Man's desire vs. God's will

             Man's desire vs. God's will
             What place should the church have in one's life? This has been a debated question for many decades. In William Blake's poem, "The Garden of Love", Blake declares his hatred toward the church, and claims that it has unlawfully used its powerful and vicious hand to do wrong upon society.
             The first stanza describes the contentment that God bestowed upon man: I went to the Garden of Love, And saw what I never had seen: A Chapel was built in the midst, Where I used to play on the green (1-4). The Garden of Love here represents God's pure love in its most natural form. God's love in this unadulterated form, opened up the writers eyes, thereby allowing him to have a personal relationship with his creator. The garden was untainted by man's hand; hence it was love in its most perfect and pure form. Although there was a chapel built next to the garden, the writer indicates that he decided to play in the green grass, God's creation. The color Green signifies the innocence of the writer at this point in his life, and implies that he has yet to let the church impede his relationship with God. Blake uses rigid language to help the reader paint an evil picture of the mighty church moving in and pushing God out of the way. One can almost see the Physical church muscling in and taking over the luscious green grass; much like a tiger pouncing on its prey.
             In the second stanza, Blake describes how the church forced it's beliefs on the individual: And the gates of this chapel were shut, And "Thou shall not" writ over the door; so I turn'd to the Garden of Love, That so many sweet flowers bore (5-8). The sealing of the gates represents the church trying to meddle in the relationship that believers had with God. The church was trying to keep individuals from building a personal relationship with G
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Man's desire vs. God's will. (1969, December 31). In MegaEssays.com. Retrieved 19:38, March 28, 2024, from https://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/87209.html