bit too fast.

While only in August we had the glistening beauty of the morning light to keep warm

Why had the colors and winds of Autumn arise then quickly disappear?

The cold is quick to come now.

I have a vision of extreme danger.

All this weather change seems somewhat far from right.

Is it wrong that fish freeze while other animals are hibernating long?

A long dark winter, cold and wet

A chill that never seems to end

But one day there may be light

That will bring this misery to an end

As time travels by us, for a moment we will ponder

Until the next hint of cold,

Where we realize, there shall be no hope.

The opposite of cold is hot

The boundaries of Earth we see

Temperatures rising

Ice caps melting

And the multiple worries start flowing

Polar Bears drowning, you say?

A victim of his own surroundings

Will this change their niche?

Rivers rising, floods increasing

Agonies that people should be facing

Lost in the excitement, overridden by greed

People keep gaining on their own to succeed

All for one and one for all

Whats happening? I shall say

The heat is climbing, will it ever change?

The feeling of sweat as I bake through the day

Something is very wrong

What will it prove to be?

Heating the Earth to the extremity

I open my eyes to merely see

Wow....What a dream!

William Blake's Family Life

William Blake was born on November 28, 1757 to James Blake and Catherine Harmitage Blake. He was the oldest of seven children, which two died in infancy. The youngest, Robert Blake, born in 1767 became Blake’s favorite sibling. Even though Blake lived in the city, he was within walking distance of the fields, hills, and rustic villages bordering London where he spent most of his time. When Blake was as young as four years old, he started to manifest visions such as seeing God “put his head to the window”. Blake’s parents didn’t encourage these visions and his insistence almost led to a beating by his father because he believed Blake was lying. Another one of these visions occurred when Blake was nine years old and it consisted of him looking up at a tree “filled with angels”. Even from a young age Blake was a boy with a high temper and for this physical punishment was useless against him. Blake’s father didn’t force him to attend school for which Blake was glad for. Having been basically self-taught, Blake did however receive instruction in drawing, painting, and engraving, which his father saw as marketable skills and encouraged him.

On August 18, 1782 Blake married Catherine Sophia Boucher, who signed the marriage register with an X. Under her husband’s guidance she became an assistant and disciple. Even though it was a stable and successful marriage, they didn’t have any children. Once Catherine commented, “I have very little of Mr. Blake’s company; he is always in Paradise.” This may be one of the reasons they never had children.

When Blake withdrew from his small print-selling shop with the partnership of James Parker that only lasted the year of 1784 because of Blake’s fiery temper, he attacked him along with the Mathews with his work of An Island in the Moon. As a result, in 1785 he, Catherine, and Robert moved to Poland Street. Robert joined the family while they still lived at 27 Broad Street. Blake had difficulty succeeding as an independent engraver while training Robert in drawing, painting, and engraving. During the winter of 1787, Robert fell ill and died, most likely of tuberculosis of the lungs, after being cared for by Blake for 14 nights and days without sleep at his brother’s bedside. As Robert died, Blake saw his spirit rise up and go through the ceiling, “clapping his hands for joy”. Exhausted and clearly depressed, Blake slept for three straight days and nights. He felt Robert’s spirit visit him and in a dream Robert taught him the secret of stereotype printing.

Blake’s life was marked by conflict, lack of widespread recognition, and lasting success. This would end on August 12,1827 in a two room flat house owned by relatives of his wife, Catherine, because there William Blake passed away. Catherine died four years later. In Blake’s final years he found a small group of disciples who wrote about his death: “Just before he died his countenance became fair. His eyes Brighten’d and He burst out Singing of the things he saw in Heaven.”

Pop Culture William Blake!

