Write on Blake’s Use of Symbolism.

Answer

Write on Blake’s use of symbolism. 

William Blake (1757-1827) is the senior poet of the Romantics.  At the same time, he was a painter and poet. He is famous and acclaimed basically for symbols and mysticism. There is hardly a poem in Blake’s collection of poems, “Songs of Innocence and of Experience” (1789), which has no symbolic significance.

Symbols of Blake’s Poetry: Symbol refers to the targeted meaning of the words that express deep meaning instead of surface meaning. According to the Oxford Dictionary, “A symbol is a thing that represents or stands for something else, especially a material object representing something abstract.” The “Songs of Innocence” symbols are particularly Biblical and depend on the “Songs of Experience.” Symbols of Blake’s poetry are illustrated here poem-wise.

The Tyger: The Tyger (1794) is a classic poem in its abundant use of symbols and images. The images here have special strength and freedom. The tiger represents the cruel and mastery side of God. The powerful beast symbolizes a fearful symmetry that is symbolically pervasive evil in the world and manifests as a manifestation of perfect power and beauty.

The forest of night represents ignorance, repression and superstition. To some, the forest symbolizes the world of experience, where many sterile errors conceal the path of truth and dim the light. The fire is the symbol of wrath. To Spenser, wrath is a fire. Milton wrote of flames as a sign of wrath awakened. The poem’s fire is found in lines one, six and eight.

Tyger Tyger, burning bright,

Burnt the fire of thine eyes?

What the hand, dare seize the fire? 

The Lamb: A deep religious feeling pulsates through the poem “The Lamb.” The lamb, the child, and Christ are identified in the poem as symbols of innocence. It bears the qualities of humility, gentleness and mildness. Christ is called a lamb owing to his humility and gentleness. The harmlessness of the lamb and the purity of the child’s heart manifest Jesus Christ’s innocence.

He is called by thy name,

For he calls himself a Lamb:

He is meek & he is mild,

He became a little child:

Thus, the recurring symbols of the poem have made it mystic. However, the diction is simple but somewhat obscure.

The Chimney Sweeper: Angels are innocent and have a protective influence. In this poem, the angels are innocent, but in Blake’s later poems, they play a treacherous role. Chimney sweepers are certainly the symbolic expression of child labour.

London: “London” is the poem in which Blake illustrates contemporary industrial England through symbols and images. The king exposes oppression and tyranny. He is responsible for the death of the soldiers. The blackening church is the symbol of religious disorder. The phrase ‘mind-forged manacles’ symbolizes the insecurity of the society. Prostitution symbolizes the destruction of proper familial life and holy marital institutions. Because of such an abominable situation in society, the poet notices the shadow of weakness and woe in the faces of the Londoners instead of pleasure and joy.

In every cry of every Man,

In every Infants cry of fear,

In every voice: in every ban.

Other poems: “Nurse’s Song” is another symbolic poem of “Songs of Innocence and of Experience,” in which we get the symbolic expression of joy, politeness, and sombre and forbidding. The poem’s title, “A Poison Tree,” symbolizes aggressive feelings that destroy personal relationships. The poem “The Little Vagabond” symbolizes the tyranny of religion. Thus, almost all of Blake’s poems are symbolic.

In conclusion, we can assert that Blake’s symbols are energetic beyond good and evil. He is outstanding and remains a supreme example of symbolic art in all poetry, though his symbols are somewhat obscure and a hard nut to crack.