Reading Response #3

Eighteenth-Century Studies

The article by Molly Anne Rothenberg was a review that she did for a paper on two books. These books explained William Blake’s motivation for his writing style and writing influences. The first book was by Stanley Gardner entitled “Blake’s Innocence and Experience Retraced.” The second book was “The Scattered Potions: William Blake’s Biological symbolism.” By: Rodney M. Baine. In the article, the author explains Gardner’s thesis that “to get any adequate understanding of Blake’s Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience, you have to see where Blake lived and the social conditions around him.” She then goes on to talk about how Blake and his family owned a couple of business that donated funds to the local parish. This would have given Blake an inside view to charity and the atmosphere of the poor. The author of this article is showing us that Blake was for encouraging government policies for the poor. The article quotes Gardner’s opinion, which says, “we have been reading Blake’s condemnation “institutional radicalism” in the 1790s.” Some of the conditions that he witnessed gave Blake the ideas to right some poems for the Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience two of the poems the author says are “Holy Thursday” and “Nurse’s Song.” The article then continues to talk about Gardner’s opinion on Blake’s concern with education of children. Molly explains that Blake was inspired by observing and helping the charity schools for the poor these kids. She said the children made an “annual pilgrimage to St Paul’s on any given Thursday” which shows where the beginnings of the poem “Holy Thursday” came from. In this section, Gardner describes the “wise guardians of the poor” as “beadles” (a minor official who works in a parish who keeps the order). Molly also puts into this section “that Gardner warns us that the “guardian of the poor” was an elected official for who managed the work house for two years.” This is showing me that officials in the parish were elected rather than volunteered to help these people and that they had to be in that position for a two-year term. To me this could be a reason for the elected not to be as “charitable” as someone who really wanted to help. The passage shows us that Gardner spends a great deal of time trying to convince readers that Blake’s sensitivity to the poor is very strong yet there seems to be some contradictions in Blake’s Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience that shows less optimism and approval. Molly also explains that Gardner only allows one perspective to this poem but she says there are many more. She stresses that Gardner does use a lot of historical info but relies upon one source for interruption she also claims that Gardener seems to miss the mark with topics or lack of topics and appears to take his readers off the path to unspecified locations. In her article, Molly states that Gardner use of his index is good but does not have any “scholarly” references in his book to back it up.

In the second part of this article Molly reviews, another book by Rodney M. Baine entitled The Scattered Portions “. She suggests that the greatest strength of the book seems to rest on why and what influenced Blake to use animal and vegetable worlds in his illustrations.” Molly goes onto say that, the readers of that day and time would understand the meaning of these references. It is also stated that many other sources could give us insight into the thought patterns of the 18^th century civilization. The combination of sources would help us to understand what and where William Blake is coming from in his writings. She puts in the article “The bible, Shakespeare, Goldsmith and other major writers were republished in the eighteenth century form the basic canon.” However, by her interruption Baine said that William Blake got it some of his ideas from philosophers and from the canon. In the next paragraph of this article Molly is trying to tell us that Baine has his own interruption of how William Blake used symbolism yet he is to vague and contradictory. The author uses examples of Blaine’s quotes and explanations to demonstrate how Baine changes the topic very rapidly. It appears that neither Baine nor Gardner convince the Molly of Blake’s symbolism or the reasons why he wrote the poems due to the sporadic topics that appear in both books. Blaine did use descriptions of illustrations and the plates that appear in the book were said to be helpful.  It seems to me that either book can give us a small insight into the ways of William Blake, I am not sure that anyone can definitively say where or how Blake came up with his ideas, symbolism and writing style developed from. We can see from either book the influences and experiences that were around Blake during his lifetime. I think Molly has a good insight on these books and her review was informative and gave me cause to check out other sources on Blake’s life.  