     The famous poet and artist William Blake is still known today throughout literature, films, and music. The late 18th century early 19th century writer was part of the romantic poets who expressed freedom of the mind and body.
     Blake's work and influence can be found today in a variety of places. The hit blockbuster movies "V for Vendetta" and "The Watchmen" all come from Blake's ideas and thoughts on governments control on its people. Alan Moore, the author of the two scripts first introduced them in 1982 and '86. Alan was so immersed into Blake's work that in every scene in V's hideout, the painting of "Elohim Creating Adam" can be seen. When the two movies came onto the big screen in the 2000's they were considered big hits and were viewed by many.
     Another example of Blake being found in pop culture can be lyrics of the popular band throughout the world, U2. The band shares the same values and ideas that Blake did toward government issues and they can be found in these lyrics below, Blake's writing first, then U2's lyrics-

As human blood shooting its veins all round the orbèd heaven,
Red rose the clouds from the Atlantic in vast wheels of blood,
And in the red clouds rose a Wonder o'er the Atlantic sea (4.5-7)

From the firefly
A red orange glow
See the face of fear
Running scared
In the valley below

     The difference yet similarity can be distinguished in Blake's America, The Prophecy, and U2's "Bullet in Blue Sky."

     Have you ever heard of a graphic novel? The term was actually derived from Blake as he so often combined his piercing poetry with his beautiful and talented paintings to create one cohesive image. The famous author, C.S. Lewis, writer of the Chronicles of Narnia which have been transformed into blockbuster hits as well, placed Blake's The Marriage of Heaven and Hell as the preface to his book The Great Divorce. References of Blake's work can yet again be found in the popular TV Show Monty Pythons Flying Circus were characters are required to sing "Jerusalem" which is a very profound poem authored by Blake.

     HOw ever much you may want to deny it, such as myself, Romanticism can be found all around us in so many ways in todays culture. Whether it is the music you are listening on your iPod, or part of a TV show you are watching, or in a book you are reading, WIlliam Blake and so many other Romantic poets made their mark on the world that is slow to diminish.

The White War (Prose Poem)

I opened my eyes to see an everlasting stretch of white snow till the eye could see. Its shine like that off a diamond.

The desolate ground was home to just me.

Nothing could be seen above in the grey-darkened abyss. No bird, no sound, no movement stirred around me.

I had just been walking through the ever-so-green park in Koln. The blue skies all around, the sound of church bells from the cathedral rang in my ears like a song.

The happiness was abundant with every person that passed by. Trees with blossoms as if they were their own color.

Not here though.

Here there is nothing. I am alone and lost.

The silence became a piercing sound.

I walk aimlessly searching for something that I do not know what for.

White consumes me.

I try and speak yet I am a silent mouse.

The silence is then broken, enormous noise surrounds me like the waves on the ocean.

Coming from my right, then coming from my left. Alternating from my front to my back. Increasing in speed.

I crouch in thinking I am protecting myself as though there is nothing but white. No object to fall under or behind. No source can be found of the strident clamor.

And as fast as the sound came upon me, it diminished into an unknown void.

I remain clenching my ears like that of a newborn and his mother. My eyes closed like glue. 

I wait as if more will come. And it did.

This time colors. With the sound coming first, a bright flash of light like the sun proceeding. Blinding and illuminating the snow.

Yellows, oranges, reds all burst into the air. At times the light itself was blinding.

Smoke began to rise around me like a disease. Coughing into the air unable to cover my mouth as I am already covering my ears.

And yet again, as fast as it had came, the din collapsed.

My mind goes blank, I can think of nothing. My mind is white, my soul is empty and I am immersed in fear as if the world had come to its very end. And it did.

I bring myself to look, to open my eyes. I begin to stand after being crouched for so long. Now all I see is grey, grey smoke in every direction.

My eyes are open, but I still remain blind like that of a newborn.

Waiving my hands to steer the smoke away I see it.

I become ill, my stomach churns, my hands quiver, my feet stuck to the snow.

Koln Cathedral stands erect. Its enormous beauty stands tall like a champion.

And I fall to my knees as the snow diminishes, color begins to emerge, and I see what has become of this land.

All buildings destroyed. Grey and black my eyes see as bodies lay flat, motionless and dismembered.

