The Body of Abel found by Adam and Eve, by William Blake.
WILLIAM BLAKE 1757-1827
Blake has fascinated me in the past in his various religious pieces of art. In them i have been impressed with his passion for the stories of the Old Testament. He was relatively unheard of throughout his life, but today is recognized as a prominent figure of the Romantic Period: his poetry and art is religious, insightful and reflective. Blake considered his worth as a human being, and the experience and contributions we make to society. The fact that he centered worth on God, and something greater than himself, strikes me as a very humble, mature conclusion.
The Human Abstract
Pity would be no more
If we did not make somebody poor,
And Mercy no more could be
If all were as happy as we.
And mutual fear brings Peace,
Till the selfish loves increase;
Then Cruelty knits a snare,
And spreads his baits with care.
He sits down with holy fears,
And waters the ground with tears;
Then Humility takes its root
Underneath his foot.
Soon spreads the dismal shade
Of Mystery over his head,
And the caterpillar and fly
Feed on the Mystery.
And it bears the fruit of Deceit,
Ruddy and sweet to eat,
And the raven his nest has made
In its thickest shade.
The gods of the earth and sea
Sought through nature to find this tree,
But their search was all in vain:
There grows one in the human Brain.
I think that there is something great to be said of artists who atrtribute greatness and beauty to something larger than themselves. Today it is not a common thing to find with success a sense of gratitude to God. Mankind has grown more and more self involved. It is not a frequent thing for one to consider trials, for example, as an opportunity to serve one another and be compassionate. I wonder how different the world would be, stripped of pride, and actually interested in the wellbeing of its follow man.
Poverty- As a product of the Industrial revolution, urbanization led to an increased number of peoples popullating main cities in England. The immediate consequence was overcrowding, and poverty as a cost. A multiple families shared single apartments, being packed into small spaces because of low wages. It was a delicate economic state: jobs were never guaranteed; were easily lost and unreliable. Of course this is just the working class we are thinking about. upper classes enjoyed relatively spacious accomodation in the cities: usually townhouses.
Child Labor- Because of the struggling nature of economic survival in the city, children were expected to work to contribute to a family's income. In the country, mills were often packed with orphan children. very few laws were implemented to protect children in the workplace, though eventually laws were made to encourage education, under Victoria's rule, and to shorten working hours.
Nationalism - a great sense of national pride began to tear through Europe, encouraging strong pride in one's country and roots. You might say it urged colonialism in Africa, and became an apparent issue in the Berlin conference of 1884. As each small European country enforced a sense of national pride (largely through schools and the workplace), tensions rose, alliances were made and antagonism was supressed. It is easy to see how this contributed to both world wars in the twentieth century. My friends and I were discussing the amount of nationalistic songs that the USA has (a lot!), and one of them made the comment that other countries just don't have that many songs- they aren't as nationalistic these days. I think this is because the US can afford to be so nationalistic. It is a huge land area, somewhat unsurrounded be nations of equal size. In Europe, countries can sometimes border several other countries of equal size: competition and aggravation is more likely. In short, I think european countries have learned that they cannot be so nationalistic these days, considering huge historical torment and consequence.
The Battle of the Sexes: defining the ideal wife (and the ideal husband)- The "Angel in the house" theory, outlined in many pieces of literature, defined the relationship between man and woman. The woman was expected to be as we presume the stereotype of the female ought to be: a caregiver, passive and innocent, the organizer as opposed to the provider, which is how the male is seen to be. He must be hardened and stern, active and unemotional. Imagine if travel time were possible. Can you just see the social torment potential? So many conflicting ideas!!
