Comparing and Contrasting the Poetry of Lord Byron and William Blake

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The Romantic period brought a new outlook on how people viewed the world. The fight for individual rights was a major cause for the sudden change. There were too many rules that held people back from being able to express themselves. Once they began to broaden their ideas and practice new motives whether it was political, or emotional, it brought freedom of expression. Many poets took the chance to enlighten their readers on their works. They would write in order to paint a picture and gave more detailed descriptions of the conscious mind. For these poets it brought many people to enjoy their freedom of speech and encouraged a new way of thinking.

Two Romanticism poets that stand out are George Gordon, known as Lord Byron, and William Blake. According to The Norton Anthology Western Literature, Lord Byron cultivated the persona of the solitary sufferer as well as the dashing adventurer. These two concepts are seen in majority of his works. He did not limit himself to only poetry. Lord Byron wrote many lyrics, oriental tales, satires, and melancholy poems. In his lifetime he was able to attract many readers as he engaged in Romantic Ideology.

William Blake’s works’ were simpler than Lord Byron’s. Blake took a softer approach as he expressed his ideas without saying too much. His works included phrases that had more meaning to its simple message. He took what he had learned in the world and added it into his poetry. He was able to capture all sides of life whether it dealt with a child or the unknown presence of an object. He was bale to take the little and turn it into something big that would be remembered for a long time.

Both poets captured the romantic period essentials and combined their works to create masterpieces. Th...

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...ed rather than the darkness of his skin. “White as an angel I is the English child,” “Look at the rising sun,” “”Come out of the grove, my love & care and round my golden tent like lambs rejoice,” “And then I’ll stand and stroke his silver hair,” all are examples of a medieval model popular in the Romantic period which are brighter colors portrayed in this poem. (Page 687-688: Lines 3, 9, 19-20, 27) He expresses the creation of the world and how he can relate to the blessings he has been blessed with.

In the poem “The Sick Rose,” the rose is dying because of the flies that come at night and take away the sweetness of the rose. The life of the rose diminishes as days pass. “Has found out thy bed of crimson joy,” describes how the flies have found the roses’ joy. They describe the color crimson as joy which also describes the life of the rose. (Page 691: Lines 5-6)

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