The only thought or feeling in my body and mind was fear. And just as I had seen the devastation of the park and homes and trees and lives, I was back.

The green grass, the joyous people. The warm summer air. The peace.

Was that a dream? What have I seen? Where did I go?

And my ears stood in amazement as I heard the voice.

My homeland, my Germany, was to be under him. And in that place I realized my doom, my live stripped from me and so many others like in a slaughter house.

The white death would come, and I was never the same.

Reading Response 3

"The Little Black Boy"

         The Songs of Innocence and of Experience by William Blake express a minority’s thoughts and feelings toward the world’s status-quoi beliefs. Christine Gallant of Georgia State University sheds light on William Blake’s hidden motives and inklings about his beliefs toward the enslaved world in her article “Blake’s Antislavery Designs for Songs of Innocence and of Experience.” Gallant discerns Blake’s concern toward the ironic abolitionists who seek to end slavery yet maintain racist ethos. The depictions and artistry that is seen throughout the songs are at times more powerful than the written word in the poems in suggesting this twisted mindset. Gallant mainly focuses on the art throughout the Songs to interpret and explain Blake’s criticism and opposition to slavery but also the hypocritical evangelical abolitionists. Undisputed as the best works from Blake, the Songs are to be considered a beacon of truth to the world of slavery and the war that occurs inside oneself. Gallant states trying to uncover Blake’s real motives, “over and over, Blake emphasizes the Biblical point that man was created “in the image of God,” a sly reminder to those of a missionary bent that the “divine image” comes in many colors.” Reading Gallant’s article can only spark a person’s interest. As you go along and read her journey of digging and searching and demystifying Blake’s most profound works, you come to realize the truth that can be found in his words. This man was horribly confused, his own faith becoming irresolute. Gallant lays the foundation to Blake’s work by sharing the history of both the Haitian Revolution and the Saint-Domingue revolt. Believed to be Blake’s inspiration, the revolutions are the base for Blake’s poems and artistry. The conflict in England was between the proslavery community, which was clearly the majority, and the evangelical abolitionists. Blake indicates his dilemma in his poetry when the pronounced evangelical groups who insist on sharing the Word of God to the black slaves, yet show no resistance to those who enforce slavery. Overall, Gallant focuses most of her time writing on the irony that can be found within Evangelical Abolitionists and their overall actions toward slavery.

Gallant states in her article, “over and over, Blake emphasizes the Biblical point that man was created “in the image of God,” a sly reminder to those of a missionary bent that the “divine image” comes in many colors." I found myself while reading this article wishing I could have lived along side a man that was so full of truth and understanding of the world around him. I can only imagine his frustration with the entire situation that fell upon his country.  I am a Christian of faith and it would be terrifying to see my fellow Christians ignore what they are seeing with their own eyes.  Gallant states over and over the pain that Blake feels and how it took the two revolutions to ignited his heart and begin voicing for what he thought was right. We cannot continue to let this conflict break us apart. Gallant digs deeper into decoding a specific illustration, one that is found within the poem, “The Little Black Boy.” The image can be described as two young boys, one of white color and one of black, near a savior figure. The young white boy is kneeling considered being in the same posture as the Wedgwood Slave-Seal. The Wedgwood Slave-Seal was simply a symbol created by Josiah Wedgwood in association with the Abolitionists Society. The irony is then displayed as the white boy kneels in the “slave-like” posture, as the black boy tends to the smoothing of the white boy’s hair while standing. The savior focuses all attention on the white boy, excluding the black boy. Gallant makes the astounding interpretation of Blake’s work by stating, “in other words, it is the white boy who is the slave, with the “mind forg’d manacles” that prevent him from loving the black boy so unlike him.” I stand in amazement every time I read this sentence by Gallant. The irony that the many who forced enslavement upon so many black humans were actually the one’s missing out on a wonderful harmonious life. The white race was actually the enslaved race. Gallant all throughout her article expounded Blake’s illustrations and brought to light his underlining thoughts. I believe whole heartedly what Blake was trying to covey through his poetry during that appalling time. I have found a new appreciation for not just what Blake wrote about, but what all romantics believed and transcribed through their poetry.

