Blake (original) (raw)

Referring closely to at least two poems in the Songs of Innocence and Experience Anthology, show how Blake explored key Romantic themes Elizabeth Millán-Zaibert states that German poet Friedrich Schlegel first used the term Romantic to describe literature, defining it as "literature depicting emotional matter in an imaginative form. (Millan-Zaibert) However this is not the complete picture, romanticism includes subjectivity and an emphasis on individualism; spontaneity; freedom from rules, mysticism and infinity with nature. Some critics such as Josephine Miles place Blake as a pre Romantic poet. (Miles 1967) Others, such as Stephanie Forward place him as a romantic poet. (http://www.bl.uk) It is therefore fair to suggest that Blake was an early romantic poet and incorporated some of the themes seen in Romantic poetry into his own work. For the purpose of this essay the following themes will be used, natural instinct, visionary, morality, mysticism and childhood. Where possible, comparisons will be made to other Romantic poets who explored these themes within their poetry.

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