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A Poison Tree, London, Chimney sweeper (innocence)

How figurative language foregrounds political and social issues



William Blake is (posthumously) a world-renown poet notorious for his construction of poetry as critiques of many aspects of society. Essentially he was strictly conservative in his disposition to preserve faith in spirituality, opposing scientific research in the likes of Isaac Newton. The harsh and calculated manner that Blake asserts critiques on society involves figurative language, which not only foreground political and social issues, but moreover portrays Blake?s institutionalized society as detrimental on the individual and wider human population. The figurative language employed by Blake has both visual and auditory quality, adding a layer of significance under the literal meaning of Blake?s vernacular. Blake?s ?Songs of Experience? ?A Poison Tree?, ?London? and his ?Song of Innocence? ?The Chimney Sweep? encompass differing forms of emblematic language such as personification, allusion, metaphors and symbols. These call attention to social issues of the individual, and issues of the political distribution of power within Blake?s portrayed society. They are mainly centred around the powerful dominance of the church, the sins of individuals inflicting harm on others, and the evolution of society into scientifically industrialised systems resulting from the industrial revolution of the late 18th century.



The appellation of ?A Poison Tree? figuratively symbolizes the Garden of Eden that is the crux of human sin and social interactivity as seen by the Christian church of Blake?s life. The Tree of Knowledge from which the ?Original sin? was derived is ?Poison? in the poem, accentuating the notion of knowledge as a prerequisite for illness and pain. This ?Poison? knowledge also adheres to Blake?s resistance to the advent of Newtonian science, as it inherently implies that knowledge is ?Poison? (the Tree of Knowledge replaced by the Tree of Poison). The biblical allusion of the title can additionally be seen as a condemnation of the institutionalized church. By associating the Christian belief in the origin of humanity with ?Poison?, Blake criticises the sins of humanity as believed by Christians, in the Garden of Eden. The sins portrayed in the poem however concern the individual whose ?wrath? affects others (both ?foe? and innocent), resulting in a social issue of self-control.


The amalgamation of this ?Poison? ?wrath? is allegorically personified as an extended metaphor throughout ?A Poison Tree?. At the very commencement of the poem, in line 2, the persona?s ?wrath? is personified, suggesting this ?wrath? possesses independent thought, and furthermore that this wrath cannot be internally controlled. The persona?s ?wrath did grow?, extending the personification of the ?wrath? as a result of being ?angry with my foe?, to a biological entity. In essence this personification initially highlights the effect of antagonizing another in constructing an intrinsic embodiment of ?wrath? that acts to ?Poison? oneself, and detrimentally affect others.


Blake further details the extended metaphor of this ?wrath? to encompass earthly characteristics. In doing so, Blake subtly ironically implies that the seemingly innocent can be deceitfully harmful. Moreover, the second stanza of ?A Poison Tree? arguably refers to the state and dominance of the church in Blake?s era. Historically the dogmatic church was influential in fabricating the roles of people within society. Blake was obstinately opposed to the power inherited by the church, as he saw the church as an advocate of evil, a destroyer of nature and hence hypocritical in its teachings. As a result, many of his poems include symbols that subtly criticize the church?s hypocrisy. In ?A Poison Tree? Blake?s second stanza arguably parallels the church?s hypocrisy: the church being an institution established as a sanctuary of peace, a spiritual refuge that adheres to the simplicity of nature.


However, Blake perceived this institution to forego its purpose and instead authoritatively dictate the lives of others, using religion and moral rectitude as an excuse to persuade others to enslave themselves to religion. As a result, Blake in ?A Poison Tree? seeks to expose the deceitful nature of the church being ideally an advocate of nature, but pragmatically a politically empowered incarnation in society. He raises a reader?s awareness to this by portraying the personified ?wrath? of the persona as a natural quintessence containing characteristics of common flora. The wrath is ?water?d?, ?sunned? and it ?grew both day and night?, however it ?grew? only with ?deceitful wiles?, which implies that this wrath, although apparently natural is deceivingly harmful.


This parallels the church?s idealized intentions contrasting with its realistic authoritarian impact on society, as an empowered institution dogmatically and hypocritically preaching to others. The extension of Blake?s metaphorically significant ?wrath? not only reveals the detrimental effects of introverted anger, but on another level seeks to expose the church as a deceiving manifestation of immoral power, hidden behind a mask of religious and moral rectitude.


The theme of deceit is also developed as a social issue by figuratively portraying appealing characteristics of the persona?s ?wrath? entity. An issue that persists in all societies is one of deceit, and specifically, being able to discern ?true? reality from illusory reality. Even in contemporary society, the issue of deceit and truth is of utmost importance; for example the upcoming election of prime minister is severely contingent on the candidates? trustworthiness, and who is most deceiving. Recognising the importance of deceit as a social issue, Blake incorporates elements of deceit through the characterization of ?wrath? in the poem. With attributes of an ?apple bright?, when ?my foe beheld it shine?, Blake?s illustration of this ?wrath? is deliberately alluring. However, this is laced with irony as a reader knows that this tempting object is the persona?s ?wrath? that ?did grow?, and hence the object acts as a contrivance to acquaint a reader with the notion of deception that is prevalent throughout society, be it late 18th century with the fraudulent church, or the 21st century with deceptive candidates for prime minister. 