The Ancient of Days

     Known throughout the world, this drawing to the right could possibly be the most famous piece of art that William Blake ever created. Created in 1794, The Ancient of Days was inspired by Blake's often visions that he would see through his daily life. Being a very religious man and a follower of Christ, Blake's work reflect his faith. This specific drawing was originally a water color drawing for the cover of "Europe, the Prophecy." Blake stated that the image appeared to him through a vision when he was overlooking a staircase while he was living in Lambeth.
     The main focus that Blake brought to the viewers attention when looking at the image was the theme "Urizen." The theme is based upon the idea of both conventional reason and law and the interaction between both. The poetical work and drawings of "Urizen" depict the bearded man throughout many works as he is to embody the reason in life that coexists with the law establish on earth. The idea that Blake portrays is the man has the power to create and constrain the universe itself. In other depictions the man used nets to constrain men by law.
     Blake created in his own words a version of how the bible was created and the laws that come over man along with creating a god, Urizen and his polar opposite, Los, portraying the same characteristics of God and the Devil. In the poem, "Europe, the Prophecy," Urizen through his own works is able to open the book of brass, which resembles the bible, and places he laws on mankind.
     The compass in the painting is to symbolize the creation and condition of the world and the philosophy during that time period. Through the painting and the overall meaning and ideas in "Europe, The Prophecy," Blake is trying to convey his fears and concerns of Europe's intentions and current condition of leadership and beliefs. Blake was tired of how religion was being twisted and manipulated all throughout England. "Europe, The Prophecy," and "The Ancient of Days" clearly portray Blake's deepest concerns for the human race.

Biography of William Blake (Paintings)

Blake's "Nebuchadnezzar"

     The London born William Blake had great potential starting early on in his life. The young boy enriched in Christian religion found himself seeing angels within he trees and began to share his enthusiasm in drawing in writing. By the age of ten, Blake was writing poems that he would often set to melodies and also showed his talent in artistry. Growing in talent and experience, Blake was accepted into the Park's drawing school and later when he turned fourteen, he was then placed in an apprenticeship that would last for up to seven years. He studied there to become an engraver, which became the most beneficial trade in his life.

     With his first publication, Poetical Sketches, paved the way for young Blake where growth and experience would enrich his work. After the passing of both his father and brother, his wife Catherine and Blake moved next to the families old shop where Blake built his own print shop. The next big break for Blake was both Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience. These two pieces of work prove to be beneficial even in today’s society.

    William Blake being known well for his poetry placed engraving and paintings all throughout his poet works. His paintings all throughout the popular poetry of the Songs add new light to his written words. The poem, “The Little Black Boy” had some of Blake’s most pronounced abolitionist feelings intertwined not only found in that poem but all throughout. “Ancient of Days” is another example of Blake’s extraordinary gift in painting with watercolors. The painting to this day is still under debate for what Blake entirely wanted to symbolize with that specific painting. Another one of Blake’s most popular paintings was that appeared within the poem “Marriage of Heaven and Hell” was Nebuchadnezzar. The painting is meant to show the "mad king crawling like a hunted beast into a den among the rocks.”

     William Blake's entering his later life had many more illustrations than poetical works. The Book of Job and Dante were more illustrations in the Blake’s time. His poetical work included The Everlasting Gospel, a widely known poem.

