Week One: Early Romantics

William Blake is one of my favorite romantics. The reason I most enjoy him is because he sees the different aspect of life from different perspectives. Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience are perfect examples. He introduces the view of an innocent child and answers it with the view of an experienced adult. I am amazed by the literary work and art found in these two books. One of the most powerful poems by Blake is "A Divine Image." He names all acts and emotions after items. This showed me how he viewed real pain and the consequences of what people do. Speaking of pain and consequence is very powerful. One of my favorite poems is "The Tyger," because the painting is beautiful. He makes the strong, aggressive tiger look so cute and innocent. Blake speaks of strength and fears in the poem but the painting make the tiger look innocent and calm.

Another peace that interested me is the piece by Barbauld. "The Rights of Women" is a very aggressive and straight to the point poem. She is very boisterous women. If I was to compare her to anyone it would be to Malcolm X. Malcolm X had the same message to deliver like that of Martin Luther King Jr. but he was much more aggressive. "By any means necessary," said Malcolm X. Barbauld delivers the same message about women she states, "Yes, Injured Woman! rise, assert thy right!" (Line 1) She capitalizing woman to give it the word strength and importance. I think it is safe to say that these are one of the first pieces of the Woman's Rights Movement.

Mary Wollstonecraft on the contrast is more passive with her piece. She understands here duty as a woman. Cooking, cleaning and raising children. But in reality she knows women are worth much more. She urges women to educate themselves and make themselves intellectual creatures. She knows that a woman could be strong but she must want more out of life. Wollstonecraft states, “if a woman be allowed to have an immortal soul, she must have, as the employment of life, an understanding to improve." She encourages women to better themselves because they are just as valuable as men.