18th Century Poetry
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18th Century Poetry

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What major influence did Blake cite as significant in his life?

  • The Bible (correct)
  • Philosophical texts
  • The works of Shakespeare
  • Classical mythology

    • Which method did Blake develop that involved a combination of images and text?

  • Woodblock printing
  • Lithography
  • Illuminated printing (correct)
  • Engraving technique

    • In Blake's view, which states exist simultaneously rather than in a linear sequence?

  • Youth and wisdom
  • Joy and sorrow
  • Dreams and reality
  • Innocence and experience (correct)

    • What does Blake criticize about traditional Christianity?

    <p>The moralistic view of life</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of these works is NOT among Blake's prophetic books?

    <p>Songs of Innocence</p> Signup and view all the answers

    In Blake's complex personal mythology, what do Hell and Satan symbolize?

    <p>Liberty and energy</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which two opposites does Blake propose as complementary states?

    <p>Good and evil</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What aspect of society does 'Visions of the Daughters of Albion' critique?

    <p>Sexual morality conventions</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What marked the shift in poetic sensibility during the second half of the 18th century?

    <p>An increase in emotional and autobiographical content</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How did poets of the late 18th century compare city life to rural life?

    <p>City life was often depicted as noisy and less desirable than the serene countryside</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What change occurred in the perception of nature during the late 18th century?

    <p>Nature was regarded as a living, dynamic force shaped by individual consciousness</p> Signup and view all the answers

    According to Edmund Burke's distinction, what characteristics are associated with the sublime?

    <p>Fear, pain, and overwhelming vastness</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What emotional experiences did Burke argue could be pleasurable?

    <p>Painful emotions that evoke fear</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What notable development occurred in fiction towards the end of the 18th century?

    <p>A rise in the popularity of the Gothic novel</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How did the term 'Gothic' originate in literature?

    <p>It was initially applied to architecture before being linked to literature</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which theme became prominent in the late 18th-century fiction?

    <p>The struggle between good and evil</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What characteristic of the sublime is primarily highlighted in Kantian aesthetics?

    <p>It is vast, powerful, and beyond human comprehension.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    In Blake's poem, what does the tiger symbolize?

    <p>The immense and incomprehensible forces of the universe.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the phrase 'fearful symmetry' refer to in Blake's poem?

    <p>The balance between fear and beauty in creation.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How does Kant describe the pleasure derived from the sublime?

    <p>It comes from confronting the vast and infinite despite not fully comprehending it.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What theme do Blake and Foscolo explore in their works regarding human existence?

    <p>The role of imagination as a bridge between the finite and the infinite.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does Foscolo emphasize in his work, Dei Sepolcri?

    <p>The power of art and memory to immortalize human emotions.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How does contemplation play a role in the works of Blake and Foscolo?

    <p>It helps transcend immediate reality and discover beauty.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What concept is central to the exploration of creation in Blake's The Tyger?

    <p>The balance of creation's terror and beauty.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the lamb symbolize in Blake's poetry?

    <p>Innocence and purity</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How does the structure of The Lamb contribute to its themes?

    <p>It is repetitive and song-like</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What aspect of creation does the tiger represent in Blake's poetry?

    <p>Darker and dangerous elements</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which line is a rhetorical question from The Tyger?

    <p>What immortal hand or eye?</p> Signup and view all the answers

    In The Tyger, how is the creature described?

    <p>With fearful symmetry and beauty</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the main theme highlighted by the contrast between the lamb and the tiger?

    <p>The duality of innocence and experience</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Who is referred to as the 'Lamb of God' in Blake's poems?

    <p>Christ, who embodies purity</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the speaker in The Lamb express through their questions?

    <p>Childlike wonder and curiosity</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the lamb symbolize in Blake's poetry?

    <p>Innocence and divine love</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How does Blake's structure in 'The Lamb' reflect its themes?

    <p>Through a repetitive and song-like format</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is indicated by the speaker's rhetorical questions in 'The Tyger'?

    <p>The fear of the unknown aspects of creation</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which line from 'The Tyger' emphasizes its beauty and danger?

    <p>'Tyger, Tyger, burning bright'</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What philosophical theme is primarily explored through the contrast of the lamb and the tiger?

    <p>The coexistence of good and evil</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What concept does Foscolo explore in 'Dei Sepolcri'?

    <p>The emotional impact of memory and death</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What do the sepulchres symbolize in Foscolo's work?

    <p>Physical remnants of life and a legacy</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How do both Blake and Foscolo engage with the idea of the sublime?

    <p>Through philosophical reflections on creation and existence</p> 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.

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    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.

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