William blake
Born in London in 1757
He supported the French Revolution
He believed that the artist should become the guardian of the spirit and the imagination
He invented the “illuminated printing”, he combined pictures and poetic, idea that came from
a vision of his dead brother.
For him was important the imagination over reason
Song of innocent
The narrator is a shepherd who receives inspiration from a child.
The child is the symbol of innocent, because he was closed to God and he he was not
influenced by civilization
The language is simple and musical.
Wrote before the french revolution
Song of experience
During the period of terror
Narrator is a Bard
Pessimistic view of lifes
Experience is the adulthood
Complementary opposites
Christianity and the Church were responsible for the fragmentation of consciousness and the
dualism characterizing man’s life.
He believed that the possibility of progress is in the tension between opposite, without
contrary there is no Progression.
Imagination
means to know the world.
to see more, beyond reality.
God , the child and the poet share this power.
The poet is a prophet who can see deeply into reality, tries to warm man of the evils of
society.
INterest in Social problem
He focus his attention on the evil consequences of the Industrial Revolution
Symbol
child, father, god represent the state of innocent, experience and higher innocent
