For everything that lives is holy
This poem reminds me of a song written by John Lennon, Imagine. His song was a call to end violence and oppression of every kind. I believe the biggest oppressor is our material positions and ourselves.The first stanza is bright and happy, a picture of what life could be. The slave could be anyone in today's society, the workaholic businessman, and the man working for minimum wage to support his family of three, or the single mother unable to find work whose house was broken into. Blake shows what life could be like for these people.The second stanza recaps the first in illustrating that without country or problems in society, everyone is shown to be beautiful and "holy" as Blake puts it. His reference to the lion and sheep is the same as the proverbial
Blake says that you maybe happy now that you are having good luck, but it all can become misfortune for you at the drop of a hat. "It is too bad that he was such a jerk in the past". That people that have a good life are unable to see what people that are suffering are going through. The fourth stanza tells about when you are in a time of prosperity and everything is good for you, it is easy to look down your nose at the poor and misfortunate, and preach your own values to them instead of helping them become better people. Wisdom and experience is found in these places of hardship. I think this is a good example of talk shows like Jerry Springer. The third stanza talks about the price of experience. ------------------------------------------------------------------------**Bibliography**. Spoken like someone that has never had to endure Cancer. He buys his wisdom with the horrific images that he witnesses. Blake states in the second to the last line that he will not fall into this trap of being critical of his fellow man. An example of this is the song Ironic by Alanis Morissette. Blake says that experience is obtained with great cost, such as the solder going off to war. I believe this is a good poem illustrating the loss of innocence.
Common topics in this essay:
Lennon Imagine,
Example Bobs,
Jerry Springer,
Morissette Blake,
Lives Holy,
stanza recaps,
|
Acceptance Essays
