What Natural Influences Did Blake and Wordsworth Respond to in Their Poetry?

What natural influences did Blake and Wordsworth respond to in their poetry? Blake and Wordsworth were under different influences stemming from their childhood. Wordsworth's pleasant and simplistic life style in the country, contrasted with the harsh reality of life experienced by Blake in the City of London. In what way does nature itself play a significant role in their poetry?  How so, why, and in what way?

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When looking into the influences of both William Blake and William Wordsworth it is very important to remember a key important event often associated with the term “revolution”, French. During a financial crisis within the lower and middle classes of France partly due to the France’s involvement with the other most known revolution, American. To attempt to fix its current financial issues the French crown had called for it’s first meeting of notables which turned into a meeting named the estates general, it’s goal was to gain order and assent for new tax laws for the people.

The enlightenment of France had drastically changed the views of the middle and lower classes of French society to the point where they had demanded intervention from the government, taking full advantage of the crisis France was enduring to get it. It is important to note that the estates general was composed of three estates, the first being the clergy with the second being the nobility the last of the three was the rest of the French populous. The Third Estate was far larger than the other two but only had a third of the vote, with the other two estates believing this to be fair and just. Argument ensued due to the third estate requesting for bigger say this of course had failed, with that the third estate had saw the failure within the French hierarchy and thus decelerated itself a national assembly and their first action being the suspension of taxation with the second being taking over the French sovereignty.

Thus, the revolution had officially begun, what followed was a bloody conflict that would forever change all of Europe as well as the world. By 1792, a second revolution had begun to take places forcing the assembly to replace itself with a national convention which first action was to abolish the monarchy thus declaring France to be a republic with the execution of the king the next year. With many revolutionists attacking France as the war went on many were angry at the attacks on the church and conscription rebelled with the radicalization discreetly increasing it had forced a committee of public safety to run in France. This committee was very quick on the trigger to kill those the deemed as against the state, this included its once grand allies. Many of the bordering countries sought to not get involved with the war due to its uncertain outcome, fearing that they could be the next target for supporting the wrong side of the war so many choose to say out.

A linger fear that many people would take up to arms like the French many countries became paranoid that soon it would be them on the chopping block, so people deemed as revolutionist were punished. “The controversy sparked by the French Revolution did not just inspire intellectual debate in educated circles. Influenced by Paine’s notion of universal rights, and beginning to make connections between their economic struggles and political corruption, ordinary working people began to organise into political groups for the first time, and to call for reforms that would enable them to take a more active part in deciding how the country was governed.” (https://www.bl.uk/romantics-and-victorians/articles/the-impact-of-the-french-revolution-in-britain#)

A fear also occurred within the sourdining countries as well, a fear that they will be the next to have a revolution, anyone who was viewed as a symthpisor

William Blake was born on November 28, 1957 with both of his parent’s being Christian lower-middle class Londoners. Though it wasn’t until the age of ten he was sent to school, his family had recognized from a young age he had a passion for drawing and had decided that the sook take advantage of his natural talents. Prior to going to art school, he was often influenced by his surrounding homestead of “tradesmen and artisans, who typically took pride in their skilled labor and had a tradition of political radicalism that pitted them against the aristocratic elite.” (BOOK) When he had reached the age of 14 he was an apprentice to that of a James Basier an engraver; this would be someone who could mass produce paintings and illustrations rather than having to make just the one copy; this gave Blake the tools of craft he needed.

Some would also put into consideration the fact his religion of Christian was also an influence, but it could be question per-say. At the time the power of the Christianity was at an all time high often many artists as well as craftsmen would see god influence, they’re into their owns. Blake had a passion for the teachings from the bible, but he often would clash with the beliefs of the established church of England, he felt they were not teaching the correct understanding of the lord often his beliefs were significantly far removed from the common and popular beliefs of the time. Part his understanding on how religious beliefs should be accepted was in the contraries of life and the “prophetic significance” of art (Lincoln 11).

Perhaps that’s what really influenced him per-say to make a means for his “message” to be heard. “In the late 1780s Blake developed a revolutionary new technique which he called “illuminated printing.” … involved combining visual and written materials.” (pg. 531) With such a combination of word and picture his messages were clearer for the masses to understand even if they weren’t popular with the British government of the time. A prime example of such works that would begin to question the power of the British government was that of “Songs of Innocence and of experience”

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Blake used his technique of “illuminated printing”, when making his poetry book, something a person would see almost atone to that of a picture book. On the cover of his book is that of Adam and Eve, taking his influence of that of the same biblical story of Genesis 2:4-3:24 similar influences could be seen within “Holy Thursday”, the titled is reference to that of the commemoration of the Last Supper of Jesus Christ, the sacrament of t holy communion before his arrest and  later crucifixion.

William’s poem describes the holy committee service taking place at St Paul’s Cathedral were the poor children were marched to from charity schools. The children enter the cathedral “walking two & two, in red & blue & green.” The children sit and sing with their voices reaching the heavens themselves to be heard by none other than angel’s themselves. The poem ends with a moral: have pity on those less fortunate than yourself, as they include angelic boys and girls like those described here. “Then cherish pity, lest you drive an angel from your door.” William’s poem not only makes its audience focus on the poor of London, it also takes a jab at one’s own stance with the bible, from influence of Hebrews. Hebrews 13:2 “Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have angels unawares.”

Within Blake’s work known as Earth’s answer he shows his true nature of rebelling against the ideals of the church in full effect to the bard.  Within the poem Earth is personified as that of a woman in distress who is chained in cold and darkness on the “watery shore,” the bounds of the materialistic world, which is mentioned in the “Introduction”. Earth is seen as rejecting the bard because she sees that God is the only tyrannical figure and not that of man. The bard prevents the earth from its full expression of her love, Earth replies to the bard’s call from the “Introduction” by stating that Reason and the “Selfish father of men” have imprisoned her. Earth only want daylight, arguing for the creative life forces of that of “when buds and blossoms grow”. She asks that the bard, or the reader, “break this heavy chain” that binds even “free Love.” Rather than hide the act of sexual congress natural to all creatures in the darkness of shame, it should be openly celebrated and acknowledged as a gift from her creator. e

Another revolutionist by the name of William Wordsworth, who was a contemporaries and admirers of Blake’s had  stated that “There is no doubt this poor man was mad, but there is something in the madness of this man which interests me more than the sanity of Lord Byron and Walter Scott” (Ostriker 204).  Blake was influenced by a lot throughout his life, by the events around and towards him he sought to make beauty of it to which he achieved. Today his frustration with traditional techniques and methods are viewed to that of beauty.

References

• Lincoln, Andrew. “From America to The Four Zoas.” The Cambridge Companion to William Blake. Ed. Eaves, Morris. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2003.
• Ostriker, Alicia. Vision and Verse in William Blake. Madison: U of WI P, 1965.