Blake+09



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William Blake

William Blake (28 November 1757 - 12 August 1827) was born in London, England to a fairly large family who occupied a spot in the middle class. He was homeschooled, extremely religious (the Blakes were believed to be Moravians), and had developed a keen interest in the art of engraving. After his apprenticeship to James Basire, an engraver on Great Queen Street in London, Blake became a student at the Royal Academy in Old Somerset House. Despite the free tuition he recieved, he constantly rebelled against the school's accepted style of art, mostly modeled after the style of Flemish painter Peter Paul Rubens. Instead of being interested in painting with oil paint (a technique at which the school's president, Joshua Reynolds, excelled in and Blake detested) Blake enjoyed using watercolors in the styles of the various Italian Renaissance masters, such as Michaelangelo and Raphael.

By 1782 Blake had met his patron, John Flaxman, and had also met the woman who was to become his wife, Catherine Boucher. The marriage to Catherine provided security for Blake, who had been wallowing in the throes of a previous failed relationship, as well as a partner to help him with his artworks. Since Catherine could neither read nor write, Blake taught her both and then taught her the art of engraving, at which he was a master. In 1788 Blake began experimentations with relief etching, also known as illuminated printing. This was the method of illustration when he worked on literature later in life.

Blake's first work as an illustrator was for William Hayley in 1800 also saw the publication of his first piece of literature, known as //Milton: A Poem//. Over time Blake soon began to resent Hayley, who seemed to resent the aritistry that Blake was using to portray the figures in his works. In 1804 Blake returned to London from the countryside and published //Jerusalem//, a work considered by many to be his most ambitious. He exhibited his artworks and wordworks, but was never very popular during his lifetime. It was only after his death on August 12, 1827 that scholars began to realize the importance of both his artistic and literary works.

Love's Secret Never seek to tell thy love, Love that never told can be; For the gentle wind doth move Silently, invisibly.

I told my love, I told my love, I told her all my heart, Trembling, cold, in ghastly fears. Ah! she did depart!

Soon after she was gone from me, A traveller came by, Silently, invisibly: He took her with a sigh. The theme of //Love's Secret// is love can be lost, due to impatience.

In the first stanza, the narrator's feelings are concealed. His love is being kept a secret because he hasn't expressed his true feelings towards a particular girl yet. In the third line, "For the gentle wind doth move", the wind symbolizes his love. The wind is moving because it is signifying that there is love in the air, but the wind is also silent and invisible; the girl has not a clue of the love he feels for her. The secret is causing the narrator to become miserable.

In a hope to relieve his stress on the matter, the narrator confesses his love to the girl in the second stanza: "I told my love, I told my love,/ I told her all my heart," (Lines 5 and 6). He expresses all of his feelings for her, which catches her off guard and eventually scares her off: "Trembling, cold, in ghastly fears./ Ah! she did depart!" (Lines 7 and 8). There was a dramatic change in the relationship once the narrator confessed his love. The girl did not know how to react to his confession and, therefore never talked to him again because of it.

The traveler in the third stanza is discreet; the girl finds this characteristic of the traveler attractive. She is drawn to him because he does not express himself in the way that the narrator did. Infact, he acts as though he is not attracted to her at all: "He took her with a sigh" (Line 12). The girl the narrator is in love with can not help but be attracted to men that play hard to get. Since the narrator sticks to his feelings, I believe she does not deserve him anyways.

Want to know Love's secret? -Girls that play hard to get, are not worth chasing after. -Do not suddenly spill your heart out to a person you have feelings for. It will change your relationship for a very long time, if not forever. -Best bet is to have patience and let love take over a friendship gradually. 

The Body of Abel Founded by Adam and Eve

[|Painting Source]

__Elements and Principles of Design__ **Emphasis**: The focal point of the entire painting is the sun. The sun's location in the center of the painting is an important aspect that draws the viewer's attention towards it. Light colors of orange and yellow surround the sun bringing out the sun's darker appearance.
 * Shape:** There are many organic shapes within the painting such as: The human figures (Cain, Abel, Eve, and Adam), the mountains, and the clouds. Although, the grave and sun take on a more geometric shape.
 * Texture**: The texture of the figures focuses the viewer's attention towards them. Their appearance is similar to sculptors carved from stone; in some areas they appear to smooth, but around the edges rough. They have a smooth but rough appearance in order to create defined muscles. The intricate details of the muscles capture the movements and expressions of each individual figure.
 * Value**: There is a contrast in value when all of the figures are being compared. Only one of them (Cain) appears to be darker than the rest. Blake uses a darker value for Cain in order to individualize him from the rest. Cain is an outcast and, therefore, is no longer a part of his family.
 * Color**: Many contrasting colors are used through out the artwork. The dark, blue/black mountains contrast with the orange and yellow sky; they also contrast with the bright, white human figures.

