Podcast
Questions and Answers
What major influence did Blake cite as significant in his life?
What major influence did Blake cite as significant in his life?
Which method did Blake develop that involved a combination of images and text?
Which method did Blake develop that involved a combination of images and text?
In Blake's view, which states exist simultaneously rather than in a linear sequence?
In Blake's view, which states exist simultaneously rather than in a linear sequence?
What does Blake criticize about traditional Christianity?
What does Blake criticize about traditional Christianity?
Signup and view all the answers
Which of these works is NOT among Blake's prophetic books?
Which of these works is NOT among Blake's prophetic books?
Signup and view all the answers
In Blake's complex personal mythology, what do Hell and Satan symbolize?
In Blake's complex personal mythology, what do Hell and Satan symbolize?
Signup and view all the answers
Which two opposites does Blake propose as complementary states?
Which two opposites does Blake propose as complementary states?
Signup and view all the answers
What aspect of society does 'Visions of the Daughters of Albion' critique?
What aspect of society does 'Visions of the Daughters of Albion' critique?
Signup and view all the answers
What marked the shift in poetic sensibility during the second half of the 18th century?
What marked the shift in poetic sensibility during the second half of the 18th century?
Signup and view all the answers
How did poets of the late 18th century compare city life to rural life?
How did poets of the late 18th century compare city life to rural life?
Signup and view all the answers
What change occurred in the perception of nature during the late 18th century?
What change occurred in the perception of nature during the late 18th century?
Signup and view all the answers
According to Edmund Burke's distinction, what characteristics are associated with the sublime?
According to Edmund Burke's distinction, what characteristics are associated with the sublime?
Signup and view all the answers
What emotional experiences did Burke argue could be pleasurable?
What emotional experiences did Burke argue could be pleasurable?
Signup and view all the answers
What notable development occurred in fiction towards the end of the 18th century?
What notable development occurred in fiction towards the end of the 18th century?
Signup and view all the answers
How did the term 'Gothic' originate in literature?
How did the term 'Gothic' originate in literature?
Signup and view all the answers
Which theme became prominent in the late 18th-century fiction?
Which theme became prominent in the late 18th-century fiction?
Signup and view all the answers
What characteristic of the sublime is primarily highlighted in Kantian aesthetics?
What characteristic of the sublime is primarily highlighted in Kantian aesthetics?
Signup and view all the answers
In Blake's poem, what does the tiger symbolize?
In Blake's poem, what does the tiger symbolize?
Signup and view all the answers
What does the phrase 'fearful symmetry' refer to in Blake's poem?
What does the phrase 'fearful symmetry' refer to in Blake's poem?
Signup and view all the answers
How does Kant describe the pleasure derived from the sublime?
How does Kant describe the pleasure derived from the sublime?
Signup and view all the answers
What theme do Blake and Foscolo explore in their works regarding human existence?
What theme do Blake and Foscolo explore in their works regarding human existence?
Signup and view all the answers
What does Foscolo emphasize in his work, Dei Sepolcri?
What does Foscolo emphasize in his work, Dei Sepolcri?
Signup and view all the answers
How does contemplation play a role in the works of Blake and Foscolo?
How does contemplation play a role in the works of Blake and Foscolo?
Signup and view all the answers
What concept is central to the exploration of creation in Blake's The Tyger?
What concept is central to the exploration of creation in Blake's The Tyger?
Signup and view all the answers
What does the lamb symbolize in Blake's poetry?
What does the lamb symbolize in Blake's poetry?
Signup and view all the answers
How does the structure of The Lamb contribute to its themes?
How does the structure of The Lamb contribute to its themes?
Signup and view all the answers
What aspect of creation does the tiger represent in Blake's poetry?
What aspect of creation does the tiger represent in Blake's poetry?
Signup and view all the answers
Which line is a rhetorical question from The Tyger?
Which line is a rhetorical question from The Tyger?
Signup and view all the answers
In The Tyger, how is the creature described?
In The Tyger, how is the creature described?
Signup and view all the answers
What is the main theme highlighted by the contrast between the lamb and the tiger?
What is the main theme highlighted by the contrast between the lamb and the tiger?
Signup and view all the answers
Who is referred to as the 'Lamb of God' in Blake's poems?
Who is referred to as the 'Lamb of God' in Blake's poems?
Signup and view all the answers
What does the speaker in The Lamb express through their questions?
What does the speaker in The Lamb express through their questions?
Signup and view all the answers
What does the lamb symbolize in Blake's poetry?
What does the lamb symbolize in Blake's poetry?
Signup and view all the answers
How does Blake's structure in 'The Lamb' reflect its themes?
How does Blake's structure in 'The Lamb' reflect its themes?
Signup and view all the answers
What is indicated by the speaker's rhetorical questions in 'The Tyger'?
