Blake: Songs of Innocence: Holy Thursday: Flashcards
Plot summary:
What is the plot summary?
In the poem, orphaned children are brought to St. Paul’s Cathedral for a religious service.
The poem contrasts their innocence and purity with the social injustice they endure, critiquing inequality while emphasising their spiritual beauty and value in the eyes of God.
Quotes:
Key Quotes: (CLUE: There are 4)
Grey headed beadles (…) white as snow - ‘grey’ helps to show that these beadles are dulled by their experience - could show that they used to be pure when young but due to added experience they have become corrupt. Juxtaposition between ‘grey and ‘white’ (of the children). - shows that the children represent purity . Beadles are tainted by religion not God.
Radiance of all their own - their radiance isn’t because of the church - God made them that way - gives them a purpose and a different identity to the one that the church has assigned them. - their glow is inspiring.
Thousands of little boys and girls raising their innocent hands - ‘raising their hands’ to God - a plea for help. Also shows their childlike innocence children lift up their hands when they want to be carried. - many children emphasises their neglect from society - indoctrination - done for a show.
Aged men, wise guardians of the poor - ironic? do they guard their innocence - no they take their innocence away- ‘grey’ shows that they are tainted by experience.
Form and Structure:
What is the form/structure like in the poem
The poem uses simple rhymed quatrains with an AABB rhyme scheme (rhyming couplets)
The structure reflects the children’s innocence and highlights the contrast between their purity and the social unfairness they face.
It emphasizes their beauty and divine care while quietly criticising societal problems.
Themes:
Key themes e.g. religious hypocrisy
The poem critiques the gap between religious ceremonies and the real needs of the children, highlighting the inequality between ritual and social action.
Key themes:
Key themes e.g. innocence and purity
The children are shown as pure and innocent, symbolised by their clean clothes and spiritual harmony during the service
Key themes:
Key themes e.g. social inequality
The poem contrasts the suffering of the poor, orphaned children with the indifference of the wealthy, critiquing social injustice and the exploitation of the vulnerable.
Context:
What is the context of Blake?
The poem critiques social inequality and the exploitation of orphaned children during the Industrial Revolution.
Blake contrasts the children’s purity in a religious ceremony with the harsh realities they face, highlighting the hypocrisy of the church and the societal injustices around them.
Other poems it could link to:
What other poems could it link to
The Chimney Sweeper highlights the harshness of child labour, offering a more cynical view than its counterpart in Songs of Innocence.
The Garden of Love critiques the church’s restrictive and repressive role, similar to how Holy Thursday critiques the church’s detachment from the suffering of the poor.
London addresses the social, political, and moral corruption of the city, sharing with Holy Thursday a focus on the suffering of the poor and the failures of institutional systems.