__ Analysis __ The painting is a biblical representation of Adam and Eve discovering their son's dead body; Abel was murdered by his brother Cain. By Cain murdering Abel, he had committed a mortal sin and was banished from his family, as well as Heaven. In the painting the viewer can imagine the pain Adam and Eve must have been feeling at the time. Shock is overwhelming Adam, which is clearly depicted in the painting. His eyes are wide as he gazes at his son, Cain, in horror. His body language suggests that he is astounded by the act Cain had perpetrated. Eve is filled with grief as she hangs over her son's dead body, hugging him in disbelief. While mourning the lost of her son, Eve droops over Abel wishing she could have been there to protect his life. Cain runs away from the dilemma, terrified by the act he just committed and the fear he would have to face when approached by his parents. By the act of Cain tearing away at his hair with his hands, one is able to assume that Cain is discombobulated by Abel's death. The sky glows a hot orange, yellow color because Blake is portraying God's wrath and great anger. The grave symbolizes the deep gash that now stands between Cain and Adam,Eve, and Able. The wound will never be healed; this is represented in the painting because dirt is not present by the grave, in order for it to be filled. [|Further interpretation]

[|Picture Source]

The Garden of Love

I laid me down upon a bank, Where Love lay sleeping; I heard among the rushes dank Weeping, weeping.

Then I went to the heath and the wild, To the thistles and thorns of the waste; And they told me how they were beguiled, Driven out, and compelled to the chaste.

I went to the Garden of Love, And saw what I never had seen; A Chapel was built in the midst, Where I used to play on the green.

And the gates of this Chapel were shut And "Thou shalt not," writ over the door; So I turned to the Garden of Love That so many sweet flowers bore.

And I saw it was filled with graves, And tombstones where flowers should be. And priests in black gowns were walking their rounds, And binding with briars my joys and desires. __Analysis__ The Garden of Love is a poem that aids in the transitioning of Blake's Songs of Innocence to his Songs of Experience. Childhood (innocence) is mentioned in the beginning of the poem, but it later ends with growing up and becoming an adult (experience). In the first stanza, love is personified. Blake personifies love in order to indicate that love is more than a romantic feeling. Love is an appreciation for life and the beauty of nature. When someone is able to fully appreciate life and nature's beauty, they are overwhelmed with immense joy; this joy being Love. As children, we are able to acknowledge the beauty of life; we are naturally filled with Love, which is pointed out in the first two lines of Blake's poem: "I laid me down upon a bank,/Where Love lay sleeping". When the child hears crying; "I heard among the rushes dank/ Weeping, Weeping" (Lines 3 and 4) curiousity consumes the mind and he rushes off to see what is wrong.

As the child searches throughout the garden for the source of the weeping, he discovers that the garden has changed. From previous visits, he recalls that his favorite childhood pastimes are disappearing; " And they told me how they were beguiled, /Driven out, and compelled to the chaste" (Lines 7 and 8). The child is faced with a dilemma as he is no longer comforted by the pleasures of childhood. The child is beginning to recognize that his life is beginning to change, more in a direction that he is uncomfortable with.

The child runs off to a part of the garden that he enjoys the most in order to escape the fears of his disappearing childhood. He arrives at the Garden of Love. The Garden of Love symbolizes the Garden of Eden; it is a place of purity, simplicity, and grace. As he arrives, he notices a chapel is built right in the middle of the garden. He becomes distressed to see the chapel ruining the field he used to play on. A chapel that will destroy his childhood.

The chapel signifies the rules and responsibilies of adulthood and unless the child is willing to obey them, he is not allowed to enter. The Ten Commandments are written upon the gates; "And the gates of this Chapel were shut /And 'Thou shalt not,' writ over the door" (lines 13 and 14). The boy does not attempt to follow the rules and ,instead, turns around to admire the flowers in the garden; the flowers of irresponsibility and the joys of childhood.

