U2 ~ Songs of Innocence
After researching more, I came across the relationship between William Blakes book Songs of Innocence and the band U2's album that was released in 2014 named Songs of Innocence.
Songs of Innocence
William Blake presented in the two books, Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience, his poems.
Songs of Experience was published five years later.
My thoughts?
A. E. Housman
Born: March 26, 1859
Fockbury, Worcestershire, Uniter Kingdom
My Thoughts?
When I was One-And-Twenty
Died: April 30,1936
Cambridge, United Kingdom
- English classical scholar
- Poet
When reading the title, "one and twenty" is referring to the poet being twenty one years old. He is given advise from a "wise man". This wise man believes that being in love can be painful and "sold for endless rue". The wise man is telling the poet that he should be careful when it comes to love. As most twenty one year old's we believe that we know everything we need to know, because we are twenty one. When in reality, being twenty one just means that we are young and naive. Once the poet turns twenty two, he then realizes that the wise man was right all along. With all being said, us twenty one year old's should actually take in the advice being given by older wise men.
When I Was One-And-Twenty
A. E. Housman
What did London look like in 1794?
1896
- Love is worth more than money
London
- He believed that he was 21 and he knew everything. When in reality he was just young and naive.
When I was one-and-twenty
I heard a wise man say,
"Give crowns and pounds and guineas
But not your heart away;
Give pearls away and rubies
But keep your fancy free."
But I was one- and- twenty,
No use to talk to me.
When I was one-and-twenty
I heard him say again,
"Thee heart out of the bosom
Was never given in vain;
'Tis paid with sighs a plenty
And sold for endless rue."
And I am two-and-twenty,
And oh, 'tis true, 'tis true.
- This wise man knows a thing or two about having his own heart broken.
- Now the poet is 22 and is finally understanding the advise the wise man was giving him. Falling in love can be painful. So be careful.
After analyzing the poem London, I took into consideration what the people of this time would be going through. The French Revolution was from 1789 - 1799 so the people that are talked about in the poem would be highly affected. The fear of the French invading England would explain how much sorrow each of these people had. During this time the people were walking through the streets with no power in themselves.
William Blake
London
1794
- Is William Blake telling a story about himself??
- Charted- "An outline map showing special conditions or facts:" - Dictionary
I wander through each chartered street,
Near where the charted Thames does flow
And mark in every face I meet
Marks of weakness, marks of woe
In every cry of every man,
In every infant's cry of fear,
In every voice, in every ban,
The mind - forged manacles I hear:
How the chimney - sweeper's cry
Every blackening church appalls,
And the hapless soldier's sigh
Runs in blood down palace - walls.
But most, through midnight streets I hear
How the youthful harlot's curse
Blasts the new - born infant's tear,
And blights with plagues the marriage hearse.
- River that runs through the United Kingdom
- Expressing sadness / fear
London
William Blake
The poem London is written in the pavement in Bunhill Fields,London. This is where William Blake is buried.
Born: November 28, 1757 Soho, London, United Kingdom
Died: August 12, 1827 Westminster, United Kingdom
- English poet
- Painter
- Print maker
* info (dates and location above) on the poet's are included because I believe they are relevent to when and why the poems I picked were written.