Tuesday, September 27, 2016

What would be a critical appreciation of William Blake's poem "On Another's Sorrow"?

A critical appreciation of this poem by Blake would address both form and content. It would identify what the poet does, and explain how those things relate to what he says.


Formally, then, this is a 36 line lyric poem made up of 9 quatrains. There is a strict rhyme scheme: AABB CCDD, etc. The first two lines of each stanza rhyme, as do the next two. The lines are brief, and have only seven...

A critical appreciation of this poem by Blake would address both form and content. It would identify what the poet does, and explain how those things relate to what he says.


Formally, then, this is a 36 line lyric poem made up of 9 quatrains. There is a strict rhyme scheme: AABB CCDD, etc. The first two lines of each stanza rhyme, as do the next two. The lines are brief, and have only seven syllables per line. Taken in combination, this gives an energetic, youthful feel to this poem, and pulls readers along briskly. There is considerable repetition, especially of rhetorical questions ("Can I..." "Can I...) and evocations or calls to action (the repeated calls to hear things). There are numerous images, but they are simple and familiar. This too makes the poem accessible. You don't have to fight the technique to get the message.

All of this aligns well with the profound message: the narrator cannot bear to see people or beings in pain, and neither can God, who is always there in times of sorrow.

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