Blake's Critique of Society
Blake was a well-known social critic throughout his day, and his works continue to represent society today. When discussing Blake and his contributions to social critique, two critical questions arise: who does he condemn and what does he criticize? And what does he think of the poor?
Blake's Early Works
Blake began writing poems at a young age, and within a short time, he was well acquainted with the rich and the church. Despite his strong belief in the church, Blake constantly opposed it, believing that the church was oppressing the weak side of the region.
Humanitarian Aspects in Blake's Works
From an in-depth understanding of his works, Blake’s works make most of the communications on humanitarian aspects, especially in his two different pieces Songs of Innocence and Experience, based on the states of human soul being misery and happiness. From such pieces, Blake got the necessary platform to air his views and criticism concerns to the society whenever he believed something happened in a manner not deemed just and socially inhuman.
Songs of Innocence and Experience
In Innocence, Blake makes a clear expression of the state from human’s childhood from which all have an experience to as well as the state of free thoughts and endless joy. Experience brings about a different state for Blake, when he establishes an understanding of Experience as a later stage in which disaster has made manifest destruction to the first happiness and joy. Blake makes an argument that carelessness is a significant contributor to the numerous unfortunate situations that humans experience including constant conflicts, marriage challenges, religious matters, and the involved institutions among others. Such aspects are clearly manifest in the poem 'London.' He makes a clear stand of his views on the problems faced and is not shy about voicing his disappointment concerning the injustices contributed to primarily by humankind, even though he does not make his expressions very open. He cleverly chooses his language and applies various writing styles such as irony in driving the messages home.
Oppressive Mechanisms in 'London'
In the poem 'London,' Blake protests the different oppressive mechanisms applied by humans. One apparent fact that comes from such a perception is the fact that such a message is expressed in varied forms of literary devices, thus not openly understood from the face value. One of the critical beliefs that Blake has is that a person’s state of mind determines the approach given to issues. Ideally, a state of mind could be of benefit or failure depending on how an individual uses it. As such, an individual’s mind is considered to be a slave to itself, depending on the perception. Blake clearly expresses the fact that the different conventions and laws developed by man ply a significant role in placing of humanity into captivity without any possible hopes of making an escape. Moreover, the man makes corrupt of all that is available into impure states, and which attribute the greatest problems and challenges that person experiences. A good example is the case of water. Previously, man had a natural river, which was continuously flowing with fresh water. However, from the different economic activities that person has been engaged in, the once clean and fresh water now stands as the most polluted; an occurrence that Blake blames on human negligence.
Government Oppression and Lack of Solutions
Additionally, from the different activities that man engages, there is an increase in his problems. Peace and freedom would be two critical elements that man would be experiencing if there were never any government in place. Governments come up with policies and laws that stand to limit man’s freedom and thus eliminate the state of peace. Besides, the establishments of governments require that certain people sacrifice their lives while protecting their lives without ever airing their voices from undergoing such oppression. The governments, on their part, never feel the justification of ensuring equality rather than oppression in the society as they benefit, despite the suffering of others. People are the greatest individual contributors to such unfortunate situations as they continually cause problems but fail within their societies, but fail in developing the most appropriate and efficient solutions to address such challenges. Therefore, individuals are considered to be in full participation of the oppression that befalls them, most especially on the perspective of the failure to address the critical issues contributing to society’s problems. Child labor is one problem that the society faces but yet to develop an appropriate solution to address. As previously indicated, Blake criticizes the religious institutions more, on how they handle the most critical issues in the society. Whereas the religious institutions have full knowledge that child labor is oppressive, they fail to champion for its mitigation, but rather, the institutions themselves participate in the child labor oppression thus encouraging its increase.
The Plight of the Poor
The poor indeed suffer much while no one seems to care. The society has contributed to the depletion of all livelihoods and currently nothing more to experience rather than suffering. In the poem, Blake brings the picture of a husband who then goes out to bring prostitutes home. Prostitutes are a cursed lot, especially on the consideration that they are the primary contributors to the increase in sexually transmitted diseases and infection. However, it is also a presentation that the poor had nothing else to engage in to make their lives better. Instead, prostitution presented the only opportunity needed for the poor, despite the results, which either contributed to much suffering or death. Regardless, all such occurrences remain to be caused by man’s negligence. If a man took the necessary steps in developing the appropriate solutions to the societal problems, such occurrences would have never existed. However, the damage is done, and what remains is the need for a new reflection.
Conclusion: Critique of the Religious Institutions and the Wealthy
In conclusion, it is clearly evident from the poem that Blake criticizes the religious institutions and the wealthy because despite being in a position to mitigate the problems of the society, the wealthy and the church make further oppression of the poor. The kings on their part fail to notice and accepting the soaring poor environment in which the poor are living, rather, they continue with activities that benefit their individual self rather than the entire society. A majority of the wealthy are the ones involved in the economic activities that deplete the environment’s systems and cause suffering for the poor. No one seems to recognize such an occurrence. Like in many cases, children are stated to be the generation of tomorrow, and as such, they should develop in an environment that contributes to such development. However, the society through the wealthy and the religious institutions do little to help the situation and instead contribute to more problems. As such, Blake criticizes such a society in the poems with the belief that a change could be realized for the good of all.
