August 22, 2021: Difference between revisions
From Gerald R. Lucas
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[[File:Songs of innocence and of experience, page 39, The Sick Rose (Fitzwilliam copy).png|thumb]] | [[File:Songs of innocence and of experience, page 39, The Sick Rose (Fitzwilliam copy).png|thumb]] | ||
{{Center|{{Large|The Sick Rose}}{{refn|From the ''[[w:Songs of Innocence and of Experience#Songs of Experience|Songs of Experience]]'', 1794.<br />{{sp}}Compare this poem to its ''contrary'', the “[[The Blossom]]” from ''Songs of Innocence''. See also the introductory note on “[[The Lamb]]” for more background into Blake’s poetic composition and philosophy.}}<br /> | {{Center|{{Large|The Sick Rose}}{{refn|From the ''[[w:Songs of Innocence and of Experience#Songs of Experience|Songs of Experience]]'', 1794. In the fallen world of experience (see “[[Introduction (SE)|Introduction]]” and “[[Earth’s Answer]]”), nature is in disharmony, or divided against itself, undermining the rose’s health ({{harvnb|Tomlinson|1987|p=33}}). The dominant theme here suggests that ''secret'' love because of morality is unhealthy and unnatural, causing shame in sexual desire and ultimately rot. The rose symbolizes “experienced love”: the “love in the garden of [[w:Urizen|Urizen]], fostered and tended with a sense of guilt and shame, protected from other men, open to intrusion” ({{harvnb|Gardner|1969|p=51}}). The rose in Blake is a protected flower, only appearing in ''SE'', and victim to man’s jealousy, morality, and thus his sickness. The garden in ''SE'' is walled off from others, where man tends to his own private desires, and is not a paradise, but recalls only temptation, mystery, forbidden knowledge, and “religious and sexual tyranny” ({{harvnb|Gardner|1969|pp=51, 55}}).<br />{{sp}}Compare this poem to its ''contrary'', the “[[The Blossom]]” from ''Songs of Innocence''. See also the introductory note on “[[The Lamb]]” for more background into Blake’s poetic composition and philosophy.}}<br /> | ||
By: [[w:William Blake|William Blake]] ([[w:The Sick Rose|1794]])}} | By: [[w:William Blake|William Blake]] ([[w:The Sick Rose|1794]])}} | ||
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<poem> | <poem> | ||
O Rose thou art sick. | O Rose thou art sick. | ||
The invisible worm | The invisible worm{{refn|The ''worm'' symbolizes mortality, decay, or impermanence. Also, of course, the penis. This is the “germ of moral disease” that corrupts desire and makes love—especially women’s love—a sin ({{harvnb|Gardner|1969|p=127}}). }} | ||
That flies in the night | That flies in the night | ||
In the howling storm | In the howling storm | ||
Has found out thy bed {{ln|5}} | Has found out{{refn|The rose is complicit in trying to hide the immoral love, causing psychological, and perhaps, physical sickness. ''Found out'' suggests an attempt to hide or deceive. Blake’s critique extends to what he saw as an immoral marriage law that had less to do with love than it did in prolonging loveless relationships and glorifying possessiveness ({{harvnb|Gardner|1969|p=127}}).}} thy bed {{ln|5}} | ||
Of crimson joy, | Of crimson joy,{{refn|Yes, the red rose symbolizes passion, but also the female sex and genitals.}} | ||
And his dark secret love | And his dark secret love | ||
Does thy life destroy. | Does thy life destroy. | ||
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|}</div> | |}</div> | ||
<div style="clear:both;"></div> | <div style="clear:both;"></div> | ||
===Notes & Commentary=== | ====Notes & Commentary==== | ||
{{reflist}} | {{reflist}} | ||
===Works Cited=== | ====Works Cited==== | ||
{{refbegin}} | {{refbegin}} | ||
* {{cite book |last=Battenhouse |first=Henry M. |date={{date|1958}} |title=English Romantic Writers |url= |location=New York |publisher=Barron’s Educational Series, Inc. |ref=harv }} | * {{cite book |last=Battenhouse |first=Henry M. |date={{date|1958}} |title=English Romantic Writers |url= |location=New York |publisher=Barron’s Educational Series, Inc. |ref=harv }} | ||
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{{refend}} | {{refend}} | ||
===Links=== | ====Links==== | ||
* Blake at the [https://tinyurl.com/255jf826 Internet Archive]. | * Blake at the [https://tinyurl.com/255jf826 Internet Archive]. | ||
Revision as of 09:37, 2 September 2021
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Notes & Commentary
- ↑ From the Songs of Experience, 1794. In the fallen world of experience (see “Introduction” and “Earth’s Answer”), nature is in disharmony, or divided against itself, undermining the rose’s health (Tomlinson 1987, p. 33). The dominant theme here suggests that secret love because of morality is unhealthy and unnatural, causing shame in sexual desire and ultimately rot. The rose symbolizes “experienced love”: the “love in the garden of Urizen, fostered and tended with a sense of guilt and shame, protected from other men, open to intrusion” (Gardner 1969, p. 51). The rose in Blake is a protected flower, only appearing in SE, and victim to man’s jealousy, morality, and thus his sickness. The garden in SE is walled off from others, where man tends to his own private desires, and is not a paradise, but recalls only temptation, mystery, forbidden knowledge, and “religious and sexual tyranny” (Gardner 1969, pp. 51, 55).
Compare this poem to its contrary, the “The Blossom” from Songs of Innocence. See also the introductory note on “The Lamb” for more background into Blake’s poetic composition and philosophy. - ↑ The worm symbolizes mortality, decay, or impermanence. Also, of course, the penis. This is the “germ of moral disease” that corrupts desire and makes love—especially women’s love—a sin (Gardner 1969, p. 127).
- ↑ The rose is complicit in trying to hide the immoral love, causing psychological, and perhaps, physical sickness. Found out suggests an attempt to hide or deceive. Blake’s critique extends to what he saw as an immoral marriage law that had less to do with love than it did in prolonging loveless relationships and glorifying possessiveness (Gardner 1969, p. 127).
- ↑ Yes, the red rose symbolizes passion, but also the female sex and genitals.
Works Cited
- Battenhouse, Henry M. (1958). English Romantic Writers. New York: Barron’s Educational Series, Inc.
- Gardner, Stanley (1969). Blake. Literary Critiques. New York: Arco.
- Greenblatt, Stephen, ed. (2018). The Norton Anthology of English Literature. The Major Authors. 2 (Tenth ed.). New York: W. W. Norton. ISBN 9780393603095.
- Tomlinson, Alan (1987). Song of Innocence and of Experience by William Blake. MacMillan Master Guides. London: MacMillan Education.
Links
- Blake at the Internet Archive.
