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Ah, Sunflower - William Blake
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Ah, Sunflower - William Blake
Unseen Poetry
Interpretations
Critical Commentary
Context
• Sunflowers had begun to be commercialised from the start of the 1700s: Blake’s lament could be about the commercialisation of life which was being seen as the industrial revolution took hold. The longing of the sunflower to reach the sun could be seen as the longing of society to return to nature.
• Influenced by Emmanuel Swedenborg in terms of his unorthodox religious thinking (Swedenborg investigated theistic science): this is reflected in the poem’s approach to the established church
• Described as a pre-romantic; writing at a similar time to Rousseau and Diderot who valued the complete freedom of the individual and Blake’s poetry reflects this.
• French Revolution and American Revolution had changed the nature of government in these countries; in the UK the nature of government had remained the same: reflected in the sense of boredom in Blake’s poem.
Links to other Blake poetry
Themes and Ideas
Symbolism
Ah, Sunflower
William Blake