Another social issue prevalent in ?A Poison Tree? is the evolving face of science, rebuking previously established beliefs in the mechanics of physical life and in particular the advent of Newtonian science. Blake opposes the initiation of Newton?s explanations of the world in ?A Poison Tree? by directly associating the detail of science as the ?Poison?-ous entity that ?at night had veil?d the pole? (which refers to the explanation of the earth?s magnetic poles that Newton could elucidate). Again Blake utilizes personification to stress the impact of the entity, in this case it ?veil?d? the magnetic poles, symbolically smothering and shrouding them.


Auditory figurative language is employed by Blake to accentuate his explicitly resistant attitude to the political and social issues portrayed in ?A Poison Tree?. His lines conclude in masculine end-rhyming couplets, whereby the cacophony of one-syllable ends accentuates the harmful nature of the entity and all it represents; Newtonian science, dominance of the church and pure deceit. They are also mimetic of Blake?s adamant defiance towards these issues, being a stringent devotee of conservatism. Essentially, the manipulation of the end rhymes being harsh and cold heightens the dangerous nature of the political and social issues portrayed in the poem.


Alliteration and assonance are used to additionally embellish the issue of deceit throughout the poem. In the second stanza, where Blake emphasizes the illusory image of the persona?s ?wrath?, the lines ?sunned it with smiles/and with soft deceitful wiles? contains six forms of the ?s? sound, deliberately applied to add to the ironic appeal of the ?wrath?. This deceiving sibilance is concurrent with the euphony of the end-rhymes of this couplet, with the long-length syllables of ?smiles? and ?wiles?, which in turn contrasts with the harsh ends of other lines such as ?stole? and ?pole?. This euphony acts to stand out against the strict sibilance in the line, and again add to the ironic dual-nature of the ?wrath?; on one level it is enthralling and tempting, but on another more symbolic level, it is the epitome of deceit and a fusion of negative, harmful values. The alliteration and assonance techniques are employed by Blake to audibly foreground the issue of deceit by drawing attention to specific words that encapsulate the deceit of the ?wrath? entity.


?A Poison Tree? also incorporates the political issue of the dominating church in society. The effect on the wider society, of the ?poison?-ous political dominance of the church is expounded upon in Blake?s ?Song of experience? ?London?. Immediately, through Blake?s use of imagery vernacular, the hegemony of an institution is depicted. The word ?charter?d? in the first line is indicative of a conformist society, and the repetition of ?charter?d? in ??where the charter?d Thames does flow? furthermore foregrounds the issue of political dominance. In addition to this, the implication that the ?Thames? is ?charter?d? suggests that this political power that ?charter?d streets? was also able to dictate the way that nature acts. The use of ?charter?d? as an imagery technique implies that everything, including nature is controlled and decreed by a societal institution.


It is not only nature that is affected by the hegemonic institution aforementioned, but the wider population is grievously influenced. ?In every cry of every Man? ?The mind forg?d manacles I hear?, thereby revealing the societal extent to which the hegemony affects everything. The repetition of ?every? in the second stanza highlights the universal consequence of not only hegemonic society, but also the industrial revolution, that marked a critical development in terms of manufacture and production, but also a downfall of expression and ultimately, freedom. The repetition of the cacophonic word ?cry? illustrates how the industrial revolution and political dominance of the church affects the people, restrictively and emotionally caustically. The complex metaphor of the ?mind forg?d manacles?, emphasized by the alliteration of ?m? debatably foregrounds the constraints forcedly placed upon ?every infant?, ?every man? as a result of the industrially revolutionized mechanisms (forges), but also as a result of the authoritarian church?s empowered position over the wider society. These ?manacles? are heard by the persona, indicating that these ?mind forg?d manacles? affect people to the extent that they are physically restrained, although the ?manacles? exist only in their minds. The political issue of power dominance is revealed through the repetitive nature (and hence figurative) of Blake?s vernacular and the societal issue of the industrial revolution can be seen through the figurative metaphor of the ?mind forg?d manacles?.


Blake additionally uses symbolism to illustrate the state of politics in the third stanza of ?London?. His illustration of ?London? contains a ?black?ning church? and a ?soldier? whose ?sigh/Runs in blood down palace walls?. These vivid images, marked by visual figurative language symbolically represent the oppression of London?s politically empowered institutions. The ?black?ning church? contains the symbolism of the colour black, traditionally symbolic of evil while the ?hapless soldier?s sigh/Runs in blood down palace walls? refers to the decaying state of London?s government, implying that soldiers close to the King were discontented with the government. The blood is indicative of suicide, and suggests that the soldiers were disgruntled to the extent of self-sacrifice; that there was no way to escape the ?mind forg?d manacles? of the authority of the King.


