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William Blake Research Paper

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Blake’s intrigue in the destabilization of corrupt, systematic orthodoxies comes to life in the French Revolution as the people deconstruct the tyrannic leadership of the established kingdom, resembling his poetry as they favor the importance of man’s humanist impulses rather than those of the monarchy. To Blake, the French Revolution represented an event in which the population reflected his beliefs as they defied established, authoritative vices in pursuit of a focus on the common man rather than a monarchical ruler who claimed divine appointment from God. Blake, according to author Anthony Blunt, “[favored] a war between a free nation and a tyranny” (101), implying his allegiance to the common population early on in his lifetime as opposed …show more content…

Through study and observation, Blake associated the monarchy with an embodiment of reason, an ideal that restricted man from venturing into an imaginative space focused on himself, so he “sought to emancipate humanity from the slavery of reason” (Vines 1) with his allegorical writings. Destruction of the kingdom of established orthodoxies by the hand of the common man symbolically removed all restrictions on the population with regards to their physical makeup, for Blake desired that man understand his humanistic value on Earth, separate from the value established prior, by either a “divine” ruler or by God. With regards to the revolution, writer Jack R. Censer states it is “best understood as the victory of the Enlightenment…over social interests” (145), which connects straight into the Romantic Era, as the Enlightenment, Romantic, and French Revolution all overlapped in a one year span from 1799-1800, with the Romantic lasting until

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The Era of Enlightenment was a cultural movement in Europe that favored reason in place of belief. It challenged the accepted views of the time which, in turn, endangered the power of absolute rulers and their system of government. This era influenced a majority of the European population, however, the monarchs of the time did not exemplify those same ideals. Catherine II of Russia’s views on serfs and peasants are a great example of a ruler defying the enlightenment movement. In her “Decree on Serfs” she states that “serfs and peasants...owe their landlords proper submission and absolute obedience in all matters” , essentially saying that serfs of the time should be completely obedient to their masters (Doc. 6).

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William Paterson In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania the Constitutional Convention concluded with 38 of the 41 delegates signing the United States Constitution. Among those 38 men was William Paterson of New Jersey. William Paterson came to America from Ireland when he was just years old. His father did well in manufacturing and selling tin goods which allowed William a good education in private schools. He entered the College of New Jersey which is now Princeton at the age of 14.

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The Enlightenment before it had brought forth the idea that man had a right to control his or her own destiny. This idea started a fire that would carry across Europe, and would eventually set off the gunpowder that had existed in France for many years. The French people were tired of struggling to live while their despotic rulers, the aristocracy, lived in splendor and lavishness. Because of the Enlightenment, according to historian and thinker William Doyle, “no distinction was now drawn between despotism, tyranny, and absolute monarchy” (Doyle 67). The people of France made this their opportunity to subject “him and all other officials to a constitution”, and “replace the rule of arbitrariness by the rule of the law”, i.e. the law created by the general will (Doyle 67).

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Different factors had a part to play in starting or even propelling ‘the Age of Enlightenment’, including the rule of the Church and State which experienced a power struggle among them, in addition to the Western discovery of latest societies with noticeably exclusive cultural traditions and norms. Many intellectuals felt unhappy with the fixed social styles amongst their very own collectives, and angry at their governments' refusal to provide non-public rights. The lasting political effect of the Enlightenment can't be overstated. At the least three fundamental political revolutions came about throughout this time period in Britain, America, and France.

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If they don’t like someone, they resort to killing the person because they “messed” with the wrong person. Blake is becoming that person because that is all that is around him. It is his means of making it in the world. People lived in constant fear of being killed day or night. No one should have to life in fear of their life being taken away at any moment.

