An introduction to William Blake

1. SMT S.B Gardi Department Of
English M.K.Bhavnagar University
Subject Name: Romantic Literature
Topic Name: An introduction to William Blake
Prepared By: Ruchita
Jeel
Krishna
Prakruti

2. William Blake (1757-1827)
• Birth place: Broad Street, London
• He developed into a toddler of extraordinary
imagination
• He had visions even as child and was deeply
interested in philosophy and the
contemporary theological debates
• An eleven year old , he enlisted in Pars’
drawing school to learn the art of printing and
plaster casting.

3. Works
• He published his first book of poems “Poetical
Sketches”
• In 1789, Blake Published “Songs of Innocence” and
“The book of Thel”
• Poems supporting the American Revolution :
Songs of Experience , The Marriage of Heaven and Hell
, America: A Prophecy , Europe: A Prophecy , Etc.

4. Continue…
• The Song of Innocence(1789) portrays
images of children, sheep and lambs-
symbols of the pure state of innocence.
His Songs of Experience(1794) portrays
the challenges to innocence and its
corruption.

5. The Tyger
• Blake build’s on the conventional idea
that nature, like a work of art, must in
some way contain a reflection of its
creator.
• The opening question enacts what will be
the single dramatic gesture of the poem,
and each subsequent stanza elaborates
on this conception.

6. Blake’s style and significance
• Chiefly known as lyric poet
• Far removed from the classical restraint
of the previous age
• Simple yet beautifully apt language
• His lyrics reveal a variety and spontaneity
of feeling
• His style has the quality of ‘rightness’

7. Critical Analysis of Blake’s works
• Cocktail of joyous, innocent perspective of a child and less
spontaneous, quite experienced perspective of an adult.
• Children are placed as the main subject, with the
determination of their misery and happiness over their
bonds with the experienced adults.
• The thoughtful contrasts echoes an approach towards the
English society’s political and social dilemmas of that time.
• Objective of those songs was to accompany the challenge
executed by such melancholic view of the world.

8. Sources:
• https://www.gradesaver.com/author/william-
blake
• https://www.sparknotes.com/poetry/blake/se
ction6/
• http://www.writeawriting.com/poetry/critical-
essay-poet-william-blake/

9. THANK YOU…………