Woden s Day, 3/18: Chariots of Fire

Transcription

1 Woden s Day, 3/18: Chariots of Fire EQ: How did William Blake revolutionize the ways we see poetry, art, and the Self? Welcome! Gather OLD WORK, paper, pen/cil, wits! New Unit Cover Sheet: The Romantic Vision Opening Freewrite: And Did Those Feet Lecture/Presentation: Art, Visions, and Methods of William Blake CLOZE ELACC12RL-RI2: Analyze two or more themes or central ideas of text ELACC12RI3: Analyze and explain how individuals, ideas, or events interact and develop ELACC12RL6: Distinguish what is directly stated in a text from what is really meant ELACC12RI6: Determine an author s point of view or purpose in a text ELACC12W2: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas ELACC12W4: Produce clear and coherent writing appropriate to task, purpose, and audience ELACC12W10: Write routinely over extended and shorter time frames ELACC12SL1: Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions ELACC12L1: Demonstrate standard English grammar and usage in speaking and writing. ELACC12L2: Use standard English capitalization, punctuation, spelling in writing. ELACC12L5: Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, nuances ELACC12L6: Acquire and use general academic and domain-specific words and phrases

2 William Blake, Jerusalem England s Unofficial National Anthem Poem 1808; music by Sir Hubert Parry in 1916 And did those feet in ancient time Walk upon England's mountains green? And was the holy Lamb of God On England's pleasant pastures seen? And did the Countenance Divine Shine forth upon our clouded hills? And was Jerusalem builded here Among these dark satanic mills? Bring me my bow of burning gold! Bring me my arrows of desire! Bring me my spear! O clouds, unfold! Bring me my chariot of fire! I will not cease from mental fight, Nor shall my sword sleep in my hand, Till we have built Jerusalem In England's green and pleasant land. (link to music: Freewrite 100 words: Think about what national anthems (like The Star-Spangled Banner ) typically do. What about Blake s poem/song seems unusual for a national anthem?

3 William Blake ( ) HUGELY important in both poetry and visual art; maybe the ONLY such artist FIERCELY independent: didn t care if NO ONE got it: That which can be made explicit to the idiot is not worth my care. Deeply religious, but believed governments, capitalism, religion ANY organized system of thinking worked to destroy Individual Vision

4 And because he believed that organized systems crushed individual vision, his process for publication was the opposite of the massproduction methods that let Milton, Swift, and the rest publish words cheaply. He individually painted and printed syntheses of image and word (iconos and logos), allowing for completely unique and fully integrated art works that looked like this.

5 That process cost much in time, sweat, money, and materials: a) Covered a 5x7 copper plate with wax, allowed wax to set; b) Etched words, designs, pictures into the wax; c) Poured nitric acid onto plate to eat away the exposed copper; d) Scraped away all of the wax, leaving etched/layered plate; e) Painted designs on the etched sections of the plate; f) Pressed the painted plate onto printing paper, and hung to dry g) Washed plate, paints plate, prints again for each new copy so different versions exist of same poem which therefore is not the same which is the real? h) After maybe twenty copies printed, threw away copper plate and started over on a new plate to create page 2 of his book.

6 It was VERY slow, VERY expensive the OPPOSITE of mass production. It COULD NOT be mass-produced, so it would ALWAYS be individual. It also was dangerous; as he put it, the acid would melt apparent surfaces away, to reveal the infinite that was hid. In other words, the method he used to create and publish his art and poetry reinforced their philosophy. INTEGRITY!

7 CLOZE: The Art and Method of William Blake 1. Blake is probably the only artist recognized as revolutionary and influential in BOTH of these types of art: and. 2. To those who believed his art and poetry were confusing, Blake answered, That which can be made to the is not worth my. 3. Blake believed that capitalism, religion and government worked to destroy what? 4. Blake s poetry was not well-known in his lifetime because his process for was the opposite of It involved combining words with. 6. Outline his process for creating books of illustrated poetry: a) b) c) d) e) f) g) h)

8 Turn In Today: Freewrite: And Did Those Feet CLOZE