William as a nature
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M.A English (Literature and Linguistic)
![BLAKE AS A NATURE POET
Blake did not worship nature, nor was he a conservationist. However,
the subject of nature did factor into many of his works. In "Nurse's
Song" (from Songs of Innocence), we find children playing outside,
enjoying nature and having the time of their lives. In this verse, time is
marked by signs in the natural world. The nurse implores: "[t]hen come
home, my children, the sun is gone down / and the dews of night
arise…" (Lines 5-6) Nature acts as a gentle guide for the children; their
only concept of time comes from the luminaries and the light they give.
The children respond to the nurse, wanting to play until the last lights
in the sky are gone. Again, scenes from nature appear. "Besides, in the
sky the little birds fly / and the hills are all covered with sheep." (Lines
11-12) This response from the children is met with understanding from
the nurse and the children resume their outdoor play once more.
"Nurse's Song" from Songs of Experience tells a different story. The
laughing and shouting that is heard in the prior poem turns to
whisperings. There is no sentimentality present in the nurse's attitude.
She calls the children in as before, but the children do not respond to
her in this poem because they know better. Again, the nurse uses the
same reasoning as the prior work: "[t]he sun is gone down…" (Line 5)
Yet, her opinion of child's play is completely negative. To her, play is a
waste of time — presumably since the children could spend their time
working or in school. Nature was not the central focus of Blake's
poems, but it was a theme that did occur in many of his works, such as
"The Lamb", "Earth's Answer", "The Garden of Love", "To Spring" and
"To the Evening Star". But Blake was critical of worshippers of nature.
In "Mock On, Mock On", he mentions both Voltaire and Rousseau and
chides them for being worshippers of nature and not of "human faith
and imagination." (Brady 210) Humanism and conservationism are not
so incompatible, as our second English Romantic poet illustrates.](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/williamasanature-150916073103-lva1-app6892/85/william-as-a-nature-1-320.jpg)
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William as a nature
- 1. BLAKE AS A NATURE POET Blake did not worship nature, nor was he a conservationist. However, the subject of nature did factor into many of his works. In "Nurse's Song" (from Songs of Innocence), we find children playing outside, enjoying nature and having the time of their lives. In this verse, time is marked by signs in the natural world. The nurse implores: "[t]hen come home, my children, the sun is gone down / and the dews of night arise…" (Lines 5-6) Nature acts as a gentle guide for the children; their only concept of time comes from the luminaries and the light they give. The children respond to the nurse, wanting to play until the last lights in the sky are gone. Again, scenes from nature appear. "Besides, in the sky the little birds fly / and the hills are all covered with sheep." (Lines 11-12) This response from the children is met with understanding from the nurse and the children resume their outdoor play once more. "Nurse's Song" from Songs of Experience tells a different story. The laughing and shouting that is heard in the prior poem turns to whisperings. There is no sentimentality present in the nurse's attitude. She calls the children in as before, but the children do not respond to her in this poem because they know better. Again, the nurse uses the same reasoning as the prior work: "[t]he sun is gone down…" (Line 5) Yet, her opinion of child's play is completely negative. To her, play is a waste of time — presumably since the children could spend their time working or in school. Nature was not the central focus of Blake's poems, but it was a theme that did occur in many of his works, such as "The Lamb", "Earth's Answer", "The Garden of Love", "To Spring" and "To the Evening Star". But Blake was critical of worshippers of nature. In "Mock On, Mock On", he mentions both Voltaire and Rousseau and chides them for being worshippers of nature and not of "human faith and imagination." (Brady 210) Humanism and conservationism are not so incompatible, as our second English Romantic poet illustrates.