Blake Being a Man of His Time

Blake Being a Man of His Time

William Blake was born in 1757, the third son of a London tradesman

who sold knitwear (hosier). Blake lived in London which dominated much

of his work. He was a British poet, painter, and engraver, who

illustrated and printed his own books. He spent most of his life in

relative poverty. He was very influenced by his brother’s death which

he claimed he saw "ascend heavenward clapping its hands for joy" who

died of consumption at the age of 20. He uses the illustrations and

engravings in his work to express his visual, spiritual and psychic

views about the society he lived in.

Blake was tuned to the huge social and political forces of the late 18th

century. This can be seen in Blake’s poem ‘The Tyger’ as he uses two

symbols of revolution; French Revolution and the Industrial Revolution

which both happened in the 18th century! The title ‘The Tyger’ is a

symbol which was used in 18th century newspapers, similar to Blake’s

symbolic description of the French Reign of Terror. The ‘Times’

newspaper talked about the Reign of Terror as a Tyger: “a tiger

stalking the streets of Paris”. This ‘Tyger’ was used to symbolize the

power, machinery, evil, violence and energy of the revolutions going

on at this time. The description ‘Tyger Tyger burning bright’ is a pun

because ‘burning’ could be seen to represent destructiveness whilst

‘bright’ is a deep, powerful word for revolution. In the third line

‘What immortal hand or eye, Could frame thy fearful symmetry?’ which

has a questioning tone, means that Blake is awestruck on what kind of

God would want or allow the French Revolution. In the second verse

which talks about Satan’s energy, it starts with a questioning tone

about heaven or hell ’deeps or skies’. The question ‘Burnt the fire of

thine eyes’ is addressed towards Lucifer (the Devil). Verse two and

three shows the imagery of the industrial revolution ‘In what furnace

was thy brain’. Blake says God is a blacksmith who wrestles with power

and energy which is beneficial and at the same time destructive.

In the fifth verse:

‘When the stars threw down their spears

And water’d heaven with their tears:

Did he smile his work to see?

Did he who made the Lamb make thee?’

This is saying that if there were only good and no evil, there would

be no good because there would be no comparison to what is good and

what’s not. He basically says man needs a bit of ‘lamb’ (goodness,

kindness, peace) and a bit of ‘Tyger’ (power, strength).

Blake’s poems don’t just speak about his current times but can apply