Staring into Space (Prose Poem)

Staring into space, I saw what the future could yield. I could be rich or poor could be floating around the planets and stars or under the waves. I could be in a war somewhere or behind a desk somewhere else. Therefore, I started thinking about all my dreams, skills, past experiences and achievements. What could I do to achieve my dreams? Is there one thing like an invention that I can make and never work from here on out? Then I thought what fun that would be I would just get bored not having to do any work. I could always just follow what everyone else does and work for my living. Do I want to do all the things I like to do in my free time or do I want to try to better myself so I can do the things I want to do in the future. I had all these choices to make then I thought to my self that I do not have to make all of them at once that I can make them through out my life. Nevertheless, I would also have to pay attention to people around me to make sure that I do not make the same mistakes they do. Then I just let my mind wonder and think about why do we rejoice about school being out then a week later rather be at school then at home. The only thing I could figure is that we are tried of being with family and we run out of things to do. That first week though of being home is great not having to do anything, sleeping until noon, and hanging out with friends. But, by the end of the week you start staring into space and wondering what could happen, or what could have happened if you had this or that or been somewhere else when something bad happened. However, by the time you get to these thoughts deep in your mind then someone begins to talk to you and like that, the thoughts are gone until you once again start to stare into space again.

Blogging community

“Different Perspectives on Samuel Coleridge's Poetry” is a blog done by Amanda Yacapin- Yevgeniy Salyuk, Stephen Henley. On their blog, they have their ideas about Coleridge’s poems Kubla Kahn, Ancient Mariner, Christabel, and The Aeolian Harp. They give you helpful incite into these poems and what they mean. The information on how Coleridge came up with some of his poems was found in the summary of Coleridge’s history. The thing that struck me as interesting is how Coleridge did everything in a trance and was high off opium but did not remember anything after he was out of the trance. Were these poems inspired by opium-induced hallucinations or was this a writer’s genius. The trances could prove to be interesting because anything could have happened during those trances. How was he able to write while in the “trance” and not remember? That brings up so many questions about his talent. I also liked the organization of the blog was organized it was not cluttered and helped me learn about the poet as well as the sampling of his works. I would encourage other people to read this blog so that they too would understand some of Coleridge’s major poems along with how he was able to write these abstract poems.

The story of KUBLA KAHN was enhanced by having a reading of the poem from Youtube. I found this helpful because sometimes reading a poem and getting its meaning is hard to do but having someone read it with the right tone really brings the poem to life. The comments that were made underneath the video by Stephen really brought to light some questions that were interesting and informative but let you come up your answers as well as show you what he came up.

The biography on Coleridge helped me understand why some of his poems are so grim. Yev put in the biography that one of his brothers and one of his sisters died with in a year these events inspired him to write his first poem. Yev also talks about Coleridge trying to stay outside of debt throughout his whole life, which is probably the reason for some of his other works.

London

I wander through each charter’d street,
Near where the charter’d Thames does flow,
A mark in every face I meet
Marks of weakness, marks of woe.

In every cry of every man,
In every Infant's cry of fear,
In every voice, in every ban,
The mind-forg’d manacles I hear:

How the Chimney-sweeper’s cry
Every blacken’ng Church appalls,
And the hapless soldier's sigh
Runs in blood down palace-walls.

But most thro' midnight streets I hear
How the youthful Harlot's curse
Blasts the new born Infant's tear,
And blights with plagues the marriage-hearse.

William Blake

I believe that William Blake in this poem is trying to show what London was like through the eyes of the common or poor people. This poem was written during the time of the French Revelation, 18^th century London. Blake himself was poor and lived most of his life in poverty. He died in poverty as well buried in an unmarked grave in which his wife had to borrow the money just to have him buried.

The fist stanza is talking about walking through the streets looking around at people and places. William Blake uses charter’d (or chartered), which means already mapped out as in the roads, this is also another way to say that the people in London at the time did not have much freedom to do things, their lives were chartered by the government and the church. He sees the sadness and misery of the people who are stuck on the cycle of poverty, which gives them lack of freedom.

This is shown in the second stanza. The mind-forged manacles are the constraints that keep the poor from seeing ways out of the economic depression. The people are in a fog mindset that is due to the restraints, controlling laws and oppressive dictates of the ruling monarchy.

In the third stanza, Blake is talking about how the church becomes tarnished and corrupt by the rich people and the city. Those soldiers are being drafted by the Church and sent off to fight a war. Then when they are unlucky enough to die, they are buried in the churches cemetery. The blood on the palace walls would be for all the blood that the soldier shed for King and Church.

The fourth stanza describes the midnight hour, night has fallen and this is when the ladies of the evening come out. Women during this time had to sell favors in order to put food on the tables to feed their families. Poverty was an all time high. The Harlot’s Curse could be sexual transmitted dieses that are passed from a prostitute to a man. He then could pass it to his wife and finally to an unborn child. This can cause death of the child and ultimately the marriage. This would help us understand the last line, which is an oxymoron about marriage, marriage being the beginning of a relationship and a hearse that represents the end of life. 

