William Blake Poetry: Essay Plans
Chains/binding/restriction cluster
Plan for the title: “What imagery does Blake use in order to put forward a message of protest?”
- London
London has a common theme of restriction and control of the lower classes by those
in higher power or authority. Blake criticizes all forms of higher power within society
at the time, focusing on how the lower classes struggled throughout this period.
“Mind-forged manacles' ' emphasises this theme of both physcial restriction, but also
mental restriction, that the lower classes are subjecteed to.
- Earth’s Answer
Earth's Answer explores themes of how humans have restricted and binded nature,
and not allowing it to take its true course. We see this when Blake writes many
rhetorical questions suggesting that nature should not be restricted by human power.
Implies the conflicting aims that human society has and what nature has. Suggests the
theme of humans vs nature.
- Infant Sorrow
This has a focus on the loss of innocence due to the immediate introduction of
societal expectations and restrictions that are set in place by those in higher power.
We see this with the image of a newborn being immediately wrapped in cloth,
suggesting that being born into this society is immediate entrapment.
- Garden of Love
This poem highlights the control organised religion has on society, and we see
another clear cristism of this. The Graden of Love shows the reader how restriction
and controlling religion can be in an almost invasive manner. He protests against
organised religion, as he seems to prefer a more natural ‘free’ form of worship.
- A Little Boy Lost
- A School boy
Urizen/patriarch/parent/father/priest Protest against adult oppressor figure cluster
Plan for the title: “Explore Blake’s message of protest using one important idea from his work”
- Earth’s Answer
- A Little Girl Lost
- A Little Boy Lost
- A School boy
- Little vagabond
- Infant Sorrow
Chains/binding/restriction cluster
Plan for the title: “What imagery does Blake use in order to put forward a message of protest?”
- London
London has a common theme of restriction and control of the lower classes by those
in higher power or authority. Blake criticizes all forms of higher power within society
at the time, focusing on how the lower classes struggled throughout this period.
“Mind-forged manacles' ' emphasises this theme of both physcial restriction, but also
mental restriction, that the lower classes are subjecteed to.
- Earth’s Answer
Earth's Answer explores themes of how humans have restricted and binded nature,
and not allowing it to take its true course. We see this when Blake writes many
rhetorical questions suggesting that nature should not be restricted by human power.
Implies the conflicting aims that human society has and what nature has. Suggests the
theme of humans vs nature.
- Infant Sorrow
This has a focus on the loss of innocence due to the immediate introduction of
societal expectations and restrictions that are set in place by those in higher power.
We see this with the image of a newborn being immediately wrapped in cloth,
suggesting that being born into this society is immediate entrapment.
- Garden of Love
This poem highlights the control organised religion has on society, and we see
another clear cristism of this. The Graden of Love shows the reader how restriction
and controlling religion can be in an almost invasive manner. He protests against
organised religion, as he seems to prefer a more natural ‘free’ form of worship.
- A Little Boy Lost
- A School boy
Urizen/patriarch/parent/father/priest Protest against adult oppressor figure cluster
Plan for the title: “Explore Blake’s message of protest using one important idea from his work”
- Earth’s Answer
- A Little Girl Lost
- A Little Boy Lost
- A School boy
- Little vagabond
- Infant Sorrow
