Exploring the themes of innocence and struggle through William Blake's poem 'Holy Thursday', analyzing the societal disparities faced by orphaned children in London. Reflecting on the stark differences between harsh reality and ideals of utopia, drawing parallels with the movie 'JoJo Rabbit' to highlight the power of innocence in challenging societal norms and ideologies.
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Quick takeaways
William Blake's poetry contrasts innocence and experience, urging readers to view his poems collectively for deeper insights.
Blake's Holy Thursday poems depict societal treatment of children, emphasizing innocence and critiquing neglect in rich environments.
Deep dives
Overview of William Blake's Poetry
William Blake's poetry, particularly the Songs of Innocence and Experience, delves into the theme of innocence versus experience. He emphasizes the importance of reading his poems as a cohesive book to grasp the overarching understanding of individual poems. Blake employs the dialectic process in his works, presenting contrasting ideas and viewpoints to lead to a synthesis and new perspective. Through poems like Holy Thursday, he explores the societal treatment of children and the juxtaposition between innocence and experience.
Exploration of Holy Thursday from Songs of Innocence
Holy Thursday from Songs of Innocence by William Blake portrays a procession of children, emphasizing their innocence and purity. The poem uses vivid imagery to depict the children walking in pairs with gray-headed beetles leading them. The comparison to the Thames River symbolizes the flow of innocence through the children. The children's voices, like a mighty wind, raise harmonious songs, highlighting their angelic presence.
Critique in Holy Thursday from Songs of Experience
In Holy Thursday from Songs of Experience, William Blake critiques the treatment of children in a supposedly rich and fruitful land. He questions the moral integrity of reducing infants to misery despite the abundance around them. Through stark imagery of eternal winter and barren fields, he condemns the poverty and neglect faced by these children.
Parallel with Jojo Rabbit Movie
The themes of innocence, indoctrination, and societal critique in William Blake's Holy Thursday poems echo in the film Jojo Rabbit. Both the poems and the movie explore the impact of misleading narratives on children, leading to a deeper reflection on societal norms and the manipulation of innocence. By portraying complex moral dilemmas through the lens of innocence, both works provoke thought on societal injustice and individual responsibility.
In this episode I have a movie recommendation too!
There are two Holy Thursdays, one in The Songs of Innocence and another in the Songs of Experience. The focus for this episode is the innocence.
As with other songs of innocence poems, there is a layer of darkness just beneath the surface. Ostensibly this is a poem about an annual procession of orphans in London called Ascension Day. The poem is told from the perspective of a casual observer of the ceremony.
We'll go line by line and see how Blake is using the form and meaning of his poem to vibrate your brain in such a way as to allow you to understand a deeper meaning behind this ceremony.
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