the garden of love - Blake Flashcards
What does the phrase ‘the gates of this chapel were shut’ signify?
It signifies the excluding and exclusive nature of the church.
What does ‘thou shalt not writ over the door’ imply?
It emphasizes a blanket statement of authoritarian control, criticizing the legalistic moral attitude of the church. links to 10 commandments
What does ‘priests in black gowns were walking their rounds’ suggest?
It suggests a closed way of thinking and behaving.
What is the metaphor in ‘binding with briars my joys and desires’?
Briars are thorny plants, serving as a powerful metaphor for the crown of thorns, - a perversion - illustrating the pain and humiliation Christ experienced due to the church’s repressive control.
How does Blake describe the theme of the loss of innocence?
subverting the edenic image of the garden of love, an innocent world of beauty and play, into a corrupted world. He uses religious imagery in order to critique the hypocrisy of the church - it has strayed from its values in his opinion
What does Blake’s use of simple language and basic verbs reflect?
It reflects childlike innocence.
What is the significance of the line ‘That so many sweet flowers bore/and I saw it was filled with graves’?
It presents an oxymoronic contrast, juxtaposing beauty and death, implying the church has corrupted the pastoral idyl, which used to be a place of childhood play, associated with growth, life and fertility
What does the alteration of metre at ‘thou shalt not’ signify?
It mirrors the disruptive effect of the church in the poem’s interrupted flow, indicating a complete change due to the chapel’s presence. ecause the chapel was built on the green it has changed completely.
How did Romantics view children in relation to God?
They saw children as being closest to God, with growing up viewed as a source of corruption.