I Heard an Angel

I heard an Angel singing

When the day was springing

‘Mercy, Pity, Peace

Is the world’s release.’

Thus he sung all day

Over the new mown hay,

Till the sun went down

And haycocks looked brown.

I heard a Devil curse

Over the health and the furze,

‘Mercy could be no more,

If there was nobody poor,

And pity no more could be,

If all we happy as we.

At his curse the sun went down,

And the heavens gave a frown.

Down poured the heavy rain

Over the new reaped grain…

Is Mercy, Pity, Peace.

William Blake

In William Blake’s “I Heard an Angel” he is trying to show the angel as God trying to tell us how to make the world a better place by using mercy, pity, and peace. Blake grew up in the time of the French Revolution where England was “oppressed” and full of poverty. Blake was very much influenced by the bible and was said that he had visions. In this poem, the angel was singing as he watched over the day showing that God was around and making sure that man knew that the way to Mercy and Peace was through him. Blake used an oxymoron with a devil saying that if everyone was happy and no one was poor then you would not need mercy, pity, peace. This is a contradiction because even the rich are in need of Mercy, Pity, and Peace. In the Bible the devil temps man into eating the fruit of knowledge, which is the beginning of people being of misery, wrath, and war, there is no social division to the condemnation of the wrath of God for Adam & Eve’s mistake. William Blake put these figures in the poem because of how they are viewed religiously showing good and evil. The haycock turning brown represents man listening and following the angel’s advice at the end of the day. This is also showing that during the day (or in the light) things are going good but when darkness falls doubt appears and then doubts, fears and confusions come (hence the Devil makes his appearance). The Devil makes his curse in the time of darkness, when he finished his curse and the heavens frown. This is showing that God is frowning on humanity for taking the devils advice in the Garden of Eden. Then when rain is pouring down on the newly reaped grain, it is showing God is forgiving and willing to give a second chance for mercy pity and peace. Thus, God has overcome the Devil and that man has a new chance for a new beginning. Blake used the rain as the cleansing agent from God, which is Mercy or Forgiveness.  

The Divine Image

To Mercy, Pity, Peace and Love
All pray in their distress;
And to these virtues of delight
Return their thankfulness.

For Mercy, Pity, Peace and Love
Is God, our Father dear,
And Mercy, Pity, Peace and Love
Is man, His child and care.

For Mercy has a human heart,
Pity a human face,
And Love, the human form divine,
And Peace, the human dress.

Then every man, of every clime,
That prays in his distress,
Prays to the human form divine,
Love, Mercy, Pity and Peace.

And all must love the human form,
In heathen, Turk or Jew;
Where Mercy, Love, and Pity dwell
There God is dwelling too.

The Divine Image is a poem about the traits of God, which reflect the traits that can be found in humans. These traits representing parts of people like the heart for mercy, which Blake is trying to suggest that a person may be angry but is willing to forgive or to show mercy to those that have done bad things to them. Pity as the human face is when people try to understand how people are suffering and show the suffering concern. This goes on with the thought that if you know how to show concern of a problem then you may have the knowledge as to how to help fix whatever the problem is or be a support to that person. Love is human form divine, which is saying that by loving each other we are setting the example shown to us by God. We were given the model of Jesus in which Love is the all powerful, merciful, forgiving, healing force that we are to emulate with our own lives. In following that model, we become more “Christ-like or God-like” and take on the traits we are shown by God. This can be followed by any person, any religion because all religions preach love as a key element. Peace is the outer shell of human what protects us from some of the world around us. We can live in a world filled with war, hate, crimes that can depress us, kill us, or make life unlivable but with the shroud of peace around us, life is better, bearable and can fill us with awe. When William Blake is stating that when a person is in distressed they need to pray to God for one of the qualities of pity, mercy, peace, and love, for these traits can help us obtain a better way to live. This poem shows that William Blake does not follow the rest of the world in thinking due to the fact he is saying that the emotions of people represent God. William Blake shows that God can be found in everyone who demonstrate the traits of Mercy, Pity, Peace, and Love for these are things that are of God and can better the human society. 

a link to poems by William Blake

http://www.poemhunter.com/i/ebooks/pdf/william_blake_2004_9.pdf
there are 250 pages of poems some are repeats.