Blake was undoubtedly a fierce critic of many aspects of 18th-century society and, through his poetry, called for people to free themselves from the "mind-forged shackles" of religious rule and by the social conventions they had placed upon them. His strong feelings of indignation at the complacency of the individual, as well as his invective against the authority of institutions such as the monarchy and the church, constitute some of Blake's most interesting and compelling poems. However, although satire forms an important element of many of Blake's poems, it is by no means the full extent of his commentary on society and human nature - although he uses irony where appropriate, the Songs are not primarily a satire but a expression of "two contrary states of the human soul". Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why violent video games should not be banned"? Get an original essay Especially in Songs of Innocence, the use of satire by Blake's part is subtle: he states in his introduction that he wrote his 'happy songs, Every child a joy to listen to' and in this context a blatantly satirical approach would have been inappropriate. However, Blake attempts to address racial injustices in the 18th century in "The Little Black Boy" through satire. At the time of his writing, slavery had another 20 years before it would finally be outlawed, and so Blake's abolitionist position would have been decidedly in the minority. We can see the prevailing views in the first verse, in which the black boy himself complains about the color of his skin, saying "White as an angel is the English child; But I am black as if deprived of the light." These two verses highlight very effectively how blacks were viewed in the 18th century; Blake's use of language in "devoid of light" suggests that blacks were godless, in comparison to the white child, who is angelic simply because he is English, and therefore of Christian birth. While, as a modern audience, we would immediately take this assumption as ironic, in the 18th century, poems extolling exactly this view were numerous, and a contemporary audience may have simply accepted this boy's reaction to the color of his skin as normal and acceptable. , making the poem's conclusion, in which these assumptions are firmly rejected, even more surprising. Blake's criticism of racial prejudice becomes more evident when the mother figure, clearly portrayed positively when she 'took [the boy] into her lap and kissed [him]' corrects her son. She shows not only knowledge, but appropriate reverence and appreciation for God, and his explanation of "these black bodies" as "a cloud" that protects us until "our souls have learned to bear the heat" creates an ironic contrast with their description in the first stanza. Also, their description as a "shady grove" implies that they are more adept at bearing the warmth of God's love than their white English counterparts. When the focus returns to the little black boy in the last verse, Blake's satire comes to the fore, with the image of the black boy deciding to "stand up and stroke [the English boy's] silver hair", showing true Christian compassion, and parallelly Christ in his position with God. There is certainly an unmistakable irony in the fact that now it is the black boy who has the ability to give freedom, of a more powerful and spiritual kind, to the white boy, and this is a striking contrast to the situation at the time. However, there may also be another bit of irony in the last verse. The last line, where the black boy says "I'll be like him, and then he'll love me",ends almost sadly - although there is hope, there is also the implication that the white boy doesn't love him at the moment, and we are led to wonder if this innocent assumption is too simplistic, and perhaps simply naive on the little boy's part black. This would tie in well with [the tape boy] who described many of the Songs of Innocence as "an oblique commentary on a world that is terrible in its imperfections and cruelty", and this touching suggestion that the boy's innocence may be misled and exploited by the world of experience, underlines this aspect. Innocence is another example of Blake giving voice to those who were persecuted in 18th century society. On the surface, this poem would seem to encourage children to accept their lots in life: "little Tom Dacre" submits to have his "head curled like a lamb's back" shaved and, as a result, is freed that night by a " angel". , telling him 'if he were a good boy, he would have God for his father and would never lack joy'. This message, that "if everyone does their duty, they need fear no harm" does not seem out of place in a children's poem, as this anthology stated: the most popular children's poetry books at that time were in fact those with such nuances religious. However, if we are to read this poem in this light alone, it would seem surprising that Blake would encourage a view that was so synonymous with the teachings of the church. Therefore, it seems likely that there are indeed shades of irony in this poem. The reference to the lamb clearly refers to the symbol of Christ, which is used throughout the Songs, and the image of the shaved lamb suggests sacrifice - Blake perhaps underlines here that these boys, like Christ, are persecuted despite their goodness and innocence. Tom's dream, while seemingly beautiful, also places restrictions on the boys: the angel's voice is condescending, telling Tom to "be a good boy" and accept his duty, and we are reminded of the figure of Urizen of Blake's mythology - the 'selfish father of men' who binds humans to 'duty' and imposes rules and restrictions on them. The effect of all this is to make us question the meaning of accepting this philosophy; the idea that "if everyone does their duty, they need fear no harm" seems naive, and the description of Tom as "happy and warm" provides an ironic contrast to the "dark" and "cold" of the morning; suggesting that he is completely unaware of the reality of his situation. Here, Blake uses satire to critique the idea of ​​“disorganized innocence,” effectively drawing our attention to the problems of ignoring the world of experience rather than working within the two opposites. The Church's attitudes towards poverty are also addressed in the Songs of Innocence. version of Holy Thursday. The basis of the title was the annual service at which children from London's charity schools thanked their benefactors. Once again, Blake presents us with a poem that can be seen as both a simple innocent perspective and an ironic attack on the religious establishment. Much of his language is deliberately ambiguous: the children are described as 'multitudes of lambs', and this underlines both their innocence and the implication that they are being sacrificed by 'grey-headed stoners'. Likewise, the last line, "Then have mercy, lest you cast an angel from your door" can be read two ways; we are not sure whether these angels are the janitors, in which case the poem is a warning to the children to be grateful for the charity shown to them, or whether the angels are the children themselves - indeed, it is their song that they 'elevate to the Sky'. If so, then the tone of the poemis deeply satirical: he is implying that "agd men", who have placed "under" children perhaps not only physically but morally, should "love pity" and be grateful for them. have the opportunity to help children, and perhaps they are not aware of their "splendour". Even the description of the janitors as "wise guardians of the poor" seems bitterly ironic; Blake was strongly against the regimentation of children, and the rows of "children walking two by two in red, blue and green" show both their oppression and their loss of individuality. Blake's use of satire in this poem is particularly effective; is not an explicitly satirical attack on the church, but a simple poem with a sing-song rhythm and vivid imagery, making the overall effect much more poignant: the ambiguity challenges the reader's perception of religion in a way that an outpouring of ironic comments would not, and this is what makes the poem particularly surprising. Blake continues to question the Church's attitude towards children in The Little Tramp. The child speaker is described as a "tramp" for his blasphemous views, but as we read the poem, we are left with the distinct impression that there is a good deal of truth in his honest and innocently expressed ideas. There is much irony in the fact that the child feels that it is the alehouse that is "healthy, pleasant and warm" and gives him "a pleasant fire with which to cheer our souls", when this is clearly the effect that religion is supposed to have. . Likewise, his description of the "modest Lady Lurch", who would seem to be a model of Christian virtue because she is "always in church", is deeply satirical, as she and her "cheeky children" experience only suffering as a result, highlighting the Blake saw hypocrisy in the teachings of the Church. The satire reaches its climax in the final verse, which is also the most controversial. Blake expresses the opinion that, if the Church were more like a beer house, God would be "like a father who rejoices to see his children as pleasant and happy as himself", in stark contrast to the Church's own condemnation of beer houses such as places of sin. The final image, of God who "no longer argues with the Devil" and is reconciled with him, is in direct opposition to the teachings of the Church, as God and the Devil are seen as polar opposites, impossible to reconcile, yet the The wanderer's idea that God 'will kiss [the Devil] and give him drink and clothe him' is clearly adopted from Christian teaching and is more than a little reminiscent of the prodigal son. In this way, Blake successfully uses satire to contrast the teachings of the Church with those of Jesus, clearly highlighting his views on hypocrisy and inconsistency in religion in the 18th century. Blake also satirizes the state of human relationships in his society. My Pretty Rose Tree attempts to challenge conventional (and, once again, religious) attitudes towards marriage, and commitment in particular. The poem describes how the narrator was offered "a flower such as May never produced", symbolizing the temptation of another woman, and the language clearly suggests that she was young, beautiful, and that this is an opportunity which may never occur again. the reference to the seasons makes us aware of the passage of time. Rejecting her in favor of his companion, "a gracious rose tree", so that he can "tend her day and night", he returns to find "my rose jealously driven away" despite having rejected the proposal. other woman. It is bitterly ironic that despite the narrator's attempts to do what society deems best for his relationship, it transpires that "the thorns were my only joy" - they only bring suffering to both him and his partner. Here,.