Faq. Q1). Who was William Blake?

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Faq Q1). Who was William Blake? Ans). William Blake (28 November 1757 12 August 1827) was an English poet, painter, and printmaker.

1 Faq Q1). Who was William Blake? Ans). William Blake (28 November August 1827) was an English poet, painter, and printmaker. Largely unrecognized during his lifetime, Blake is now considered a seminal figure in the history of both the poetry and visual arts of the Romantic Age. Considered mad by contemporaries for his idiosyncratic views, Blake is held in high regard by later critics for his expressiveness and creativity, and for the philosophical and mystical undercurrents within his work. His paintings and poetry have been characterised as part of both the Romantic movement and "Pre- Romantic", for its large appearance in the 18th century. Reverent of the Bible but hostile to the Church of England indeed, to all forms of organized religion Blake was influenced by the ideals and ambitions of the French and American revolutions, as well as by such thinkers as Jakob Böhme and Emanuel Swedenborg. The 19th- century scholar William Rossetti characterised Blake as a "glorious luminary. Q2). What are the Songs of innocence and Songs of Experience? Ans). Songs of Innocence and of Experience Published in 1794, this collection of poems, fully illustrated and originally hand- printed by Blake, aimed to show the "Two Contrary States of the Human Soul". The Songs of Innocence section contains poems which are positive in tone and celebrate love, childhood and nature. The Songs of Experience poems are obviously intended to provide a contrast, and illustrate the effects of modern

2 life on people and nature. Dangerous industrial conditions, child labour, prostitution and poverty are just some of the topics Blake explores. Q3). Give the Historical Background of the poem London Ans). The poem was published during the upheavals of the French Revolution, and the city of London was suffering political and social unrest, due to the marked social and working inequalities of the time. An understandably nervous government had responded by introducing restrictions on the freedom of speech and the mobilization of foreign mercenaries. The City of London was a town that was shackled to landlords and owners that controlled and demeaned the majority of the lower and middle classes Within the poem that bears the city's name, Blake describes 18th century London as a conurbation filled with people who understood, with depressing wisdom, both the hopelessness and misery of their situation. Q4). What skills does Blake use to create his poem? Ans). Blake uses his rhetorical skills of alliteration, imagery, and word choice to create his poem, but more importantly to express the emotional significance that is implied. The poem has a total of sixteen lines, which are split into 4 paragraphs with a rhyming abab pattern throughout the poem.

3 Q5). What does Blake describe in the first stanza of the poem? Ans). In the first stanza it is with sarcasm that Blake describes the sights he sees as he walks through the streets of London. The repetitive use of the word "charter'd" stresses Blake's anger at the political times and his feeling towards the ruling classes with their controlling laws and oppressive ways. He taunts in the poem to say that it is not only every street they want to control but even the River Thames which should normally be free for all but in this case it too is "charter'd". The people of London are described as being weak and full of woe as the marks on their faces reveal. There is a repetition on the word "marks" which again stresses the despair and tiredness that they seem to be going through because of their oppressed way of life. He is being the onlooker in this poem and as he walks past he can see the weakness and misery marked on the faces of the passers due to their helplessness at not being able to bring about any changes in their destiny. Q6). What are the feelings of every man and child in the poem? Ans). Though the feelings of every man and child are suppressed, it is as if the fear and their cries are audible to him as he walks by. In the second stanza, there is lack of free expression and he uses the word "ban" which is quite clear in its meaning and reveals how people were unable to voice their criticisms on how the country was being ruled. No one dared to speak out for fear of being imprisoned. The words "fear", "cry", "ban", and "mind- forg'd manacles" describe a people who are suffering and frightened and their feelings are imprisoned in their own minds. There is repetition of words like

4 "every" on the first three verses to stress these feelings of being imprisoned and trapped. Q7). What is the condition of the chimneysweepers and the soldiers in the poem? Ans). In the third stanza he talks about the chimneysweepers and the hapless soldier and his finger of blame points to places of authority like the Church and the Palace. The word "appals", "sigh" and "runs in blood" show authority being immune to its common people who are in distress but there seems to be no comfort coming their way. The chimneysweeper represents the destitute children while the soldier represents the anguish of those who had to serve in the army under difficult conditions. Their blood is being split down the palace walls while the cries of the suffering children are blacking the Church, which should bring light to its people. The combination of the helpless on one side and the unhearing authority on the other is both stark and accusatory in its tone. Q8). What is told in the final verse of the poem? Ans). In the final verse Blake's takes on an even more foreboding tone as he talks about the young girl who is out in the darkness of the night walking the streets. Young women had to resort to prostitution because of poverty and he can hear her curses for what she has to be put through. Her grief affects the new born child and he uses powerful words like "blasts" which is a contrast to the gentleness one would use for a new born child.

5 It is as if he can foresee the difficulties the child will have to suffer just like his mother is doing. In contrast a rich woman getting married in a carriage will be blighted by this curse and her carriage might turn out to be a hearse. Blake is pointing a finger at the rich men who might use the services of a prostitute and then get married and pass on disease to their wives. He uses the word "plagues" to signify the goings on of the rich and how their actions affect the lives of all the innocent people involved.

IN MODERN LANGUAGE COMPOSED UPON WESTMINSTER BRIDGE

IN MODERN LANGUAGE COMPOSED UPON WESTMINSTER BRIDGE COMPOSED UPON WESTMINSTER BRIDGE Earth hath not anything to show more fair: Dull would he be of soul who could pass by A sight so touching in its majesty: This city now doth, like a garment, wear The beauty