Innocence to experience

Blake was tuned to the huge social and political forces of the late eighteenth century. This can be seen in Blakes poetry The Tyger as he uses two symbols of variety French vicissitude 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 Blakes symbolic description of the French Reign of alarm. 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 ply, machinery, evil, violence and zip 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 august symmetry? which has a questioning tone of voice, means that Blake is awestruck on what kind of God would want or cede the French Revolut ion. In the second verse which talks about Satans energy, it starts with a questioning tone about nirvana or hell deeps or skies.The question Burnt the fire of thine eyes is addressed towards compeer (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 verseWhen the stars threw down their spearsAnd waterd heaven with their tearsDid he smile his work to see?Did he who made the Lamb make thee?This is apothegm 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 whats not. He basically says man needs a bit of lamb (goodness, kindness, peace) and a bit of Tyger (power, strength).Blakes poems dont just speak about his current times but can apply to nowadays. The Tyger is a time symbol of revolution because it can relate to ripe society huge powerful machines such as the nuclear power station. It can relate to the revolution in his time such as the French Revolution (1789) and the Industrial Revolution but can besides relate to more modern revolution such as the Russian Revolution (1917).Blake did not just dislike the church building building and revolution but also criticizes and explores the effects of a culture governed by commerce. This can be seen in the poem London. This poem talks about a London which is overpowered by commerce, government and religion. One of the main places where he enforces this in this poem is on line four Marks of Weakness, marks of woe which means the people (London) allow themselves to be controlled by commerce.The word marks is also repeated in this sentence twice and once primitively on this is a politicians method to repeat the same word three times to enforce his subject. The give voice charterd street in the first line suggests that every(prenominal) street is filled with commerce and instead of a inclination of an orbit of freedoms there is a list of restrictions. This word is also repeated on the second line confining where the charterd Thames does flow which is verbalise that every street and river is devoted to making money and even though the river is symbol of peace and freedom, it is a type of harnessed freedom.Blake doesnt just see London governed by commerce but a corrupt government and monarchy. In the second verse Blake says The mind-forgd manacles which is a metaphor meaning that peoples minds ar in chains and people mindlessly accept a monarchy, a corrupt government and the misery of every day existence because the church brain-washes people into not rebelling and to put up with their terrible lives.However, I deem Blakes attacks of the church seem to be of the late 18th century because of his poems such as Chimney Sweeper, minuscular Black Boy and Sick Rose. In the chimney sweeper the children ar made to think that no libr ate how dreadful the church is, in the after life you will be with god, and the children will be celebrating this. They are also brain washed from the church and the society of that time to make the children accept their lives as slaves.In the poem Little Black Boy, black people are indoctrinated from the church and the society to think that whiteness is superior and that black is horrible thing to be and they should look up at the white people. A mother gets told this from the church and so therefore it is passed down the family. These are told to them because they believe the church and think the church is good so they put up with a bad life.This can also be shown in the poem The Sick Rose. The name Rose is a metaphor for a flower, a name, love, passion, joy and England. It is saying that England is diseased and its people are turning unhealthy. This can be shown because it is saying that the priest cant have sex activity so they try to stop others.On the other hand it is wrong i n saying that attacks of the church seem to be of the late 18th century because there is still racism and social injustice. We are still indoctrinated but in many different ways by adverts, media, technology and government and so forthBlakes poems in the Songs of innocence and Experience can relate to his time but also modern society. His mental and emotional views about the society he describes are relevant to the 18th century, but they are also relevant today.