Olaudah Equiano's Life and Impact

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Questions and Answers

What aspect of Equiano's memoir's title 'Written by Himself' emphasizes his literacy?

It highlights his experiences as a former slave.

It emphasizes the importance of self-advocacy among marginalized people. (correct)

It suggests the collective experience of Africans in slavery.

It represents his alignment with British literary conventions.

Which statement best captures the relationship between Equiano's memoir and British racism?

Equiano conformed to stereotypes by emphasizing victimhood.

Equiano supported British racism through his narrative.

Equiano’s narrative challenged the perceptions of African passivity. (correct)

Equiano's memoir ignored racism entirely.

How did Mary Wollstonecraft describe the uniqueness of Equiano's memoir?

As filled with unreliable accounts of African life.

As an ordinary tale of slavery.

As a standard historical document of the time.

As a curiosity highlighting a philosophical whim. (correct)

Which profession did Equiano NOT engage in after gaining his freedom?

Shipwright in London Signup and view all the answers

What does the term 'iconography of African passivity' refer to in the context of abolitionist writings?

The depictions of Africans as passive victims needing rescue. Signup and view all the answers

In what manner did Equiano contribute to the abolition movement?

Through public lectures and advocacy for his memoir. Signup and view all the answers

When and where did Equiano return after his years of traveling and working?

London in 1779. Signup and view all the answers

What genre does Equiano's 'Interesting Narrative' NOT represent?

Satirical novel Signup and view all the answers

What method did Blake experiment with starting in 1788 that he referred to as 'illuminated printing'?

Relief etching Signup and view all the answers

What was one of the major themes Blake explored in his works, reflected in the titles of his poetry collections?

The duality of innocence and experience Signup and view all the answers

Which prophetic works did Blake complete by 1795, representing his expanding mythology?

Minor prophecies Signup and view all the answers

What role did Blake believe a creative individual had in relation to other artistic systems?

To create their own artistic system Signup and view all the answers

Which notable literary figure was influenced by Blake's writings and mythology?

William Butler Yeats Signup and view all the answers

What phrase did Blake use to express the nature of his work?

Visionary or imaginative Signup and view all the answers

What is one interpretation of Blake's approach to biblical themes in his prophetic writings?

He used biblical narratives to reflect contemporary political struggles. Signup and view all the answers

In Blake's later poems, which character embodied the visionary imagination?

Los Signup and view all the answers

What medium did Blake focus on during his sixties after moving away from poetry?

Pictorial art Signup and view all the answers

What was the general perception of Blake as an artist during his lifetime?

He was largely ignored and unknown. Signup and view all the answers

What significant work did Anna Letitia Barbauld publish in 1810?

The British Novelists Signup and view all the answers

Which theme is prevalent in Barbauld's poem 'Eighteen Hundred and Eleven'?

Despair over war and societal corruption Signup and view all the answers

What did the Latin epigraph in 'The Mouse’s Petition' mean?

To spare the humbled and tame the proud in war Signup and view all the answers

What type of life did William Blake refer to as his 'Spiritual Life'?

Adventurous and complex Signup and view all the answers

Which event in 1803 significantly influenced William Blake's art and imagination?

An altercation with John Schofield Signup and view all the answers

In Barbauld's poem 'A Summer Evening’s Meditation', what does the poet reflect upon?

The beauty of the evening sky Signup and view all the answers

What was Anna Letitia Barbauld's stance on the British involvement in the slave trade?

She published works attacking it Signup and view all the answers

Which notable artist was William Blake apprenticed to?

James Basire Signup and view all the answers

What was a key characteristic of William Blake's early lyric poetry?

Antiquarianism and medieval influence Signup and view all the answers

What did Barbauld hope to achieve with her fifty-volume compilation?

Establish a national canon in fiction Signup and view all the answers

Catherine Boucher, Blake's wife, was initially what before he taught her?

Illiterate Signup and view all the answers

Which literary style did Blake adopt to express his radical views?

