William Blake, artist and poet of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, lived in a time when there were no child labor or abuse laws in London. William Blake wrote his poems on Chimneysweepers, or in other terms, child slaves, who were forced up chimneys to clean. As an artist, William Blake illustrated every one of his poem covers with dramatic detail. William Blake's two poems, "Songs of Innocence" and "Songs of Experience," are both spectacular poems due to their symbolism, creativity, and the emotional impact that they have on their readers.
Blake's use of symbolism in both of his poems is astounding. Blake's use of symbolism is visibly shown in all of his literature, for an instance, in the phrases "wash in a river" and "shine in the sun"; what do you suppose these phrases really signify in Blake's mind? Well, since Blake is a religious freak in my state of mind, I would say that these two phrases could represent anything.
William Blake's portrait in profile, added later t...
English: Plaque at 28 Broadwick St, London. It was...
Blake's The Great Red Dragon and the Woman Clothed...Their real meaning is, that the boy was baptized, or washed in a river, and was shining in God's glory following the baptism, or shining in the sun. Did you gain that meaning from the two phrases? In both poems, all of Blake's symbolism can be clearly shown through his unique style of writing. While reading each of Blake's poems, you can clearly, after reading them see another story behind each phrase? It is practically like a magic trick. It is like those words that are considered brainteasers. I must deem Blake was a genius. He must have had an outstanding education to think of one story and have one meaning for what you are reading, but hide another story, which is within the story itself, using symbolism.
Blake's creativity level in...