Literature 2010 Exam Revision

1. Literature 2010 Exam Revision Back to Blake..... “There was no doubt this poor man was mad, but there is something in the madness of this man which interests me more than the sanity of Lord Byron and Walter Scott.” William Wordsworth This power point presentation is devised to be a guide to your revision – you will need to read over your notes and handouts in order to revise in depth

2. Blake’s Context... Things to Remember... • What was the significance of him writing in London during the early 1800’s?.... Politically • It was a time of REVOLUTION! Blake was sympathetic towards the French Revolutionaries. He was influenced by both the French and American Revolutions. He believed that the system was corrupt – The soldiers blood down palace walls • Blake critiques the hierarchical nature of early 1800’s English society – believing the Monarchy (royals) and the Aristocracy were exploiting those beneath them. (Think back to ‘London’) • He looked towards the American system with hope – look over The Daughters of Albion to remind you of this • Blake had a strong voice in criticising the government – more so than we see in modern times; however, remember his work was often overlooked as his contemporaries considered him slightly mad! • And don’t forget the impact the INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION had on society and Blake’s thoughts on it and the rise of capitalism...

3. Politics and Economics... • The Political and economical contexts are closely related – • Consider Jerusalem - And did these Feet... Blake conveyed the idea that England suffered due to the Industrial Revolution. Whilst many were excited about it, and the opportunities it provided, Blake believed it diminished people’s minds and hearts and that it caused increased suffering...many small factories had to close, poor working conditions... • Blake demonstrated the economic hardship many suffered through the contrast of Infant Joy and Infant Sorrow – this linking to voice of Innocence/Experience • Again, he connected it to making the upper classes richer, through their exploitation of the working classes • The pollution he wrote about was linked to the smog of the factories, as well as being a metaphor for polluting society’s morality. • Blake condemned the social structure, conveying his despair and frustration that the rich were getting richer whilst the poor continued to suffer. Consider The Chimney Sweeper

4. Social Context... • The role of women...There is also a lot to comment on here... • Blake often discussed the roles of women in his poetry. Think back to what ideas he conveyed about women – society’s fear of their sexuality – the hypocritical nature of desiring beautiful women, but condemning them for it (Mary), the restrictiveness of women’s sexuality, his support of free love, (remember the influence of Mary Wollstonecraft on these ideas), consider key quotes such as Maid to Harlot • The negative perception of women enjoying their passion and desires – think about Mary and Daughters of Albion • The expectation (and desire) for women to marry and to have children, but to unhappiness that could result in, and the feeling of entrapment – consider Song • Many of the poems which discussed women also looked at the idea of fear and jealousy within relationships, such as The Sick Rose

5. Prejudice and racism • Blake was aware of racism within society – consider The Little Black Boy – sadness of voice in this poem as the little boy knows he is equal to the white boy but the world can’t see it. • Whilst looking to America for hope in Daughters of Albion, he condemned slavery

6. Religious beliefs... • Blake’s religious convictions fall into the social context. Remember, he was very spiritual and was a strong believer in God, but was frustrated by the Church as an institution, and the rules and hypocrisy it supported. • Consider Chimney Sweeper, The Little Black Boy, The lamb, The Tyger... • He believed that the Church exploited the teachings of God for their own benefit • Blake believed that those in power played on the perceived FEAR of God, and the ideas that greater suffering results in greater heavenly reward, in order to exploit the lower classes and to decrease their responsibility for their actions. Consider... • The Lamb and The Tygeroffer contrasts in how people perceive Christ as something gentle and God as something fearful • This links to his ideas on EMOTIONS, CFREATIVITY and REASONING...

7. Blake’s mythology – Reason overpowering emotion and the senses • Blake questioned his contemporaries understanding of God. This links into the mythology he created. • Remember THE FOUR ZOAS??? (Go back and look at the power point!) • Blake believed that Man reasons too much and this suffocates his emotions and senses. • Reason controls our thinking – eg, in regard to our behavioural choices and perceptions of things. • This links to The Lamb and The Tyger – through these poems he conveyed that we are fearful of things that we can’t apply ‘reason’ to – eg. God.

8. Views on children and those in need • Blake maintained the importance of taking care and nurturing those in need – Augeries of Innocence explores this with many parables • This related to the poor and the children. He believed that it was important to nurture the children and let them dream • Many of his poem adopt a child’s voice in order to explore this. • Whilst adopting a child’s voice, they are read with a mind of experience

9. Prophecies • Blake wrote many PROPHETIC pieces – outlining what the people of England were doing wrong and the impact it would have on society. • Augeries of Innocenceis a strong example of this – after the first positive couplet, (very famous – To see a world in a grain of sand/And a heaven in a wild flower/Hold infinity in the palm of your hand/And eternity in an hour, he went on to proffer numerous omens of how people were mistreating those around them: A dog starved at his master’s gate/Predicts the ruin of the state He who shall hurt the little wren/Shall never be beloved by men • Daughters of Albion was a prophetic response to the limitations placed on women • He also maintained that ‘ignorance’ was no excuse!

10. Poetic Devices...Look at the handouts! Now that you have got your head around WHAT Blake was saying and WHY, you need to remember HOW he said it... • Poetic voice – the poet is not always the ‘voice’ in the poem – consider if it is voice of innocence or experience • Tone – what moods are evident within his writing • Imagery – IMPORTANT!!! What do the images he provided represent? Don’t just say what the image is, explain what it means! Eg. The cave in Daughters of Albion – symbolising they were all trapped by society’s expectations • Symbolism – what symbols are evident? How do they link to the tone or the key ideas? Eg. ...the golden cage in Song. The cage is a symbol for entrapment. The worm in The Sick Rose symbolises death and decay • Word choices – golden cage – golden shows it is something considered desirable • Connotations – positive or negative feeling attached to a word • Assonance and alliteration - repetition of similar vowel/consonant sounds

11. Poetic Devices cont... • Rhyme/Rhythm – how does this develop the ‘feel’ of the poem? Soft, lilting, singsong, resigned etc, or fast paced, harsh, quick, jagged, angry, fearful (try to remember some of the terms for line structures) • Does the rhythm mimic sounds – such as the hammer in The Tyger • What structure does it mimic and why? Lullaby, nursery rhyme, epic, ballad, a Psalm • What tense is the poem written in? • Intertextuality? Biblical, Greek mythology