Complex symbolic and allusive style Signup and view all the answers

What was the primary cultural movement during Blake's youth?

Antiquarianism and recovery of the past Signup and view all the answers

What aspect of Barbauld's writing for children reflects her beliefs?

Enlightenment faith in human potential Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Olaudah Equiano (1745-1797)

Equiano's memoir details his traumatic kidnapping from his childhood home in modern-day Nigeria.
Equiano identified himself as African, challenging the prevailing Western views that dehumanized and subjugated African peoples.
Equiano's memoir, "Written by Himself", challenged both British racism and the abolitionist texts that depicted enslaved Africans as passive victims.
Equiano, after gaining freedom, worked in various trades, including a hairdresser, seaman, and overseer on a slave plantation.
He actively engaged in the abolition movement, lecturing and advocating for abolition. His book, "Interesting Narrative," achieved multiple editions, bringing prosperity enough to support his family.
Equiano’s narrative, encompassing travelogue, abolitionist commentary, and spiritual reflection, portrays his life as a series of divine interventions, while concurrently presenting himself as a self-made man.

Anna Letitia Barbauld (1743-1825)

Barbauld's writing for children reflected an Enlightenment belief in human potential.
She wrote in opposition to the slave trade, French wars, and discriminatory legislation against Nonconformists.
Barbauld’s "The British Novelists" (1810) was the first attempt to classify and establish a national collection of novels, mirroring Samuel Johnson's role in poetry.
Barbauld’s epic poem, "Eighteen Hundred and Eleven" (1812), was a critical and apocalyptic response to war and social corruption, which caused considerable discomfort due to her gender.
Her poem "The Mouse's Petition" addressed to Joseph Priestley, the prominent Nonconformist educator.
It features a petitioning mouse with parallels to Priestley's discovery of oxygen.
A Latin epigraph from Virgil's Aeneid, urging sparing the humble and controlling the proud, appears in the poem.
Barbauld's poetic exploration mirrors other noteworthy works, including "Ode to Evening" by William Collins and "A Nocturnal Reverie" by Anne Finch. Her unique, gendered perspective is showcased.

William Blake (1757-1827)

Blake's life, encapsulated by his "Spiritual Life" and "Corporeal Life", was multifaceted, characterized by both simple experiences and intense imagination.
Blake received some formal education, focused on art (drawing school, Royal Academy), and extensive self-learning.
He married Catherine Boucher and taught her to read which aided his engraving and printing.
Blake's moderate prosperity involved drawing lessons, illustrating books, and engraving.
An altercation with John Schofield led to accusations of sedition; though acquitted, the experience imprinted a deep sense of ominous forces at work and shaped his artistic voice.
Influenced by antiquarianism and the study of past literature and art, Blake’s artistic and poetic career began during a time of recovering lost historical periods.
Blake's early poems showcase affinities with other prominent 18th-century figures in English literary circles.
He pioneered illustrated printing, significantly altering his poetic output, starting with "Songs of Innocence" (1789) and culminating in the simultaneous publication of "Songs of Innocence and of Experience" (1794).
His prophetic books (Four Zoas, Milton, and Jerusalem) built upon a complex mythos and vision.
Towards his later years Blake focused on painting and illustration. His influence spans the Pre-Raphaelites to modern graphic novels, showing a dedicated creative approach.
His "Spiritual Life," reflected in his prophetic books, deals with various interpretations of the biblical story, particularly the concepts of creation, humanity's fall, redemption, and the pursuit of a new Jerusalem, or paradise regained.
Blake's radical intellectual and artistic independence and unique interpretations frequently shocked conventional acceptance. His approach was intensely personal and vision-based.
His work, characterized by cryptic language and imagery, necessitates close study and interpretation to fully grasp.

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Description

Explore the life of Olaudah Equiano, an important figure in the abolition movement. His memoir not only recounts his traumatic kidnapping and journey to freedom but also challenges prevailing narratives about African peoples. Discover how his work advanced the cause of abolition and provided a critical perspective on British racism.