Another issue privileged in ?London? concerns the innocence of children, and how the advent of the industrial revolution affects this innocence. The ?youthful harlot? is figuratively speaking, a young child with lost innocence, one of the results of the ?mind forg?d manacles?. They also ?blast the new-born Infant?s tear?, suggesting that the ?manacles? affect children, whom are always portrayed as epitomes of innocence in Blake?s poems. Moreover, the alliteration in the last two lines ?blasts the new-born Infant?s tear,/And blights with plagues the Marriage hearse? of the ?b? and ?p? sound accentuate the horror of the destruction of the youth?s innocence due to the effects of the industrial revolution and the failing government. The issue of this obliteration or ?blast?-ing of innocence also affects a special character of Blake, the ?Chimney-sweep?, who is perhaps the victimized archetype of innocence in Blake?s poetry.


Blake?s poem dedicated to the ?The Chimney Sweeper? (in ?Songs of Innocence?), also named so, comments on the vices of England?s political hegemonic power structure through allusions to the colour black repeatedly throughout the poem. The poem deals with the issue of child labour as a result of this hegemonic power structure. Initially, the blackness is implied through the persona sleeping ?in soot?, which accentuates, through the image of soot the negative impact of England?s hegemony on the lower class children, asserting the injustices of having such a hegemony. The symbolism of ?soot? is revisited in the second stanza where ?soot? is juxtaposed with the ?white hair? of ?Tom Dacre?. The soot again reveals the impact of the hegemony, however it is now contrasted with the ?white? innocence of children; demonstrating the extent to which the ?soot? of England?s hegemonic injustices affects the wider population. The colour black is also alluded to, where children are ?lock?d up in coffins of black?, implying that the lives of the innocent children ?Dick, Joe, Ned and Jack? are stifled by a ?black? society, which forces these children into labour. In this way, Blake criticises society?s power structure, for unreasonably forcing children to work; an immoral practice in any society.


Blake foregrounds the hegemony of England?s power structure by appealing to a reader?s sense of sympathy, via specific use of language in ?The Chimney Sweeper?. The child?s ?weep weep weep?, highlighted by repetition, is symbolic on many levels, all of which are intended to invoke sympathy in a reader in order to foreground the political issue of the disempowerment of lower class citizens. If taken literally, the ?weep? sounds symbolize the spoilt lives of ?the chimney sweeper?, depravedly forced into labour robbing them of pleasant childhood experiences. On another level, the ?weep? sounds arguably accentuate the child?s inexperience in the world in mispronouncing the word ?sweep?, thereby appealing even more to a reader?s sympathy, emphasizing the immorality of the disempowerment of the lower class. Additionally, the child ?Could scarcely cry weep? (marked by alliteration of ?c? sounds). This implies that the child?s unhappiness was not recognized by the wider society, accentuating the child?s forcibly stipulated role in society; one of subservience and inferiority to the powerful upper classes. Blake used specifically selected vocabulary in ?The Chimney Sweeper? to invoke sympathy in a reader. In doing so, he antagonizes the power structure of the late 18th century England, essentially foregrounding the political issue of power distribution amongst the classes.


The last stanza strikes home the extent to which society has power over marginalized individuals. The persona?s statement ?If all do their duty, they need not fear harm? explicitly demonstrates the corruption of society?s ideals, in that even children believe that conformism as opposed to individualism would benefit the wider society. The social norms of the society require children to be brought up knowing that ?If all do their duty? then all problems are eliminated. However, the moral ramifications of such a notion include the elimination of independent thought and essentially any pleasantness of life. Therefore, the effect of these children getting with their ?bags & [their] brushes to work? ultimately eradicates the fundamental pleasantness of living.


The extent to which society spreads this concept extends to the church, which as seen in other Blake poems is overtly hypocritical, adheres to the conformism of society. This can be seen through the child?s vision of ?the Angel? who ?told Tom if he?d be a good boy? he would ?never want joy?. The metaphorical ?Angel? here represents the institutionalized church, thus the church too asserts the idea of children conforming to ?duty? and obligation. In effect, Blake foregrounds the issue of conforming to social expectations by constructing a persona that has been corrupted by society into seeing benefits into conformism. He additionally criticises the church for adhering to these ideas through the child?s perception of a dream world: a world where ?all do their duty? ?& never want joy?.


Blake?s poetry can thus be read as means by which he comments (and for the most part criticises) the workings and processes of society. In his poems ?A Poison Tree?, ?London? and ?The Chimney Sweeper?, political and social issues are intertwined, as he criticises 18th century England for its hegemonic power structure, its evolution into a scientifically sophisticated society and its development of industrially sound mechanisms, but also more personal issues such as introverted demeanour. In each of these poems, Blake utilizes both auditory and visual figurative language to add an emblematic layer of meaning to his poems, and it is in this ?layer? that he foregrounds these political and social issues. His use of metaphor, personification, alliteration, end-rhyme and other such figurative lingual techniques permeate this layer of meaning, adhering with Blake?s own attitudes towards the issues portrayed in his poetry. These techniques portray the 18th century English society as rigorously detrimental, politically and socially, on all people, both individually and collectively.






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