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Despite the neglect for the importance of the intellectual origins from the Marxist school, a revolution has to be conceivable before it can take place. The Enlightenment’s critique of society and institutions, especially of despotism and the Church, laid foundations for a new order. Ideas of liberty, equality, the fellowship of man against oppression, democracy as an idealised solution, have all been accorded an important role. France saw even its peasants and artisans, thrown into turmoil by the thoughts of philosophes, making intellectual history a major area of inquiry. The Link Between the Age of Reason and the French Revolution When the influence of the Enlightenment on the revolution, is put to question, a tendency to blame the

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During this time of some of the great philosophers, man was truly not free. Society was in a deep state of depression. People could not even afford food or a piece of bread. The king did nothing to help his people. Man was put in a position where no one had the same rights, man was truly not free New ideals such as democracy articulated by the Enlightenment philosophers were used to challenge standard European monarchies which led to the revolution by inspiring new ways to think about how government and people can live and moving away from traditional thought

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The ideas discussed in the Age of Reason, or the Enlightenment, has played an influential role in the production of revolutionary ideals for the French and American citizens as they battled for their independence, which made them unique events that occurred in history. According to McDougal Littell, from Modern World History, philosophers in the Enlightenment formulated concepts that influences human beliefs, such as “reason, nature, happiness, progress, and liberty.” These ideas are highly evident in the revolutions because human morale was challenged to a certain degree. Not only does the two revolutions possess unique similarities and differences; but also important elements that notably emphasizes them both distinctly.

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The imagery of the young child as a 'black thing', juxtaposed against white 'nature' (snow), confronts the reader of the first line. It implies the dehumanising effect (thing = object, non-human) of this form of child-labour on the once 'white', pure soul of the child, a key aspect of Romantic thought. One of the most influential poets in English history, William Blake’s works as a painter, poet and printmaker inspired a major part of the Romantics movement and the beginning of the anti-slavery campaign. His ideas made him a seminal figure of poetic and artistic movements’ way ahead of his time.

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“Real knowledge is to know the extent of one 's ignorance” (qtd. in “Brainyquote”). The period of enlightenment was a time when many French wanted to apply laws of science and logic to life, and began seeking even more answers to things in ways that no one had thought of before. One such inclusion of logic was when philosophers disagreed on the idea of an absolute monarch, and what position it should have in society. During this period, the idea of something drastic such as a revolution was blooming, and making its way into reality.

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It also explores how we see the effects of the revolution and its relevance. By drawing on a variety of sources, the paper shows how we relate to the enlightenment concept of humanism. How does The French revolution influence human nature? The French Revolution of 1789 sets itself apart from every revolution that had gone before by being a revolution centered on theories. The French king did not call parliament between 1614 and 1789.

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William Blake, now considered one of the most illustrious Romantic poets, was given nearly no recognition during his lifetime for the enlightened works he published. He ventured away from the ordinary model of understanding that was deemed familiar to the everyday person, which was extremely uncommon and even considered too “radical” for the time. This theme was ever present in his literature, perhaps most plainly observed in his renowned collections of poems titled Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience. These anthologies illustrate how the unpleasantries of life bring about the maturation from childhood to adulthood, and greatly affect people’s outlook on society. As an emerging author, Blake wrote Songs of Innocence to argue that by

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This essay will discuss how William Blake represents poverty and suffering throughout his poetry in Songs of Innocence and Experience. “The Chimney Sweeper” from Songs of Innocence and “London” from Songs of Experience are the two poems that will be discussed in this essay. Both poems express poverty and suffering that concern with people, particularly the people who are more vulnerable in society. They also represent suffering and the hardships that are associated with it. They also reflect on what the hierarchy of England was and how it affected people, which would have also been an influenced as to why people and children were living in poverty.

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1366 Words | 6 Pages

Blake himself has stated that he had to "create a System, or be enslaved by another Man 's.” this reasons the presence of vague thoughts and allusions in his work. The reader has to struggle to apprehend Blake’s perspective on the issues of religion, faith and belief. The efforts put to understand Blake’s works will assist the readers to know the revolutionary and visionary artist and poet whose works represented new direction in the course of English Poetry and the

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George Norton’s 2014 analysis of William’s Blake’s Songs of Innocence and Experience focuses primarily on the two poems titled “The Chimney Sweeper”. In his response to the innocent version, he says that, “the boy explains that he was sold by his father after the death of his mother. The reader, too, becomes implicated in his exploitation: ‘So your chimneys I sweep’ (my italics), he declares, though the suggestion is Blake’s; the speaker seems unaware of his own degradation. Central to the poem is the dual contrast between the grim realities of the sweeps’ lives and the ecstatic vision of liberty contained in the dream of Tom Dacre, a new recruit to the gang.” I agree with this completely.

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