Reading Response 3

An Eye Opener to William Blake and His Works

      In the article “Point of View and Context in Blake’s Songs”, Robert F. Gleckner reveals the secrets within romantic poet William Blake’s works, and teaches the reader how to recognize the true meaning of all Blake’s songs. Robert talks about using point of view, context, symbols, organization, and perspective to discover the true meaning of Blake’s poems. He demonstrates how to properly understand a poem by using these concepts in examples of Blake’s work. In My Pretty Rose Tree, Robert exposes the true reason why the speaker gets no reward from his “rose tree”, and teaches how the use of symbolism can make all poems easier to interpret. When Robert compares the Piper and the Bard (two characters within Blake’s works from Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience), he displays the use of experience versus innocence, and tells how Blake uses those dualities in all his poems to intensify the irony and significance. He also reveals that all of Blake’s songs should be read in the correct order of Songs of Innocence then Songs of Experience. To explain this Robert writes, “For the serious reader of Blake’s songs, then a constant awareness of the context of state in which a poem appears in indispensable; and since each state is made up of many poems, the other poem in that state must be consulted to grasp the full significance of any one poem.” By this he means that William Blake intended his songs to be read, and remembered in a certain order. If someone reads a random poem from one of Blake’s songs, without any background information, that person would be unable to find the deeper meaning Blake hoped to expose. Throughout the article Robert shows the reader piece by piece how to better understand Blake’s songs, using very vital concepts, he backs all of his teachings up with examples, and information from other authors.

      Robert’s techniques really helped me to understand not only the poems, but also William Blake himself. Because of him I now know how to properly annotate and understand poems, so I actually learn from Blake. I never realized the amount of irony contained in his works, and positively didn’t understand it; his ironic occurrences in poems are similar to jokes, extremely hard to understand if all the background information isn’t known. In the article Robert demonstrated how to detect metaphors and characters within each poem, which helped me to understand what Blake was truly trying to portray in My Pretty Rose Tree from Songs of Experience:

A flower was offered to me,

Such a flower as May never bore;

But I said "I've a pretty rose tree,"

And I passed the sweet flower o'er.

Then I went to my pretty rose tree,

To tend her by day and by night;

But my rose turned away with jealousy,

And her thorns were my only delight.

It would be difficult to decipher this poem if the context, point of view, and symbols were not understood. Before I read Robert’s article, I thought the poem was about a person that was really into flowers. Fortunately I now understand how to interpret the poem. To begin I realized the “flower” is a woman (a temptress), and the “pretty rose tree” is the speaker’s wife. Replacing those symbols alone helps to read the poem. The speaker (a man) is temped by a beautiful woman to commit adultery, yet the man resists the temptation and goes home to be with his wife. Still even though he resisted said temptation, his wife left him because of jealousy. In order to understand why the man's virtuous act of faithfulness had such unfortunate consequences I had to comprehend Blake’s definition of virtue. To Blake ‘virtue’ can mean two different things, depending on the perspective. Blake wrote in two different contexts, he wrote in Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience; these two different works define the meaning of the poems inside them. My Pretty Rose Tree was taken from Songs of Experience, from that knowledge alone, I understand that someone in the poem will either be a symbol of experience or learn a lesson in experience. William Blake saw that without breaking the 10 commandments, virtue could not exist. He believed Jesus (in biblical times) acted from impulse, and not rules, and Jesus was all virtue. Concluding that a person of experience, in order to be virtuous, would have to act solely from impulse. In My Pretty Rose Tree the speaker acts from rules, the rule (commandment) “Thou shall not commit adultery”, by refusing the offer of the other woman (sweet flower). Even though the man was faithful to his rose, he still has the same consequence from his wife as he would have if he wasn’t faithful and had seized the opportunity. In Blake’s eyes the poem is a lesson, an example of the known Latin phrase “carpe diem” (seize the day). One who ties himself to a joy will kill the essence of initial happiness. Living in the moment and rejoicing that one was able to take part in the happiness at all leaves more room to enjoy other happy experiences. The speaker passed up a chance of initial joy, to return home to his rose; thus the speaker did not ‘seize the day’. In doing this, the man lost a chance for experience. Without knowing the point of view and context while reading My Pretty Rose Tree, I was unable to comprehend the meaning. Robert taught me to understand that in all of Blake’s writing there are multiple purposes within an individual poem (song), and these must be recognized in order for the poem to be properly understood the way Blake wished the message to be comprehended. Robert also gave me the gift of being able to accept romantic poetry, and appreciate it. I actually have a favorite poem now, Holy Thursday from Songs of Innocence. I like this song because I understand it, and it is not just a blob of complex words and confusing punctuation. Thanks to Robert F. Gleckner, I have ironically learned a lesson from this poem that I once dreaded.