What is indicated by the speaker's rhetorical questions in 'The Tyger'?
Signup and view all the answers
Which line from 'The Tyger' emphasizes its beauty and danger?
Which line from 'The Tyger' emphasizes its beauty and danger?
Signup and view all the answers
What philosophical theme is primarily explored through the contrast of the lamb and the tiger?
What philosophical theme is primarily explored through the contrast of the lamb and the tiger?
Signup and view all the answers
What concept does Foscolo explore in 'Dei Sepolcri'?
What concept does Foscolo explore in 'Dei Sepolcri'?
Signup and view all the answers
What do the sepulchres symbolize in Foscolo's work?
What do the sepulchres symbolize in Foscolo's work?
Signup and view all the answers
How do both Blake and Foscolo engage with the idea of the sublime?
How do both Blake and Foscolo engage with the idea of the sublime?
Signup and view all the answers
Study Notes
18th Century Poetry
- New Poetic Sensibility: Shifted from formal, impersonal style towards more subjective and autobiographical content. Poets became more emotional and focused on reflections on everyday life, rather than intellectual pursuits.
- Thematic Shifts: Focus on the suffering of the poor, death, and melancholy. Comparison of noisy city life to tranquil countryside. A new aesthetic emerged, emphasizing desolate elements such as ruins, cemeteries, and castles.
- New Concept of Nature: Classical view of nature as governed by reason was replaced by a view of nature as a dynamic force. This influenced aesthetic theories based on individual consciousness.
- The Sublime: Edmund Burke's "A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of Our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful" introduced the distinction between the beautiful and the sublime.
- Sublime Vs. Beautiful: The beautiful evokes harmony and moderate emotions. The sublime is characterized by vastness, invoking strong emotions like fear and terror.
18th Century Fiction
- Gothic Novel: Growing fascination with individual consciousness in literature during the late 18th century. This led to an interest in the mysterious, strange, and the idea of escaping harsh reality. Themes of evil overcoming good and chaos dominating order.
- Origin of the Term "Gothic": Originally used to describe architecture. Horace Walpole first applied the term to literature.
William Blake
- Influences: Profound sense of religion, especially the Bible. His experiences as a craftsman and visionary influenced his unique style, which was a departure from Neoclassical conventions.
- Artistic Philosophy: Emphasized imagination over reason. Believed artistic forms should be generated from internal vision, not the observation of nature.
- 'Illuminated Printing': Unique method combining images and poetic text, where illustrations are an integral part of the poetry.
- Key Works: "Songs of Innocence" (1789) and "Songs of Experience" (1794).
Blake's Radical Poetry and Personal Mythology
- Radical Themes and Idealistic Visions: Poetry characterized by its radical ideas and visionary scope.
- Prophetic Works: Blake published prophetic books, including "The Marriage of Heaven and Hell," where Hell and Satan symbolize energy and liberty, while Heaven represents law-giving.
Complementary Opposites
- Blake's Christian Interpretation: Not liturgical or moralistic. Criticized the church's role in fragmenting consciousness.
- 'Complementary Opposites': Blake's concept of good and evil, male and female, reason and imagination, cruelty and kindness existing simultaneously.
- States of Being: Innocence and experience co-exist, not in a linear progression. Progress lies in the tension between these states.
- Creator's Dual Nature: Blake embraced the idea of a Creator who embodies both the God of love and innocence and the God of energy and violence.
- Other Prophetic Works "Visions of the Daughters of Albion" (1793), "America: A Prophecy" (1793), and "Europe: A Prophecy" (1794), which explore political and moral issues.
"The Lamb" and "The Tyger"
- "The Lamb": A simple poem, presented from the perspective of a speaker, seemingly a child. Illustrates the innocence and purity of the lamb, symbolizing Christ.
- "The Tyger": A darker, more complex poem, which addresses the mystery of the tiger's creation. The tiger is a symbol of the fierce and dangerous aspects of creation.
Blake, Foscolo, and the Sublime
- The Dichotomy of Innocence and Experience: Can be paralleled with Ugo Foscolo's "Dei Sepolcri," which explores the tension between death and the desire for immortality.
- The Sublime: Blake's and Foscolo's works explore the Kantian concept of the sublime (the vast, powerful, and beyond human comprehension). Both poets find beauty in the vastness and terror of human experience.
Imagination
- Imagination in Blake and Foscolo: A key connecting point between Blake and Foscolo. Both saw the power of imagination as a tool connecting the finite and the infinite, the real and the ideal.
Studying That Suits You
Use AI to generate personalized quizzes and flashcards to suit your learning preferences.
Related Documents
Description
Explore the transformative poetic sensibility of the 18th century, highlighting the shift towards emotional, autobiographical content. Delve into the thematic focuses of suffering, nature, and the sublime, as discussed by poets and philosophers of the era.
