Blake Romanticism the poems Introduct and Earths Answer
Blake Romanticism - the poems Introduct and Earth’s AnswerThe poems “Introduction” from Songs of Experience and “Earth’s Answer” by Blake illustrate well the aspects of literary works of the Romantic Age. These poems are identifiable to this age because of the themes they contain and how Blake uses poetic diction. Using these tools of writing, Blake impresses upon the readers his thoughts and ideas. With these three elements, Blake presents these two poems, good examples of the Romantic works of the era.
These poems contain prominent themes of the Romantic Age: nature, love, and reform. Blake uses the Earth as the subject spoken to, and the one who speaks back. Instead of having the Bard speak to the human race, Blake has him speak to the Earth herself. The Bard states that the Earth and her people have fallen from grace and that she has turned away from God. The Bard demands “O Earth O Earth return! /Arise from out of the dewy grass” and “Turn away no more” (ISOE 11,12,16). The Earth has a different side to the story. The Earth says she is weary and filled with despair. And the way to help her is “That free Love with bondage bound” (EA 25). Blake expresses through these poems his wish for reform. He feels that the world is digressing, and wishes for it to return into the light of God. He feels this must be done through love. Romantic writers generally saw humanity as naturally good, but corrupted because of society and its institutions of education, religion, and government. Blake is expressing this feeling in these two poems, and offers that the solution is through the powers of love.
Poetic diction is used profusely in writings from the Romantic Age. These poems use personification and visual immediacy. Personification is the most predominant use of poetic diction in these works. Earth comes to life and represents the state of mankind. She is spoken to by the Bard, and gives answers to the Bard’s demands. The “earth rais’d up her head” (EA 1) in her weariness and despair, needy of love to set her free. Also, like other Romantic writers, Blake uses visual immediacy in his poems. He describes the Earth with “her locks cover’d with grey despair (EA 5), imprinting the image of a somber, dreary Earth weighed down with despair. When the Earth speaks to the Bard “Break this heavy chain, /That does freeze my bones around” (EA 21,22), the reader retains the image of the Earth locked in chains and trying to free herself. Blake writes his poems not only to be read, but also to be seen within the reader’s mind.
Blake creatively writes these poems to draw attention and emotion from the reader. Upon reading these poems, the reader is enchanted by Blake’s skillful use of words. The reader is taken in one line at a time, each line building towards the complete image that forms at the end of the poem. Certain words help to construct the image and make it more vivid in the mind of the reader. An example is “O Earth O Earth return/Arise from out of the dewy grass;/ Night is worn, /And the morn/ Rises from the slumberous mass” (ISOE 11-15). This illustrates the clear image of Earth rising out of her dim and tired state and return to glory in the light of God. Skillful writing is a necessary element in poetry, and Blake uses it well.
The poems, “Introduction” from Songs of Experience and “Earth’s Answer” are both good examples of poetry from the Romantic Age. They express the common themes of the era: nature, love, and reform. Blake also skillfully uses poetic diction to further enhance the effect of his poems on the reader. Throughout each poem, the reader picks up imagery that constructs the entire image at the end of the poem. Blake captures the reader, and leaves them with his ideas fresh in his or her mind. As these two poems illustrate, Blake sees that the world needs to rise back into the light of God and that the only way to do this is through love.
Stacey Rainer