London in Songs of Experience

Effect of the poetic voice using the personal pronoun

Blake's use of personal pronoun throughout the poem makes it seems, of course, more personal, as if Blake is witnessing. This enables Blake to convey a true and more vivid reflection of the events and setting, encouraging the readers to feel, to get more involved into the poem.

Effect of repetition

The diction 'every' is repeated many times in this poem, especially in the second stanza where it is repeated five times. The use of this repetition highlights the fact that all living creatures in London are suppressed and exploited by those in power, and after all depicts the universality of conflict the society as a whole suffers.

Auditory imageries and its effects

Blake employs a concentrated amount of auditory imageries in this poem, especially in the second stanza, such as "cry of every man" (line 5), "infant's cry" (6), "every voice, in every ban" (7), "chimney-sweeper's cry" (9), "hapless soldier's sigh" (11) and "youthful harlot's curse" (14). The poet's use of dictions with very negative connotations, such as 'cry' and 'voice(s) in ban(s)' signifies the overwhelmed sorrow and also creates a chaotic scene. As everyone, from a chimney-sweeper to soldier to a prostitute, from an infant to a man to a prisoner, makes unpleasant noises, such as cries, curses and sighs, a snapshot of mixed sounds generates a somewhat anarchic setting, this contributes to our understanding of how much people suffers due to the growth of capitalism, the cause behind the huge rift between rich and poor in London at the time.

Imageries and its implications

The poet's use of imageries in this poem is brutal. This is shown through "marks of weakness, marks of woe" - the obvious use of metaphor here highlights misery to an extreme level. Weakness and woe are intangible and thus not visible to human eyes; yet Blake writes "mark in every face I meet" which signifies how much people are suffering, to such a level that eventually it becomes visible and leaves a sign on their faces. Another imagery of "the mind-forged manacles" (line 8) conveys brainpower being chained; this advocates the idea that if one accepts dominant ideologies, one will become a prisoner of his/her own mind.

Oxymoron

Blake's use of oxymoron on line 10, "black'ning church appalls" shows irony as churches are supposed to be calming, not "appalling". This emphasises the fact that everything is affected by the growth of capitalism and also its power, as it could turn a peaceful, religious,

holy place into a horrifying one. His use of this device is repeated on the last line of the poem, "the marriage hearse" (16). A 'hearse' is a vehicle for taking the coffin to a funeral, which symbolises grief and death, whilst a 'marriage' is supposed to be loving and happy. This oxymoron underlines the idea of every happy union will end up with death.

Assonance

Blake's use of assonance in the last stanza, in lines 15 and 16: "blasts the new-born infant's tear, and blights with plague the marriage hearse" puts pauses on the 'buh' and 'puh' sounds, which draws the reader's attention, especially to the last sentences of the poem, in order to stress the harshness and brutality of the actual events.

The Blossom - Songs of Innocence

The effect of repetition

"Merry, merry" (line 1), "Pretty, pretty" (line 7), "sobbing, sobbing" (line 10) in the poem create a very light mood that is associated with hymns as well as making the lyric seem like a nursery rhyme. The "sing-song" mood combined with the subject of the poem, being the blossom evokes happiness and innocence as it helps to keep the mood of the poem light. The repetition of "so green" also adds colour to the poem, which further highlights the happiness and innocence that surrounds it.

The repetition of "under the leaves, so green" and "near my bosom" enables us to see a connection between the sparrow and the robin and we feel as if they are linked.

Assonance

In Stanza 1 the "a" sound is repeated - eg. "sparrow", "a happy", "as arrow", "cradle narrow".

The "a" sound is merry and mirrors the "merry, merry sparrow", highlighting the light mood of the poem and the joyfulness.

In Stanza 2 the "o" sound is repeated - eg. "robin", "so", "blossom", "sobbing, sobbing".

The "o" sound has a glorious connotation, however also adds weight to what is being said. In this stanza it is used to perhaps highlight the "sobbing, sobbing" that is revealing a slightly deeper and heavier emotion, while keeping the tone quite innocent.

Personification

The personification of the "blossom" is seen as it is given emotions and feelings, "a happy blossom". The blossom also seems to have a "bosom", like a woman, which may suggest that it is taking care of the sparrow and the robin as they are "near" her bosom. The blossom always keeps the sparrow and robin close to her heart, and this suggests a close relationship between her and the birds.

Blossom also means to develop into something, and it seems as though the relationship of the blossom and the two birds is blossoming and developing as we can see in the poem.

The Title

The title "The Blossom" is plain, yet the imagery of flowers and beauty that it connotes is one that instantly evokes images of spring time and happiness. To blossom also suggests the development of something, which we later on find is the relationship between the flower and the two birds.

