William Blake the key themes and ideas
Sexuality
The Angel (experience)
"I dried my tears, and armed by fears/With ten thousand shields and spears"
The ideas of virginity and how one can waste a life by renouncing sex yet only to realise what they've missed out on come the time they are too old. "And hid from him my heart's delight". Negative religious reading which portrays man as a sexual predator and also religion having a root of evil?
Blake's work is littered with sexual innuendo's- this is due to Blake's feeling that human's natural desires were oppressed by society.
Oppression/Repression
It is oppression that is symbolic of the society, disparity is rife and hence Blake's work is rejected so. In the poem 'The sick rose' perhaps the sick rose are society's attitudes and '"Does thy life destroy" - this suggests that man is responsible for his own plight.
Holy Thursday (experience)
"In a rich and fruitful land:Babes reduced to misery, Fed with cold and usurious hand?"
The poem suggests that the poor should be thankful that on this day the rich are giving to them - but in reality they have nothing to thank them for as it is them who oppress the poor.
This poem is a Polemical (a piece of work that is designed to preach)
The Chimney-Sweeper(Experience)
"A little black thing among the snow"
Child is an everyman figure representing the working class society
Post Colonial reading
Dehumanises child
Blake lived in a time of aggressive British Colonisation/ slavery/social casting
Religion
It becomes obvious that Blake views religion as one of the paragons of tyranny. It can be used as a literary illusion and infuriated Blake as it was used as a means to oppress mans' natural desires.
It is unclear where Blake stood in terms of his beliefs in God. Blake makes many references to God as supernatural and omnipresent- he had a distinct distain for religion as an institution. And this comes across in his works where religion appears to fail those in need.
The Chimney- Sweeper (experience)
"gone to praise God and his priest and king/ Who make up a heaven of our misery"
Suggesting that religion is responsible or that where is religion when you need it?
In the same poem it appears that the mother and father have left the child to go to church- which would suggest that Religion is either a lifeline or a distraction that we look beyond the plight to. Authority will use it as an institution to pass on the blame for plight.
Context of Blake
Blake was a Romantic and was against the ideas of conformity to society and regimentation
He was a believer in nature/ natural being/ beauty
"Sweet round mouths sing" - Laughing Song
Blake was an autodidact (self-taught) and he had no formal education - this is because he rejected it. He was supported by his parents' beliefs.
