Reading Notes W6, Blake, Part A

William Blake was a writer and artist, who, while not celebrated for his poetry during his lifetime; has since garnered a following for seminal works of poetry. He was also a seminal artist, celebrated for his various visual arts pieces, receiving praise towards the end of his life. Blake wrote many poems questioning authority, whether this range from government, social constructs or royals/priests; which provides clues as to why his literary works didn't receive much attention at the time. As the introduction regarding his life and times in The Norton Anthology of World Literature Volume D states, "some of his contemporaries hailed him as a saint. . . To many others, he was a madman. Only a few admirers in his own time acclaimed him as the creative visionary he would appear to later generations" (330). The two collections of poems provided in this anthology are two various poems from his two seminal works, Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience. It seems as though each collection speaks from the perspectives of children (innocence) and adults (experience). Each poem speaks on issues surrounding "god, love and justice" (334). Two companion poems struck me the most in the form of "The Chimney Sweeper" (both share the same name).

• "The Chimney Sweeper" from the Innocence collection speaks from the perspective of children forced to work such professions at a young age "When my mother died I was young,/and my father sold me while yet my tongue/Could scarcely cry " 'weep! 'weep! 'weep!/So your chimneys I sweep & in soot I sleep" (1-4, 337) - Innocence
• The themes of both poems revolve around injustice regarding child labor, and justifications used to force such a life upon children through religious or faith. Justifications in the mind of an innocent youth and through the eyes of an adult
• This is seen through the children's eyes when describing the dream portrayed where angels save the boys for being good and awarding them for their hard-work by taking them to a heavenly place, "and by came an Angel who had a bright key/And he opened their coffins & set them free" (13-14, 337) - "And the Angel told Tom, if he'd be a good boy, He'd have god for his father & never want joy" (19-20, 337)
• This quick and naive acceptance from children is illustrated in the final two bars: "Tho' the morning was cold, Tom was happy & warm;/So if all do their duty, they need not fear harm" (23-24, 337). The ease of how a child, in their naivety, can be manipulated is on display throughout. Whether it be from parents, bosses or through their own justifications when lead to believe what they're doing will result in reaching heaven/protection.