IndexIntroductionRomanticism in the poems of William BlakeConclusionWorks CitedIntroductionNature serves as a muse and source of clarity in moments of anguish; calms and re-centers the soul. On the other hand, Nature can be a force of chaos that has the ability to bring humanity to its knees. Romanticism sought to encapsulate the likeness of nature and interpret it in all its multifaceted grandeur. Many poets of the Romantic period were influenced by the different aspects of nature that can be observed in their works and in the world around us. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay A prolific poet during the Romantic period, William Blake, reflected on aspects of nature and exploited its traits in his writing. Throughout much of his life, he was at times not considered to be of sound mind by his peers or his own family. These unfavorable views of Blake's sanity were primarily due to the fact that he was frequently cited as having visions of spirits, angels, and, at one point, God himself. Although many found him strange and crazy, Catherine Boucher, his wife, was a light in his life who he considered his guardian angel. His poetry often reflected his life as well as what was happening around him, both in his personal life; or in nature. Romanticism in the Poems of William Blake William Blake's work embodies much of the Romantic period in the way he uses elegant simplicity in his poetry to capture nature in a way related to sympathy for the marginalized and the glorification of normality. Pure beings who embody the lightness of nature with the appearance of nefarious beings who shed light on the darker aspects of nature in much of Blake's work. These beings within William Blake's poetry can be understood to gain insight into the poet's life; as well as the period in which they were written. For example, in William Blake's work, The Lamb, the lamb in the poem is hailed as a joyous and lovely being who "makes all the valleys rejoice". At one point, the narrator begs God to bless the lamb which connects to the calm and almost sacred aspects of nature. Seeing the lamb as blessed by God as well as seeing the lamb as a form of God, as seen in the way the lamb “is called by the same name,” can be understood by linking it to the tendency to glorify the simple during the romantic period. Tying into what was stated earlier, this idea of glorifying the otherwise normal and adorable characteristics of the lamb can also be compared to Catherine Boucher, Blake's companion, in how Blake sees her as something more than human; meaning she was his guardian angel. The glorification of the lamb can be interpreted as a nod to how Catherine Boucher was seen in Blake's eyes. Observation of the poet's life and his poetry reveals the commonalities between them as well as aspects of the period in which they were written. Another event where Blake's life and poetry reflect each other is in another poem, The Tyger. The tiger in question is intended to be a miserable creature that wreaks havoc and destruction on everything around it, as seen by the way it clings to "deadly terrors". Although the aforementioned tiger is perceived as a threat, there is an element of sympathy towards it. The narrator asks the tiger what "could twist the nerves of his heart," as if pitying him for not being able to experience complex emotions. This sympathy for the tiger could be interpreted as Blake's request to the world around him totaking pity on him and granting him kindness despite how peculiar he was considered by many of those around him during his lifetime. While the use of destruction and terror implied could reflect how Blake felt tormented by being marginalized by his peers, it could also be interpreted as Blake being the tiger himself. Seeing the tiger as a double of Blake himself can be achieved in the way "the stars cast their spears // And watered the sky with their tears", as if to show sadness for their sadness. This sympathetic way of seeing the tiger as a pitiful creature could connect to the way Blake pities himself for being an outcast. Lending sympathy to outcasts and otherwise unsavory creatures is evident in The Tyger and reveals more about Blake, the world around him, and how he used nature as a medium to communicate his thoughts and ideas. Observing the above mentioned within the poem is another characteristic of the Romantic period that lends itself to connecting and pitying the marginalized members of society. In addition to being a reflection of the poet's life and historical period, the qualities of Blake's poetry can be observed in the outside world. While walking along the bank of a river I noticed a trail of ducklings following their mother into the water. Such grace was adorable and could easily be considered more than just a mother and her ducklings. She could be heralded as the savior of her species for protecting her children as they ventured into the unknown depths of the water in which they swam. This event connects to the purity of the lamb expressed in the poem, as well as Blake's life and the Romantic period. The grandeur that can be found in the simplicity of ducklings following their mother embodies the pure aspects of nature as well as the glory and beauty found in the most normal actions. In accordance with the above, during my stay in the forest, I came across a ring of mushrooms. Although on the surface they appeared as simple mushrooms, I imagined that the ring of mushrooms could have been a doorway to another realm. The simplicity of a mushroom ring and the exaltation of what could have been allowed even the simplest events to be romanticized. Similar in nature to the lamb in the poem as well as the mother and her ducklings, the mushrooms had an air of sacredness such that they could be more than just the sum of their outward appearance. previously stated, real life followed aspects of William Blake's The Tyger and its ties to the Romantic period. As with the tiger in the poem, I found sympathy in my heart for what I found in the woods. In the distance there was a vulture eating another dead animal. Even though it was disgusting to see it at first, I could understand that the vulture was only doing what it had to to survive. Vultures are often portrayed as ugly creatures worthy only of foraging for food, but in that moment I could sympathize with the vulture as one would sympathize with the tiger in William Blake's poem. Later, my walk in the woods brought me past a bouquet of flowers, one of which stood apart from the others. The lone flower grew alone, seemingly marginalized from the rest of those growing nearby. There was a certain loneliness the flower possessed that one couldn't help but feel sorry for. This solitary flower had something in common with the tiger and the vulture in that it was chased away and evoked pity in those who saw it. One could not help but draw a connection between Blake's somewhat solitary life and sympathy for the outcasts during the Romantic period. Keep in mind: this.
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