The significance of the blossom hearing the robin sob

It seems as though the blossom and the robin are very close friends, seeing as only close friends would cry in front of each other. This again enables us to see the close friendship between the two. The blossom may be crying about industrialisation and the destruction of nature, a theme that is constantly referred to in poems of the Romantic period.

Lines/Phrases that stand out as conveying the key message in the poem

"A happy blossom" (lines 3 and 9) - this line, which is repeated, sums up and reminds the reader of the joyful and light mood of the poem. It also gives the imagery of not only a beautiful blossom, but a happy one, which gives even more glory to the line. A blossom usually can also be when flowers are produced or are growing, which is like the start of a new life. This further highlights the innocence that we feel throughout the poem.

"Near my bosom" (lines 6 and 12) - this line is also repeated in both stanzas of the poem and it is important as it shows just how intimate the friendship between the two birds and the blossom is.

Questions on "The Tyger" by William Blake

5) What is the effect of trochaic metre and use of spondee?

Trochaic metre involves a stressed syllable followed by an unstressed syllable, which creates a natural rise and fall during the reading of the poem, making it sound like a song. Take lines 1+2 as an example, “Tiger, tiger, burning bright / in the forests of the night,” the trochaic metre couple with the aabb rhyme scheme have a melodic effect when reading “The Tyger.”

Blake does not consistently use the trochaic metre within the poem, sometimes breaking it, like in line 19, he breaks the trochaic metre, starting the line with an unstressed syllable, creating an involuntary pause in the poem, accentuating the question that the poetic persona is posing, “Did he who make the lamb make thee?”

Blake’s use of spondee adds a somewhat negative feel to certain lines within the poem, because its interruption of the trochaic metre creates heaviness. In line 16, for example, Blake makes use of the words “deadly” and “terrors” which are both spondees. In this particular stanza, the punctuation used by Blake increases the pace at which the stanza is read creating an air of insistence. Having these two spondees juxtaposed with each other significantly slows the pace, causing the reader to linger over the line, changing the attitude from one of insistent questioning, to one of pensiveness.

6) Analyse the syntax and diction of “What dread hand? and What dread feet?

Line 12 makes effective use of the word “dread.” When used as an adjective today it describes something greatly feared, however archaically it was used as an adjective to describe something regarded with awe.

This double meaning that the word possesses is in keeping with the overall tone of Blake’s poem, where the narrative voice is both in awe of the beast while fearing it. The word highlights the idea that the being who created the Tyger must also be revered and dreaded. If Blake hade chosen to use the word “dreadful” the line would not have this double effect.

Blake could have chosen to place the adjective in the line after the noun (i.e. “What hand of dread? And what feet of dread?”) this would have required the addition of the preposition “of” in order for it to make sense, and thus would have interrupted not only the rhyme, but the rhythm of the stanza. With the adjective before the noun, the noun gains more importance, so the reader focuses on the idea of the hands and the feet of the creator, rather than the “dread” attached to them.

William Blake: Jacob's Ladder

Blake's painting of Jacob's ladder depicts a staircase of angels walkin up and down while Jacob lies at the bottom, asleep. This is supposed to not only show the story in the Bible, where Jacob dreams of the staircase to heaven, but also is supposed to reflect the inner workings of the soul.
I find this painting so fascinating because of its vivid colours, and the graceful movement in the way the angels and the staircase was painted. It is very interesting that the angels look like they are regular people, albeit very beautiful ones, chatting to one another and carrying pots and baskets, as if they were going to and from the market place. Only a few of them have wings. There is a beauty in the normality of the angels' movement, perhaps because what they are doing is so human. This may have been done to signify how people in normal life are in fact incredibly beautiful because of their simplicity and yet colourful emotions.
Farther up the staircase, couples can be seen embracing, symbolising love. This shows Blake's idea that the only way for a person to get to the highest spiritual status is to go through these powerful emotions.

Blake's work

Nebuchanezzar
Nebuchanezzar was considered as the King of Babylon, who was punishd by God because of his arrogance. The painting shows him with some resemblence of man and animal. His claws and rough skin gives him animal like characteristics, even his facial expression, shows a terrified expression, similar to that of a frightened animal.

The painting's portrayal of the transition between animal and man, could be Blakes way of emphasizing on the idea, that without arts and imagination, man would be nothing less of an animal. Since Nebuchanezzar was exiled, he was derived of culture and arts, without it, he gradual became an unregconizable animal.