The Tyger

THE TYGER (from Songs Of Experience)

By William Blake

Before watching the video:

Menagerie: a collection of live animals for study or display.

This video is presented by Blake enthusiast Professor John Stacy.
Unfortunately Professor Stacy is a little boring, but I added the video so that there is another interpretation of the "The Tyger" displayed, besides mine.

Tyger! Tyger! burning bright

In the forests of the night,

What immortal hand or eye

Could frame thy fearful symmetry?

In what distant deeps or skies

Burnt the fire of thine eyes?

On what wings dare he aspire?

What the hand dare sieze the fire?

And what shoulder, & what art.

Could twist the sinews of thy heart?

And when thy heart began to beat,

What dread hand? & what dread feet?

What the hammer? what the chain?

In what furnace was thy brain?

What the anvil? what dread grasp

Dare its deadly terrors clasp?

When the stars threw down their spears,

And watered heaven with their tears,

Did he smile his work to see?

Did he who made the Lamb make thee?

Tyger! Tyger! burning bright

In the forests of the night,

What immortal hand or eye

Dare frame thy fearful symmetry? 

      Blake was one of the first common people of his time to see a tiger in the London menagerie. I wonder what it would have been like not to know that something so majestic exists, and then seeing it in real life for the first time. Children in America grow up with toy tigers, books with pictures of tigers in them, and they are on TV, nothing is a surprise to anyone anymore.

      After Blake saw the magnificent beast, he drew a picture of the tiger (above). Blake wondered why, and how God (speaking of him as an artist, in order to compare nature to a work of art) could create something so ferocious, so lethal, and then also create something to innocent and harmless like the lamb. In the poem the speaker is talking directly to the Tyger, asking it repeated questions that are similar to the first, “What immortal hand or eye/Could frame thy fearful symmetry?” Throughout the next stanza’s Blake compares God to a sculptor and a blacksmith, and basically with a sting of questions, talking about how the Tyger was made. I think the Tyger in the poem is more then just a tiger itself, but it symbolizes the presence of evil in the world.

      Throughout the poem the speaker is asking, “What kind of a God, would design such a terrifying animal as the tiger?” And even under that it seems to be asking, “What does the undeniable existence of evil and violence in the world tell us about the nature of God?” I believe we live in a world in which He created both beauty and horror. How can you have one without the other? There are magnificent creatures like the tiger, and there are very meek and small creatures like the lamb. The speaker in the poem is not only asking about the tiger, but about evil and destruction itself. God created the tiger, just as he created us, are we not as destructive as a tiger? Do we not kill animals and eat them? A tiger is a ferocious beast, large in size and extremely strong, but if Blake is speaking about evil itself, I feel that people do more damage to not only other animals, but to other people. A tiger probably has a lower murder rate of the same species then human beings. I don’t feel that tigers are terrible, I would not want to be in close proximity to one, but are humans really any better?

      If then Blake is accusing God of creating something so evil as humans, I believe that God created man in his own image; and each man has the choice to do the right or wrong thing in their life. There is good, because there is evil; there is ferocious, because there is gentle; and there is innocence, because there is experience.

Prose Poem

The Silent Child

The silent child sits. Quiet. Obedient. She does not deserve the monster’s hits.

Yes, she is perceived as strong. As strong as the damaged may look. The happy face, the blank façade. Her emotions a closed black book. Day by bright day she fades through life, living in fear ‘til the next scary night.

Her friends do not notice, the clear tears in her eyes; and to the teachers she speaks great lies, but when the child is alone she cries and cries.

She does not cower from the monster, no, a fighter that is she. Weakness and suffering, is something the beast must not see. But without a reaction the monster pounds, breaks things, beats, and screams. Outside that sage room though, no one will see, the pain that is caused by the drugged demonic being.

