William Blake uses his poetry to demonstrate his critical opinions of the new enlightenment period. Blake was against the new focus on scientific revolutions and felt as though society was forgetting the importance of spirituality.
‘A Little Lost Girl’ begins by addressing the ‘Children of the future age’ showing that his message on the importance of love is timeless. Blake portrays his attitudes to societal values in the first stanza as he says ‘love, was thought a crime.’ The use of the word ‘thought’ suggests that they are thinking incorrectly. By using the word ‘crime’, the poet identifies how harshly those who go against biblical restrictions are punished by social stigma.
The second stanza then goes on to describe their love blossoming ‘In the age of gold’, highlights Blake’s love for youthfulness and how they are ‘free from the winter’s cold’ which could suggest not only the physical and spiritual warmth that they are receiving of each other from their love, but also metaphorically being away from the shame and disproving parents, whilst they partake in a ‘holy’ act of love. The use of ‘holy’ is ironic as although love was deemed to be ‘holy’ and should be under the eyes of god, this is only within the constraints of marriage, therefore the idea of their young and innocent love being holy would be considered outrageous by most in Blake’s time period.
The third stanza the poem moves onto the night, in a ‘garden bright’ which also could be a further biblical connotation in reference to the story of Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden, again creating more irony as the youth’s love is just as innocent and Adam’s and Eve’s however would have been demonized by society. Reference to ’the holy light’ is made again and describes how it’s power has ‘removed the curtains of the night’ which suggests the prevailing of what is hidden away, such as the removal of clothes and implying the loss of virginity.
The fourth stanza demonstrates that the power of love and the distance of her parents the maiden ‘forgot her fear.’ the next day. This highlights the fear of both her father and the fear of people’s attitudes to her physical acts of love. This fearlessness is also shown in the fifth stanza when they decide to meet ’when the silent sleep’.
Now the poem takes a turn as the ’youths’ must face the consequences of their actions. ’Her father white’ suggests how effected he has been by his daughter’s actions. It could also be a reference to having to face God himself as ‘Father’ and ‘white’ are holy descriptions. The last stanza is an outcry from the father and his reactions to what she has done. Her actions ‘shakes the blossoms’ of his beard, meaning it shakes the foundations of his masculinity and what he stands for and has brought his daughter up to be.
To summarize, Blake cleverly uses a dramatic opening line to influence the reader’s mindset whilst reading the rest of the poem in order to put his message of innocence across. He uses this innocence to demonstrate how true love need not be marital, thus should not always be demonized according to society’s norms and values.
William Blake and William Shakespeare, although writing in different time periods attempt to define love for what it truly is in their poetry, and not what it is written to be. In Sonnet 116 of William Shakespeare’s, The first stanza begins with ‘Let me not to the marriage of true minds’ however this isn't referring to a religious marriage, it implies that by ‘the marriage of true minds’ he means love is perfect as a spiritual connections which is felt in the body, not by a form or a ring on a finger. Also Blake shows a similar view in ’A little lost girl’ by the idea of any love before marriage to be a ’crime’. Both Shakespeare and Blake exercise this idea of what true love is without societal influence.
Hasna Maliq
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