God Judging Adam

"God Judging Adam"

William Blake, 1795

As the title suggests, this etching shows God passing final Judgement on Adam, the first man.

Both men are shown to be old, with long flowing beards and hair. In fact, the only real distinguishing feature between Adam and God is that God is clothed but Adam is not. Possibly Blake is trying to make a point about how men are made in God's image, and thus emphasise how men have failed to emulate God's ideals or teachings.

Adam's nakedness, coupled with the fact that God is seated and elevated above Adam highlights Adam's low status. God seems to be seated on some sort of chariot, pulled by a fantastical horse, whose mane seems quite flame-like. This idea of flames is echoed in the reds and oranges that seem to make up the circular carriage or throne God is seated on. Heaven is not usually associated with fire or flame - maybe Blake is trying to make God seem more terrifying by surrounding God with brushstrokes and colours that bring flames to mind. The use of colour/texture seems to present an atmosphere of anger - God is angry with Adam.

The Ghost of a Flea - By William Blake

To W. Blake , the rationality and attention to surfaces of the English social portrait encapsulated deadening Newtonian materialism; true vision is inward rather than empirical. So, in his 60s, Blake painted his riposte to the English face-painters: the portrait of the spirit, or ghost, of a flea.

Blake's flea is evil, gothic, stalking through a starry realm between stage curtains - walking the boards. The ghost's spine is a throbbing, gristly column shooting into his scaly head with its bulging eyes and voracious tongue; his massive muscles are red-toned, as if infused with dried blood, and his loping, crushing walk is that of a colossus come to life. This vastness and mad-eyed bestiality contrasts with the visible form of the spirit's physical embodiment, which can be seen on the floor between his veined legs: a little flea.

Blake's explanation of the spirit he saw accords with the painting's extreme drama of scale, the contrast of the huge invisible monster with its tiny incarnation as insect. The blood-drinking household flea, said Blake, is in fact the physical shape taken by the souls of men who are so bloodthirsty that they are providentially confined to the size and form of insects.

The ghost is gorging on a bowl of blood. This is Blake's ultimate critique of the English portrait.

William Blake - Good and Evil Angels

This interesting piece of artwork by William Blake is entitled 'Good and Evil Angels', an ink and watercolour on paper piece. It depicts a 'good' and 'evil' angel struggling for the possession of a child, the 'evil' angel ascending from the fires of hell and the 'good' angel holding onto a seemingly distressed infant in the horizon.

Blake attempts to demonstrate the perfect balance between heaven and earth, good and evil; two archetypal forces moving against each other and yet in harmony. "What would light be without dark, and when all is dark where is wisdom?"

artwork by william blake.

This watercolour piece entitled 'Jacob's ladder' was derived from the book of Genesis (28,12), where Jacob had a dream in which he saw a ladder extending to the gate of heaven.

This ladder in this painting represents an important symbolic motif. It was often used to convey the interlocking world of God, the soul and man. In some Hermetic texts, the ladder was depicted as a series of chains, each representing a different "sphere" of consciousness. All of these spheres were linked together, and like man, were each connected to "the true essence of God."

William Blake's Art.

This is a watercolour and relief etching called "The Ancient of Days" by William Blake.

Ancient of Days is a name for God in Aramaic: Atik Yomin.

In this piece, the Ancient of Days relates to the Medieval idea of God being an Architect, creating the world. He is seen to be holding a compass like device and sitting on the sun, without which we would not exist. The sun with the clouds and rays of light surrounding it may be symbolizing the heavens.

Favourite quote from Othello

"Thou art a villain"

Brabantio to Iago

Act I, Sc. I, Line 118

I like this quote because it is short and succint - I love the finality of it, how Brabantio just pronounces Iago for what he is, a villain. There are many words that could be used to describe Iago, like snake, double-crosser, liar, cheat, but the best description him is Brabantio's unwiting one: villain.

But what I really like about the line is that Brabantio has no idea who he is saying it to, because this takes place in the dark street outside his home, where he cannot make out Iago's face. Shakespeare has a character state the truth about Iago at the very beginning of the play, without even realising it, which is what I love most about the quote.

Favourite Othello Quote

Act 4 Scene 2
Lines 31 and 32
Desdemona to Othello;

"I understand a fury in your words,
But not the words."

This is my favourite quote in Shakespeare's Othello because it portrays the power of emotion and how emotion speaks for itself. This is important in the play because this is what Iago uses to ensnare the characters around him; he toys with their emotions. This quote also highlights Desdemona's innocence and reveals Othello's increasing inability to control his emotions after being blindly manipulated by Iago.

