The document provides background information on William Blake, his work, and analyzes his poem "The Clod and the Pebble". The poem contrasts the views of love held by a soft clod of clay and a hardened pebble. The clod believes love seeks to help others, while the pebble sees love as selfishly seeking its own pleasure through inflicting pain on others. The document discusses how the clod, despite being downtrodden, understands the true nature of love, while the privileged pebble fails to comprehend it. Different viewpoints on Blake's intent in contrasting these extremes are also considered.

1. The Clod and the Pebble
William Blake

2. William Blake (1757 – 1827)
• English painter, poet & printmaker
• Largely unrecognised during his lifetime
• Now considered one of the most influential
figures in the history of poetry and visual arts
in the Romantic Age.
• His poetry was prophetic, and he was
considered mad by some of his
contemporaries.
• He is now considered a visionary!

3. Romanticism
• Romanticism was an artistic, literary, and intellectual
movement that originated in Europe toward the end of the 18th
century
• At its peak from 1800 to 1850.
• Partly a reaction to the Industrial Revolution, it was also a revolt
against the aristocratic social and political norms of the Age of
Enlightenment (which only valued reason and individualism)
and a reaction against the scientific rationalization of nature.
• It was embodied most strongly in the visual arts, music, and
literature
• The movement validated intense emotion as an authentic
source of aesthetic experience, placing new emphasis on such
emotions as apprehension, horror and terror, and confronting
untamed nature.

4. Influences
• Blake was reverent of the Bible, but hostile to the
Church of England, and all forms of organised religion
• He was influenced by some of the ideals of the French
and American Revolutions
• Blake was critical of the marriage laws of his day, and
generally railed against traditional Christian notions of
chastity as a virtue.
• He advocated for the removal of all state restrictions
on sexual behaviour (“free love” movement later in the
19th century)
• One of Blake's strongest objections to orthodox
Christianity is that he felt it encouraged the
suppression of natural desires and discouraged earthly
joy.

5. Childhood
• Born in London, 3rd of 7 children
• Parents were English Dissenters (separated from
the Church of England in 16th Century)
• Blake was baptised
• The Bible had a profound influence on him
• Left school at the age of 10, to attend drawing
classes
• Apprenticed to an engraver
• Aged 21, he became a professional engraver

6. Career
• After 2 years in his apprenticeship, Blake was sent to
copy images from the Gothic churches in London
• He experienced visions in Westminster Abbey – he saw
Christ and his apostles!
• He married the illiterate Catherine Boucher in 1782
and taught her to read and write, as well as to help him
engrave
• He made a career of engraving and illustrating, with
the addition of poems
• It is claimed that on his deathbed, he burst out singing
of the joys of Heaven which he could now witness!

7. The Clod and the Pebble
• The Clod and the Pebble is from a collection of
poems called the Songs of Experience.
• Succeeding the Songs of Innocence, Blake
explores the themes of love and the human
spirit through the personification of a clod of
clay and a pebble in a brook.

8. The Clod and the Pebble
‘‘Love seeketh not itself to please,
Nor for itself hath any care,
But for another gives it ease,
And builds a heaven in hell’s despair.’’

9. So sang a little clod of clay,
Trodden with the cattle’s feet,
But a pebble of the brook
Warbled out these metres meet:

10. ‘‘Love seeketh only Self to please,
To bind another to its delight,
Joys in another’s loss of ease,
And builds a hell in heaven’s despite.’’

11. In Summary
• The soft malleable clay has a positive view of love, while the hardened
pebble holds a negative view. The clod of clay has experienced the
physicality of being literally, down trodden, yet still holds onto the positive
view of love. The pebble, within its song filled picturesque setting, holds to
a negative view. Love, according to the clod, has the ability to relieve
burden and suffering, to forge a heaven of hope within hellish despair.
Love therefore is a force of good; it seeks no reward and takes no position.
It is without motive or intent.
• Conversely, the Pebble inhabits an idyllic setting, yet holds onto an
embittered view of love. The Pebble says “Love seeketh only self to
please,” framing love as a twisted and malicious force intent on inflicting
pain and misery for its own delight. This idea is made evident by the line
“Joys in another’s loss of ease”. Echoes of the Christian ethos are evident.
The meek downtrodden Clod understands at depth, the true nature of
love, which the privileged Pebble fails to understand. These two differing
views are representative of real life personality types. One person may be
wracked with arthritic pain and totally blind, yet still manage a greeting
with a joke. Another person may be in perfect health yet always greet one
with a complaint about a petty grievance.

12. Viewpoints to Consider…
• It seems that many people condemn the pebble while
warmly embracing the viewpoint of the clod. But as usual,
the superficial appearance of the poem masks Blake's true
intent. He ridicules the clod as much as he does the pebble,
getting crushed underfoot by a stupid bovine for lack of
ability to stand up for itself!
• He is really contrasting two extremes of character, both of
which he condemns. The clod is too passive, it can bring
nothing into a love relationship other than it's pathetic
ability to serve, which the pebble brings nothing other than
a will to dominate. Whereas in real life, both members of a
relationship must have the backbone to stand up for what
they believe in, but the empathy to realize when they're in
the wrong, and submit to their partner.

13. Post-reading
• In fact, the Pebble and Clod (published in his
book of experience) is best understood if we
look at its counterpart "The Little Black Boy"
in the Songs of Innocence. Much of Blake's
poetry is written with an intended
counterpart in his other collection of songs. In
my opinion, Blake is saying that the clod,
despite its innocence, has the courage to love
selflessly.