Rockstroh 1 Taylor Rockstroh Mrs. Stanford ENG 124 7 March 2016 The “Ode” and “The divine image” Heaven and Hell like two men named William. Blake and Wordsworth grew up in the same time period in Britain known as the Romantic era. These two men are compelling poets who deal with similar. Regarding their dreams and aspirations these two men tend to have identicals ideas. It becomes intriguing when understanding the history of the two men and seeing it conveyed through their work. William Wordsworth and William Blake are different people yet very uniquely alike. These poets share similar interests but often times view them in different ways; a great example is when William Wordsworth expressed his curiosity about the afterlife and goals of humanity on Earth and Heaven, and when William Blake illustrates his disappointment and loss of hope in humanity, explaining Hell as if it exists on Earth. William Blake was born in London on November 28, 1757. William was one of six sibling, two of which died in infancy (Lynch 115). The death of his two siblings was thought to had a big impact on Blake’s life. From early childhood, Blake spoke of having visions—of God. At age ten, Blake expressed a wish to become a painter. He pursed his creative side with engravings. Later, Blake became a poet. William Blake lived though the French Revolution in 1789. The French Revolution was very important because it had a huge impact all artists during this time (Lynch 115). As a Poet, painter, and engraver, Blake worked to question faith and god but also kept hope in the future. Blake shown this through his series of poems entitled ​
Songs of Rockstroh 2 Innocence​
and ​
Song of Experience​
. The ​
Songs of Innocence ​
wrote in 1789 (Blake 112­163). Songs of Innocence​
was more happy poems about heaven and God. Through these poems Blake explained the good things that result from the innocence of men and then later question these ideas in 1794. Blake continued to experiment with the process of contrast though his writing in 1794, with ​
Songs of Experience ​
(Blake 112­163). ​
Songs of Experience​
combined the early poems with comparison poems. The comparison poems in the​
Songs of Experience​
tended to have a more gloomy feeling. During these times it’s concluded that William was experiencing vulnerability. Just like heaven and hell are complete opposites, Williams ​
Songs of Innocence and Experience are contrary of each other. Like two contrary poems Blake and Wordsworth coexisted. Most likely Blake and William never knew each other but thought their lives they had possible had similar experiences that had shaped their work to be alike. ​
Songs of Experience​
and ​
Songs of Innocence ​
by William Blake and William Wordsworth work become like a the linking piece of a puzzle. William Wordsworth was born April 7, 1770, in Cockermouth, Cumbria, England (Lynch 115). At the age of eight Wordsworth mother had passed away—shaping much of his later work. Wordsworth attended Hawkshead Grammar School. While he was at Hawkshead, Wordsworth’s father died. With both parents deceased Wordsworth and his four siblings were left orphans. After Hawkshead, William started touring Europe. During this time Wordsworth saw and experienced the French Revolution (Lynch 270). It is believed that Willams experiences of deceased parents at a young age and the subsequent period living in France during the french Rockstroh 3 revolution, brought about Wordsworth’s interest and sympathy for the life and troubles, of the common man. William Blake and William Wordsworth are had similar experiences that had subsequently made their work and beliefs similar. In blake's songs of experience he shows the innocence in life and people, arguably showing that Godly presence exist on earth. This is very interesting because these same themes are created in lots of William Wordsworth's work too. William Wordsworth’s, “The Ode” stays true to the Godly theme. In his poem “The Ode,” William Wordsworth explores nature and immorality: “....Apparell'd in celestial light, The glory and the freshness of a dream. It is not now / as it hath been of yore;—Turn wheresoe'er I may, By night or day,”
The things which I have seen I now can see no more. (Lynch 335). Wordsworth dreaming of God. In God's presence he feels refreshed. As the poem progresses Wordsworth reveals how he views God's presence on earth. The entire earth, all its fields and streams and trees, are like heaven. There is beauty in: rainbows, roses, moonlight, sunlight, the reflection of the stars on evening waters but like day and night they come and go. William Wordsworth goes on to say, “The things which I have seen I now can see no more.” Rockstroh 4 (Lynch 335). William Wordsworth continues explaining these thoughts in ​
The Ode​
, his thoughts develop more he unravels a different perspective: “The rainbow comes and goes, And lovely is the rose; The moon doth with delight Look round her when the heavens are bare;”(Lynch 285). “The Divine image” from ​
Songs of Experience​
is a great example of William Blake's work. In ​
The Divine Image is ​
contrary to ​
The ode; ​
because in unlike William Wordsworth thoughts of good humanity and hope in ​
The Ode​
, William blake uncovers the bad in humanity and parades the divil. He does this by using personification to give feelings human characteristics, an example is: “ Cruelty has a Human Heart”. Though this poem William was explaining how humminity is evil. He goes on to say, “Jealousy a Human Face” (Blake 135). These ideas were a huge contrast from the previous version of the ​
divine image​
in the ​
songs of innocence​
. Previously William Blake wrote in ​
The Divine Image: “​
Love, the human form divine, And Peace, the human dress.” Here Blake creates an image of a good, loving person. It’s interesting how both men use contradictory poems. In the ​
Ode​
Wordsworth question faith and morals and while Blake is question a human's image. Could the reason that both these men are questioning thing be an impact of the war or simple because of personal experiences. Although both men question things the do it in different and that's what makes them special. Rockstroh 5 William Blake does it though two separate poems one usually written in the songs of innocence and later contradicted in the songs of experience. Wordsworth creates controversy within one poem just like the Ode. The question still stands why are these two different men creating poems about similar subjects and covarying each one the same? The world may never know why but it can be assumed it is because the impact from the war as well as family issues that were imbedded when they were children. Rockstroh 6 Work cited Blake, William. "The Divine Image." ​
The Norton Anthology of English Literature: The Romantic Period​
. 9th ed. Vol. D. New York: W.W. Norton, 2012. 135. Print. Lynch, Deidre Shauna, and Jack Stillinger. The Norton Anthology of English Literature: The Romantic Period. Ed. William blake. 9th ed. Vol. D. New York: W.W. Norton, 2012. 112­163 Print. Lynch, Deidre Shauna, and Jack Stillinger. The Norton Anthology of English Literature: The Romantic Period. Ed. Stephen Greenblatt. 9th ed. Vol. D. New York: W.W. Norton, 2012. 270­611 Print. Wordsworth, William. "The Ode." The Norton Anthology of English Literature: The Romantic Period. 9th ed. Vol. D. New York: W.W. Norton, 2012. 335­341. Print.