Favourite quote in Othello

Act 1 Scene 1 (Lines 62-6)

"For when my outward action doth demonstrate

The native act and figure of my heart

In complement extern, 'tis not long after

But I will wear my heart upon my sleeve

For daws to peck at."

I like this quote as it exemplifies Iago's cryptic and elliptical manner of speaking, which is also a vital element that Shakespeare has constructed in order to contributing to the extreme dramatic irony of the play.

Favourite Othello quote.

Act 3 Scene 3.
(Iago to Othello)
"O, beware, my lord, of jealousy!
It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock
The meat it feeds on."

This is my favourite quote in the play as not only does it show Iago's awareness of the emotion that he can use to toy with in Othello, but it also enables us to see his status as we realise that he is the one to unleash this "monster" in the end.
We can see the personification of jealousy as a "green-eyed monster", and I think that this represents the sheer power of this emotion that begins to eat Othello up in Act 3 Scene 3. Jealousy is a key theme in the play, as it is one of the key reasons behind Othello's downfall at the end.

Favourite quote

"whereof I take this, that you call love, to be a sect or scion"

I love how shakespeare experiments with this idea of love being a sect or scion.
Such as how he uses the napkin to portray love being passed from hand to hand, or how he uses the strawberry inscriptions on the napkin to further emphasize the symbolism.
I also enjoy the analogy of emotions being similar to florals, herbs, and plants; mentioned just before this quote. How a person would have to nurture undistinguishable seeds, only to find some were weeds, and nettles that are difficult to destroy once they've grown. I think this idea can be manipulated in many different ways, presenting many different oppurtunities.

Julia's Favourite Quote From Othello

" 'Twill out, 'twill out: I peace!
No, I will speak as liberal as the north:
Let heaven and men and devils, let them all,
All, all, cry shame against me, yet I'll speak. "

This is my favourite quote in Shakespeare's Othello because Emilia has finally pushed to expose the truth instead of making conclusions in her own head, like Othello, or fabricating evidence, like Iago. Emilia, the character Shakespeare protrayed throughout the play previously to be so quiet and compliant, is now shown to have snapped, as if the truth is a force that cannot be contained forever.

favourite quote from Shakespeare's Othello

Act I, Sc. I
I am not what I am. (line 65) - Iago

This quote highlights the very nature of Iago; a manipulative and deceptive character. this quotation is important because Iago himself admits this, foreboding the events that are about to unfold.

'A liberal hand!'

In Act 3 Scene 4, Othello’s speech about Desdemona’s hand is extremely important because it shows his shift from the ‘noble’ man he has always been described as, to a more primitive, barbaric character. Through the vulgar imagery that Shakespeare uses, Othello conveys his self-loathing and also insinuates Desdemona’s lack of loyalty. An example of this is when he describes himself as a ‘young and sweating devil’, the vulgar imagery conveying that he believes himself to be consumed by sexual feelings and seems to hint at Desdemona’s sexuality as well. The reference to the devil connotes evil, suggesting that Othello cannot see any goodness within himself anymore.
Othello describes Desdemona’s hand as ‘moist’, ‘liberal’ and ‘frank’, showing his suspicions of her betrayal and his base feelings about her, as if she is now merely a sexual toy now that she has no virtue in his eyes. There is a strong dramatic irony in his speech because Desdemona is completely innocent and ignorant of the hinted accusations that Othello is making, while Othello believes she is aware and so becomes more incensed by her apparent dishonesty throughout the scene.
Through Othello’s phrase ‘The hearts of old gave hands; but our new heraldry is hands, not hearts’, the audience can see that he has lost his faith in the honour of love, since Desdemona gave her hand in marriage but perhaps not her heart. He is also implying that he can discern her disloyalty through the use of the word ‘heraldry’, as if Desdemona’s hands confess her betrayal because of their ‘moist’ quality.
This speech shows that Othello has begun to speak like Iago because of its continual sexual references, showing the audience his descent from the nobility and honour he began with. The speech also shows that he is overcome with anger and so will use any evidence, even the quality of Desdemona’s hand to accuse her of her disloyalty because he already believes he has been betrayed.

Act III Scene 4; and its significance.

