Comparison of the Portrayal of Nature in Blake and...

Comparison of the Portrayal of Nature in Blake and Wordsworth One of the most popular themes for Romantic poetry in England was nature and an appreciation for natural beauty. The English Romantic poets were generally concerned with the human imagination as a counter to the rise of science. The growing intellectual movement of the 18th and 19th centuries placed scientific thought in the forefront of all knowledge, basing reality in material objects. The Romantics found this form of world view to be restrictive. They felt that imagination was crucial to individual happiness. The imagination also provides a common human bond; a means of sympathy, of identification. However, the absence of imagination, the Romantics felt, would lead†¦show more content†¦Nature was a theme factoring in many of his works and Blake associates nature with different elements in these poems and we find that nature is seen in communion with God in the introductory poem and throughout these poems Blake points out the relationship and harmony between Man and Nature , children and Nature and he also talks about sex in Nature in `The Blossom. In Nurses Song, from Songs of Innocence, we find children playing outside, enjoying nature. In this verse, time is marked by signs in the natural world. The nurse implores: then come home, my children, the sun is gone down And the dews of night arise. . . Nature acts as a gentle guide for the children; their only concept of time comes from the luminaries and the light they give. The children respond to the nurse, wanting to play until the last lights in the sky are gone. Again, scenes from nature appear. Besides, in the sky the little birds fly And the hills are all covered with sheep. In Songs of Innocence, the dominant symbol is the child. The poems are narrated from the standpoint of a child and represent the early stages of the human imagination. At this point in its life, the imagination is not fully formed and does not yet contain its own distinctive character. The innocents world view is one of Mercy, Pity, Peace, and Love where God the creator bestows meaning upon nature. BlakesShow MoreRelatedComparison Between â€Å"London† by William Blake and â€Å"Composed Upon Westminster Bridge† by William Wordsworth850 Words   |  4 PagesComparison between â€Å"London† by William Blake and â€Å"Composed Upon Westminster Bridge† by William Wordsworth The city of London has inspired many poets throughout the ages. Two of the most distinctive portrayals are William Blake’s â€Å"London† published in Songs of Experience in 1974 and â€Å"Composed Upon Westminster Bridge, September 3, 1802† by William Wordsworth. While both Blake and Wordsworth comment on the conflict between appearance and reality, Blake shows the gloomy ugliness by taking down London’sRead MoreThe, Gothic And The Sublime2368 Words   |  10 PagesWithin texts from the Romantic era there are many prominent themes that are apparent such as the representation of nature, gothic and the sublime. Another theme which was significant during the time included the presentation of children within these romantic texts. The figure of a child symbolised innocence and freedom for many writers. Children were also presented as being closely linked to God reinforcing their purity. 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