I love the contrast between the Lamb and Tyger poems, even just evaluating them through formalism. It is amazing how powerful word choice is, because I can literally feel the difference in both poems through Blake's descriptions. However, I didn't enjoy The Chimney Sweeper or London as much. It's not that I have a problem with poems expressing bleak situations, but it was hard for me to identify his point (enterting the rhetorical stage.) Was it satire? London was an especially dreary poem, and words such as "chartered" make the situation they are in seem inevitable because of the government. It was interesting to learn in class that Blake's main question as he wrote, was "Do we have to have the experience? Or can we remain in innocence?"
Formalism-staying within the text while analyzing (tone, meter, symbolism, etc)
Rhetorical- asking questions while reading
New Historicism- applying personal values
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I liked his poems for the rhetorical feature, but sometimes when I think that I could like a poem such as London, I wonder if I see the world in a dismal scene as well. But, then again I think I appreciate what he tries to say and how he does it. Sometimes I think you have to get int he mindset of a poet to understand it. But even with our diving deep in what he meant to say and to which audience I think he did a great job in the formalism sense as well.
ReplyDeleteI like that you have put your goal on your blog---keep us up-to-date on your progress. And where are cool pictures from Sweden?
ReplyDeleteThanks! Yes, the picutre is me at the Stockholm temple, it was a beautiful day!
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