Everything happening in Act III scene 4 serves the purpose of making Iago’s plan better and more believable. In Act III scene 3, he vouched to tear her all to pieces however is stopped by Iago. Iago states that there was not enough proof that Desdemona was being unfaithful then proceeds to inquire about the strawberry-spotted handkerchief in which he claimed that he saw Cassio using. This enraged Othello and he proceeds to demand it from Desdemona. Being unable to produce the missing handkerchief as it was in Iago’s possession, Shakespeare depicts Desdemona’s doom as the lost of the handkerchief acts as a confirmation to all Othello’s suspicions which consequently lead to Act IV, scene 1 which is when Othello determines the way in which Desdemona is to die. In this scene, the plot against Desdemona unfolds. Shakespeare denotes the similarity between the character of Desdemona and Othello. Because they are both strong headed, they don’t give in to each other easily. Determined to get what they want off each other (Othello demands Desdemona to produce the handkerchief he gave her and Desdemona wants Othello to reinstate Cassio), their argument led to no clear conclusion; the more they pushed each other, the more adamant they both became, which further infuriates Othello. The fact that Desdemona could not produce the handkerchief that Othello has asked for confirms her infidelity. However, because she does not know of Othello’s suspicion, she decides that Othello is just trying to get her sidetracked from her mission.

The significance of the handkerchief is also explored in this scene. The handkerchief acts as a symbol of Desdemona’s fidelity. Shakespeare, through Iago had suggested that the handkerchief was not the only thing she was giving away; Othello in this scene highlights how special and magically significant the handkerchief is in itself by explaining the source of its alleged power, that how losing it or giving it away is tantamount to ending their love. This is important as it reminds the audience of the alleged claims that Brabantio made in the opening scenes of the play that Othello had used charms and witchcraft to win Desdemona’s love.

Act III, Scene IV. Of Hands and Handekerchiefs.

In the scene prior to Act III, Scene IV (Act III, Scene III), Othello condemns both Desdemona and Cassio, vowing that nothing at all will sway his thoughts towards his wife, and ordering Iago to kill Cassio. As we have previously witnessed, Othello’s character and mentality has completely changed, and for the first time in the entire play, in Act III Scene IV the audience sees an argument develop between Othello and Desdemona.

This is the point in the play where other people (i.e. Desdemona and Emilia) notice how Othello has changed his demeanour. Before, Othello’s turmoil was only shown in front of Iago, but here we have Othello, in public, quarrelling with his wife – and more importantly, completely losing his confidence and calm. Due to his constant demands for Desdemona to find the handkerchief, Othello works himself into a state of hysteria – losing his “regal” and “noble” bearing. This scene marks the first direct effect of Iago’s machinations on someone other than Othello (Desdemona).

An important point to note about Othello’s behaviour is his abruptness with his wife, which is not unlike Act III Scene III when Iago speaks to Emilia. Iago just makes demands of Emilia, like Othello’s demands to Desdemona to fetch the handkerchief. And then there is Othello’s references to Desdemona’s “moist” hand which could mean that she is being unfaithful. He implies that Desdemona is liberal in her affection, much like Iago commenting to Emilia that she is a “common thing”, i.e. also liberal with her affections.

This scene is also important because it highlights the foolishness and fickleness of men. Firstly this is done through Shakespeare’s use of the clown character, who makes a comment that men are only capable of doing menial things. Then Emilia highlights their fickle mindedness with her speech where she likens men’s affection for women to a satisfaction of someone’s appetite. On the surface, it is as if Emilia is speaking her true thoughts of Iago’s treatment of her, but on looking deeper one could see this as a reference to Othello’s sudden change of heart. As he now casts Desdemona aside, like a chicken bone after devouring all its meat. Thirdly through Bianca and Cassio’s exchange, where Bianca is resigned to accept her lot as a woman, accepting Cassio’s coarseness in his attitude, and his quick dismissal of her, as if there is no other possible outcome to being a woman.

It is interesting to compare this scene with the scene from Act I where the audience is first introduced to Othello – an Othello who can eloquently diffuse the violence about to erupt in a particular situation. In this scene however, we get the sense that Othello’s anger is just building and building, until finally when it seems as if he is about to explode with rage, he flees the scene instead of standing his ground. This exit of Othello’s is important, because it leaves Desdemona in such a state of shock and confusion that she does not go after him, but instead bids Iago to go to him, giving Iago leave to further manipulate Othello in a vulnerable state.

The final most important point in the scene is the very brief exchange between Cassio and Bianca, where he gives here Desdemona’s handkerchief that he has found. The audience does not know at this point how and why he has Desdemona’s handkerchief (though one can probably guess that Iago had something to do with it). Shakespeare has chosen to end the scene with a cliffhanger. We have already seen that Othello is a different person, and suffering inside, and Iago finally has position of lieutenant, so at this point there is no rational reason why his plans need to continue. We know that nothing good can come of Cassio giving the handkerchief to Bianca, and much like the end of Act III Scene III, the audience is again left feeling extremely tense, because we cannot foresee what Iago intends to do next with his plans.