A little boy lost

venerates meaning

worship

zeal meaning

over-enthusiasm

Albion meaning

Britain

Summary and overview 

Blake viciously satirises the brutality and inflexibility of the church. He uses direct speech and imagery of violence and suffering to convey his ideas about the savage stubbornness of organised religion.

How does Blake convey his ideas about the savage stubbornness of organised religion

Through his use of direct speech and imagery of violence and suffering 

Direct speech

• the child’s innocent perspective versus the biblical yet hostile words of the priest

“Nought”, “nor”, “nor” “possible” and interrogative “how…?” –

• thoughtful and rational language expressing the child-like wonder of the child

• It reads as if an innocent child is weighing up the difficulties of church instructions, like love God or the priest more than yourself

“loves”, “venerates”, “greater” “more” “It is not possible”

• Verbs and quantifiers/ comparatives suggest praise and worship

• The boy is saying it is natural to love oneself first an foremost and cannot conceive of loving others more

• the natural solipsism/ selfishness of the child is shown here as a child annot fully conceive of being worthy of full devotion at that age

“I love you like the little bird/ That picks up crumbs around the door”

Simile that suggests honesty with the church as “crumbs” are tasty but ultimately not important 

“trembling zeal he seiz’d his hair” (angry brutality), “led him” (symbolic), “strip’d” (humiliated), “bound” (imprisoned with religious orthodoxy), “burn’d” (barbaric religious executions)

• violent verbs and phrases emphasise the savagery of the church

“weeping”

• repetition of weeping

• emphasises the pain and misery inflicted by the church

“in vain”

the helplessness of the family/ parents to prevent the power of the church from invading their lives/ repressing them

Symbolism throughout criticising the church - “iron chain” the priest , the burning 

• Representing the destructive power of the church 

• The “iron chain” - linking back to the “mind-forged” manacles of religious indoctrination 

“Albion”

• Blake shocks the reader in the last line suggesting that such horrific acts are committed in Britain at the time, although the burning is symbolic.

• 1789 was the last woman to burnt at the stake in England, 5 years before this was published.