william blake, context and critics

Blake’s poetry art

Blake was a gold engraver, with each of his Song’s of Innocence and Song’s of experience, it is neccesary to examine Blake’s engravings to deeply understand his poetry

French Revolution, 1789-1799

Inspired by the revolutionary ideals of liberty, fraternity and equality, he believed in the rights of the individual and was against authoritarian rule

The Industrial Revolution, 1760-1830

He lived through the rise of urbanisation, mechanisation and child labour, he was horrified by the effects of industrialisation; loss if innocence, pollution, dehumanisation and exploitation of child workers

Religion and church

He rejected the established Church of England because he believed the church was corrupt, oppressive and complicit in social injustice, he criticised the way society and instituons indoctrinated and oppressed children

Englightenment vs romanticism

Enlightenment focused on reason, logic and science, Blake rejected this to focus on romantic ideals: imagination, emotion, nature and the inner self

Innocence and experience

He believed in the two contrary states of the human soul: innocence, childlike purity, trust and joy as seen in nature and children, experience, corrupted by society, repression and cynicism