Can Blake Be Considered To Be a Romantic Poet

Romantism was an artistic movement, which took place between 1770 and 1848. It highlighted a world-shaking change in society. Before, people generally believed in the neo-classic system, which was extremely authoritarian, in that location was no belief in the power of imagination, paintings were realistic portraits or landscapes and literary works was inflexible. Everything was more or less forced.Signs of romatism were evident in writers such as Mary Shelly and ETA Hoffman who both alluded to the darkly mysterious aspects of life. Slowly writers started to portray personality in relation to mans sentiments (Gray was a fine example of this). This is displaying imagination, as it is associated with the individuals deposit of mind. Rousseau was a great influence in the Romantic Movement, his literature showed impale and a go past use of imagination.William Blake was an ardent follower of Rousseau and his beliefs. This is evident in his poems, such as The Tiger taken from Songs Of Innocence. In this poem on that prognosticate is a contest between the tiger and the blacksmith, the tiger creation a natural, powerful, instinctive and full of energy and imagination while the blacksmith ruins, crafts and reconstructs natural materials. It is clear in the poem that Blake had a great degree of respect for the tiger and this is shown where it saysOn what wings hardihood he aspire? What the hand dare seize the fire.This is taken from the second stanza of the poem, which consists solely of questions. These questions are evidence of Blakes enchantment with this creature that is individual in thought and action, that isnt influenced by Urizen and is not alter by the mind forged manacles. It is evident in this poem that Blake was a believer in the power of imagination. He loathed anything that limited or compact imagination.This is partly from the influence of Jean Jacques Rousseaus The Social Contract, the opening sentence resembles linchpin words that appear in Blakes poems Man is born degage only everywhere he is in set ups. Here, the key words are free and chains. Chains are menti aned a countless number of quantify in Blakes poems, more or less noticeably in The Tiger where it says What thy hammer? What thy chain? A hammer is a weapon that shapes (resembling how the church/monarchy shaped society) and a chain is a weapon that restricts and Blake obviously felt that people were being oppressed.As well as having respect for individual and instinctive creatures standardized the tiger, Blake was also very fond of children. Many of his poems are based on children with a particular emphasis on childhood memories, for example The lamp chimney Sweeper and The Nurses Song. Both of these poems appear in two parts, each with single in Songs of Innocence and the other in Songs of Experience.This emphasises the value of individual ensure. If we formulation at The Nurses Song (Innocence), it is clearly portraying a feeling of gratificati on and optimism this is evident where it saysWhen the voices of children are comprehend on the green And laughing is heard on the hill.Here, the words voices and laughing tell us that children have a voice and are allowed to have a voice, and be expressive. Also, the emphasis on the surrounding environment makes the setting very idyllist (like that of fairy tale). The key notion to this poem is authority. In this poem the nurse is benevolent and lenient. However, in the NUSRSES telephone call (experience), the key figure (the nurse) becomes jealous and self-centred, this is portrayed where it says The days of my youth uprise fresh in my mind, My face turns green and pale.Now the nurse has resent in her soul, she wants to be like a child again because experience has made her so cynical. Here, there are two important points, one is experience, Blake is showing us how people change with experience, after being constrained and oppressed people became self centred and envious like the nurse. The other work out is childhood, he is emphasising the sacredness and vitality of that part of life. As this is the only time when we push aside be completely frank and voice our thoughts without hesitation and its accepted.By analysing Blakes meter and imagery it is clear to see that he can be considered a romantic poet. It is clear to see in The Tiger that he believes in the power of imagination and this is also evident in all his work. He emphasises on the value of experience a great amount and this is most obviously shown by the composition of Songs of Experience. All his work shows a infixed point of view, which is expressed through the intensity of the language he uses. He has linked together man and nature (most noticeably) in The Sick move up and The Clod and the Pebble. All his work reflects his state of mind, he is conveying his point of view through his literature and art forms, and this makes him a romantic poet.