Romantic Poet:William Blake

William Blake:British Romantic poet

1757-1827One of the first writers

of the Romantic PeriodNot always a poet:

◦10 Drawing school

◦Royal Academy of Arts

◦Apprentice for a well-known engraver, James Basire

◦Read and wrote poetry in his free time

Relief Etching In 1788, Blake began to

experiment with relief etching, also called illuminated printing.

1. Write the text and illustrations of the poems on copper plates with pens & brushes, using an acid-resistant medium

2. Etch the plates in acid to dissolve the untreated copper, leaving the design standing in relief

3. Print pages from these plates

4. Watercolor by hand

5. Stitch together to make a volume

Blake used illuminated printing for four or his works, including Songs of Innocence and Experience.

Relief Etching

William Blake:Songs of InnocenceAnd Experience

Wrote for content rather than form

Most popular work = Songs of Innocence and Experience

Originally published by itself in 1789

Republished 5 years later with anew set of poems

Songs of Innocence and of Experience: Shewing the Two Contrary States of the Human Soul

Songs of Innocenceand Experience

Main theme of the poems =Blake’s belief that children lost their ‘innocence’ as they grew older and were influenced by the ways of the worldChildren were born innocent

Became experienced by the influence of adult beliefs and opinions

Could no longer be considered innocent

Songs of Innocence and Experience

Songs of Innocence: Innocent child's perspective Songs of Experience: Perspective of a more experienced

person who has become bitter towards all the evil in the world Blake believed we:

1. Experience a protected childhood2. Are soon corrupted by the oppressive world,(the Church, the State, and the ruling classes)

The “contrary states” within the work are often signaled by repeating and contrasting poem titles

Innocence: “Infant Joy” Experience: “Infant Sorrow”

Innocence: “The Lamb” Experience: “The Tyger”

“The Lamb”Little Lamb, who made thee [1]? Dost thou know who made thee? Gave thee life, and bid thee feed, By the stream and o'er the mead [2]; Gave thee clothing of delight, Softest clothing, woolly, bright; Gave thee such a tender voice, Making all the vales [3] 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! [1] thee, thou = you[2] mead = meadow[3] vales = valleys

“The Tyger”Tyger! Tyger! burning bright In the forest of the night What immortal hand or eye Could frame thy [1] fearful symmetry? In what distant deeps or skies Burnt the fire of thine [1] eyes? On what wings dare he aspire? What the hand dare seize the fire? And what shoulder, and what art, Could twist the sinews of thy heart? And when thy heart began to beat, What dread hand? and 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?[1] thine, thy = your