As the child begins to cherish the flowers, he becomes shocked to see them being turned into graves. There are no longer any flowers in the Garden of Love and the boy's world is turned upside-down for nothing of his childhood is left for his amusement. The priests represent societal boundaries that do not allow people to enjoy as many freedoms as they would wish to; some examples may include the goverment or the Catholic Church. Since the boy is now grown up and consumed by a world of rules and responsibilies, he is no longer capable of appreciating his, "joys and desires" (line 20), freedoms. The societal boundaries restrain "Love" from affecting children who are embracing adulthood, and eventually leaves them forever. They are no longer able to have the same sense of curiousity and adorement for life and nature because they are overwhelmed with the responsibilites of adulthood. Perhaps Blake is trying to inform people to not lose their sense of creativity and imagination because it will help people to enjoy life to the fullest even with the hardships brought on by adulthood. [|Further interpretation]

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//Joseph of Arimathea Among the Rocks of Albinon://

This engraving done by Blake shows many of the artistic elements that we discussed in class. Almost all of the lines in the work are organic, meaning that they are human, earthly, etc. Blake extensively uses different shades throughout the work to suggest depth (ex. the rocks behind Joseph of Arimathea, Joseph's muscles, the cloth he has draped around his body, the waves in the body of water, etc.) The rocks show extensive detail, even down to the cracks in the rock formation. The empty space in the sky (save the sun-like object almost completely covered by the rocks) suggests darkness, perhaps the darkness caused by black clouds. This painting clearly shows Blake's fascination with religion, and this can even be more clearly stated by the above painting //The Body of Abel Founded by Adam and Eve//.

**Holy Thursday**(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 Paul's they like Thames' waters flow.
 * [[image:http://asms.k12.ar.us/classes/humanities/britlit/97-98/blake/SOI08.jpg width="216" height="350" align="bottom"]] ||

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 heaven 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**(Songs of Experience) Is this a holy thing to see, In a rich and fruitful land, Babes reducd to misery, Fed with cold and usurous hand? Is that trembling cry a song! Can it be a song of joy? And so many children poor, It is a land of poverty! And their sun does never shine. And their fields are bleak & bare. And their ways are fill'd with thorns It is eternal winter there. For where-e'er the sun does shine, And where-e'er the rain does fall: Babe can never hunger there, Nor poverty the mind appall.

__Analysis of Holy Thursday (song of innocence and experience)__: The artwork of this companion poem shows mostly organic lines. Also the lack of color may show reverence or serious tone, maybe also making a reference to a lack of sin present in the Holy Thursday, song of innocence. You also see the children in organized lines being lead by an adult, in this poem the fact that you can not see the faces of the children or adults, symbolizes lack of emotion maybe of sadness and more of a soulfulness about the children. In Holy Thursday, song of experience, you can see expression on the faces, especially ones of discontent or suffering, which in this poem can symbolize poverty. This poem's picture also contains more color which shows more of a human touch to the picture and less of a angelic image, which is displayed in the Holy Thursday song of innocence.

[|click here for another very good analysis of these poems]


 * The Divine Image**(Songs of Innocence)



To Mercy, Pity, Peace, and Love All pray in their distress; An 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 dime 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; Where Mercy, Love & Pity dwell There God is dwelling too.

Pity would be no more, If we did not make somebody Poor: And Mercy no more could be, If all were as happy as we; And mutual fear brings peace; Till the selfish loves increase. Then Cruelty knits a snare, And spreads his baits with care. He sits down with holy fears, And waters the ground with tears: Then Humility takes its root Underneath his foot. Soon spreads the dismal shade Of Mystery over his head; And the Catterpiller and Fly, Feed on the Mystery. And it bears the fruit of Deceit, Ruddy and sweet to eat; And the Raven his nest has made In its thickest shade. The Gods of the earth and sea, Sought thro' Nature to find this Tree But their search was all in vain: There grows one in the Human Brain
 * The Human Abstract**(Songs of Experience)

__Analysis of the divine image and the human abstract__: In the divine image, a being is creating a man, and also a path leading from the being creating a man to what appears to be a symbolized area for heaven. the path symbolizes the connection between man and God. this poem's picture also shows how the image of God in man can be seen in the virtues of that are clear in both man and God. This poem's picture also shows the being at the bottom dressed in blue which symbolizes knowledge, power, integrity, and seriousness. the angel at the top of the poem is dressed in pink, which symbolizes love, romance, and friendship.

In the human abstract, a man dressed in blue, which symbolizes knowledge, power, integrity, and seriousness, is chained to the ground near a tree. the background could symbolize the garden of Eden, where the first sin on earth was committed. The chains could represent the burden sin carries on man, and that the chains are bound to the ground, could mean that because of sin mankind is disconnected to God and bound to earth. also the expression shown in the human abstract on the chain man, shows emotions of regret and sorrow, while the divine image does not show the faces as well as the human abstract.

Finally from an art opinion of the poem's pictures, each contains organic lines, and shades and tints of colors such as red, blue, green, and yellow. the shades of these colors could symbolize many different aspects of these poems. below is a good site that can describe the shades and tints that were relevant to the poems

[|click here for a great analysis of colors and their many meanings]

[|click here for another opinion on these poems]



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