The Sick Rose - William Blake Flashcards
What type of Poem is the Sick Rose?
An Allegory (moral story)
What is the poem be about?
-Men who are married sleeping with prostitutes
-Rose = symbol of Britain > sickness of the nation due to what is going on within
Why was Blake highly critical of the 18th century churches view on sex?
- it was portrayed as something to be ashamed of, and desire as something that ought to be repressed.
Why did Blake believe that sexuality should be embraced not suppressed?
- the denial of sexual desire could have damaging and destructive consequences for both the individual and society more generally.
When was the Sick Rose published?
-In Songs of Innocence and experience in 1794
What event was in the backdrop of Blakes lifetime which would influence the Sick Rose?
-The Industrial revolution > increase in prostitution
What does the title ‘Sick Rose’ have connotations to?
-Tainted love
-Thorns
-Industrialisation plaguing the earth
-Flower> virginity/ sexuality - deflowering
-Red > love, passion
-Sick > tainted, loss of innocence
How can Rousseau be seen to influence the poem?
“Man was born equal and free but everywhere found in chains” > human beings are good and pure by nature but are rendered corrupt by society
What effect does the Apostrophe at the poem’s beginning have on the tone?
-Somber, melancholy
-Shame and pity
What is the overall message of the poem?
We ultimately have a choice and responsibility to uphold & protect that which is pure and innocent from that which is invisible and chaotic
What does the ‘sick’ describe?
-subversion of marriage and relationships > rise in prostitution
how can the animal imagery be viewed as to do with human consumption?
-The rose as a society and the worm is the Industrial Revolution which is tainting society and societal morality
How can the animal imagery “the invisible worm” be viewed as phallic?
-Worm as this plague of unexpressed sexuality which taints people to resort to prostitution to fulfil their desires
How can the animal imagery “the invisible worm” be viewed as religious?
-Serpent like > poisoning of the earth like the serpent corrupting Eve in the garden of eden
What does the parasitic nature of the ‘worm’ suggest?
-How this plague feeds off of the destruction
Why is it significant that the worm is described as ‘invisible’?
-The deceitful of mankind
-The hidden nature > not for the common eye
-`invisibility > due to society desire to ignore issues wilfully
How does “night” and “howling storm” create an atmosphere?
-Volatile, supernatural, sinister ideas
-Evil lurks in the night
-hidden nature
-Pathetic fallacy shows natures disapproval of societal action
What different ‘beds’ might “bed” refer to?
-Flower bed
-Death bed> nothing else happy can emerge from this
-Lovers bed > prostitution
What is the significance of “has found out thy bed”?
Purposeful infiltration of the bed, destroys the sacred institution of marriage
What different connotations does “crimson” have?
-Blood > virginity > sexual unity to be enjoyed
-Sexuality and promiscuity
-passion
-Danger > warning > traps of corruption
What is the impact of the full, masculine rhyme of ‘joy’ and ‘destroy’?
-How two opposites can be so interlinked > duality of mankind
-Inevitability of ruining the marriage bed > the tainted aspects
What is the significance of the male pronoun “his”?
-Criticism of men
-society at risk due to men’s actions of desire
What does ‘dark secrecy’ in the poem suggest about love?
-Secrecy > women’s corruption through men’s exploitation
-Avoiding judgement and sin through secrecy > shameful
-Treatment of women in this secrecy and how the values of society are tainted through the subversion of love
