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William Blake1757-1827
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Some information He lived in London for his whole life, except for a
gap of three years
Poet, painter and printmaker
Unrecognised during his lifetime (manyconsidered him mad!)
After his death his work was appreciated. He isconsidered an important figure of in the historyof poetry and the visual arts
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Poet and Artist
Blake is also famous for his artwork
He made many relief etchings and prints.These complimented his poetry
What do you think of when you look at some of
his etchings???
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The Romantic Period (1785-1830) The Romantic Period was an era of turbulence.
o Slave trade abolished in 1807 o The American and French Revolutions o England took on harsh, repressive measures o The "Industrial Revolution"
Economic turmoil in England brought upon the "TwoNations": the rich and the poor.
o Urbanization, neighborhood slums, harsh factory conditionso Industrialists and merchants flourished
Conceptions of proper femininity were altered. o The new revolutionary ideologies paved the way for new
opportunities.
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Blake and Religion Blake was very spiritual and was a strong believer in
God.
He was frustrated by the Church as an institution, andthe rules and hypocrisy it supported.
He believed that the Church exploited the teachings ofGod for their own benefit
Blake believed that those in power played on theperceived FEAR of God, and the ideas that greatersuffering results in greater heavenly reward, in order toexploit the lower classes and to decrease theirresponsibility for their actions.
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The INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION had ahuge impact on society. Blake believed the riseof capitalism caused more suffering
Whilst many were excited about it, and theopportunities it provided, Blake believed itdiminished peoples minds and hearts and
that it caused increased suffering...many smallfactories had to close, poor workingconditions...
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Blake demonstrated the economic hardship many
suffered through the contrast of innocence andexperience
Again, he connected it to making the upper classesricher, through their exploitation of the working classes
The pollution he wrote about was linked to the smogof the factories, as well as being a metaphor forpolluting societys morality.
Blake condemned the social structure, conveying hisdespair and frustration that the rich were getting richerwhilst the poor continued to suffer.
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Poetry Elements
Example: A poem that contains a rhyme scheme, twostanzas, and a refrain. Every two lines rhyme.
Rhyming lines and Refrain in the poem The EchoingGreen .
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The Chimney Sweeper
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