The beast is a magician! A master of disguise! On the outside the beauty escapes no eyes. Happy and bubbling, a lovable woman. No one can see the pain that she is causing.

Lies the monster spreads, like hot wildfire it comes; so blatantly, so easily, spread to everyone. From every angle the monster tears apart the girls life. The child it is ruining, on the outside and in. But no one notices, no one cares, she is alone without a friend.

She tries, oh the child tries to escape and run away, but she will soon be back before the light of the next day. When she runs she sits in the cold, the silent white cold, lonely, and scared, no comfort at all. She screams into the night, none hear but the wind. She curses the sky for bring the beast in; in her room, in her house, every night the monster comes. To punish and terrorize, to go crazy, for fun. The child tries to defeat it; to destroy the monsters disgusting supply. But no matter what she does, the monster finds how to survive. She gets it somehow, the supply is coming! No matter how many times the child dumps, breaks, pours, and destroys it.

The poor girl is out of ideas; can it only be the way? To take her own life, would that ease the pain? She attempts the task, each day, after school; why would she want to live in a world so cruel?

Still, the child sits, with heavy blade and bible, hoping to cut the pain out from inside her. She asks her God, begs her God; does he hear her cry? When she sits the corner screaming “Why, why, why?” She gets no comfort, no help from pain; so she grins at the monster, and bears it the same.

In the darkness she sits, waiting for the monsters three a.m. fit. It comes and she takes it, never moving an inch. Quiet. Silent.

Analysis of Holy Thursday

      Holy Thursday is a poem written by William Blake, taken from Songs of Innocence.

’Twas on a Holy Thursday their innocent faces clean,

The children walking two & two in red & blue & green,

Grey headed beadles walk’d before with wands as white as snow,

Till into the high dome of Pauls they like Thames waters flow.

O what a multitude they seem’d these flowers of London town!

Seated in companies they sit with radiance all their own.

The hum of multitudes was there but multitudes of lambs,

Thousands of little boys & girls raising their innocent hands.

Now like a mighty wind they raise to heaven the voice of song.

Or like harmonious thunderings the seats of Heavens among.

Beneath them sit the aged men wise guardians of the poor;

Then cherish pity, lest you drive an angel from your door.

      Holy Thursday is more then the average entertaining poem; it is written to be a display of innocence. In the first stanza Blake writes about London on Holy Thursday (Ascension Day), where parishioners celebrate the fortieth day after the resurrection of Christ. On this day “grey headed beadles” guide rows of cleaned orphans, dressed and happy, into St. Paul church. These children are the ultimate example of innocence.

      Blake describes the children in the second stanza as “flowers of London town”, comparing the orphans to something as treasured as a flower. By doing this he is emphasizing the beauty and feebleness the children have, and banishing the assumed thought that the children are worthless and a trouble. In the third line of the second stanza Blake speaks of the children as metaphoric “lambs”, the lamb is the symbol of Christ, linking the children to the lamb of God. This is how Blake subtly expresses Jesus’ special love a care for all children.

      All citizens of London gather in the cathedral, to sit and observe the ceremony. In the third stanza the people watch the boys and girls raise their “innocent hands” to the Lord and sing to heaven. Blake describes the act to show the change in the children, they are no longer meek and mild; they are strong, and their voices are able to reach up to God and speak to heaven. The aged men seated below the children observe the powerful innocent act, and are touched. The speaker is also moved by the heartbreaking image of the mass, and reminds the reader that orphans like these are actually angels of God.

      William Blake wrote this song as a take on orphans who would clean up and march annually to church to sing. The children perceived this as a treat, which is an example of their innocent and bleak lives. It illustrates their innocence in the fact that they are orphans, poor and meek, with absolutely nothing, yet they get dressed, attend church with happiness, and praise the Lord. Once again Blake is teaching a sad lesson, a lesson many of today’s children should learn.

This is what I would picture the view of the mass would be for the orphans.