William BlakeWilliam Blake““The Garden of Love”The Garden of Love”

Alex spit her gum on

Jordyn when we

chose this background.

William Blake

married in 1728 to

an illiterate woman,

Catherine Boucher,

and taught her to

read and write.

By

Amelia Coley, Alex Leitner, & Jordyn

Haney

William Blake was born in London, England on November 28th, 1757.

Blake was supposed to have six siblings, but two died in infancy.

Blake said he had “visions” from a young age, at four

he claimed to see God

“press his head to the window.”

William Blake was home

schooled until the age of ten, he said wanted to be a painter,

when his parents sent

him to drawing school.

The first permanent photograph was made in

1826 or by Joseph Nicéphore Niépce using a

sliding wooden box camera made by Charles and Vincent Chevalier in

Paris.

Stanza OneStanza One

I laid me down upon a bank, I laid me down upon a bank, Where Love lay sleeping; Where Love lay sleeping; I heard among the rushes I heard among the rushes

dank dank Weeping, weeping.Weeping, weeping.

Love is personifie

d by saying that it is sleeping.

Stanza TwoStanza Two

Then I went to the heath and the wild, Then I went to the heath and the wild, To the thistles and thorns of the To the thistles and thorns of the

waste; waste; And they told me how they were And they told me how they were

beguiled, beguiled, Driven out, and compelled to the Driven out, and compelled to the

chaste. chaste.

Alliteration is used in line 6.

The thistles and thorns in lines 6 and 7

are personified.

Stanza ThreeStanza Three

I went to the Garden of Love, I went to the Garden of Love, And saw what I never had seen; And saw what I never had seen; A Chapel was built in the midst, A Chapel was built in the midst,

Where I used to play on the Where I used to play on the green. green.

Biltmore Estate in

Asheville, NC is the

location of America’s

largest gardens!

Stanza FourStanza Four

And the gates of this Chapel were And the gates of this Chapel were shut shut

And "Thou shalt not," writ over the And "Thou shalt not," writ over the door; door;

So I turned to the Garden of Love So I turned to the Garden of Love That so many sweet flowers bore. That so many sweet flowers bore. The largest

church in America, as of

2007, is Lakewood Church in

Houston, TX.

Stanza FiveStanza Five

And I saw it was filled with graves, And I saw it was filled with graves, And tombstones where flowers And tombstones where flowers

should be; should be; And priests in black gowns were And priests in black gowns were

walking their rounds, walking their rounds, And binding with briars my joys and And binding with briars my joys and

desires. desires. Many Catholic priests wear

black because in the 1800’s,

laws were passed based

on what the priests could

and could not wear

during mass.

Alliteration is used in line 19.

Internal rhyme is used in lines 19 and 20.

ExplicationExplicationIn the poem In the poem The Garden of LoveThe Garden of Love by William Blake, the by William Blake, the

use of imagery and symbolism is widely used. The use of imagery and symbolism is widely used. The core of the poem lies in its second line, which talks core of the poem lies in its second line, which talks about the change that he sees in his surroundings, about the change that he sees in his surroundings, not in the garden itself. In this poem, a garden and not in the garden itself. In this poem, a garden and a chapel are described. The chapel is where a chapel are described. The chapel is where William used to play as a young child. Over the William used to play as a young child. Over the door was written “Thou Shalt Not,” which is saying door was written “Thou Shalt Not,” which is saying that he cannot enter. He turns back to the garden, that he cannot enter. He turns back to the garden, only to find out that it is not filled with bugs and only to find out that it is not filled with bugs and beautiful flowers, but with graves and briars. I think beautiful flowers, but with graves and briars. I think this poem is describing the change from childhood this poem is describing the change from childhood to adulthood. This is because as a child, these to adulthood. This is because as a child, these places were fun and filled with life, but now, as an places were fun and filled with life, but now, as an adult, can no longer be used as a place to go for adult, can no longer be used as a place to go for comfort.comfort.

SourcesSources http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/116http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/116 http://ask.metafilter.com/87612/Why-do-Catholic-http://ask.metafilter.com/87612/Why-do-Catholic-

priests-wear-blackpriests-wear-black http://quotations.about.com/cs/poemlyrics/a/http://quotations.about.com/cs/poemlyrics/a/

Garden_Of_Love.htmGarden_Of_Love.htm http://www.biltmore.com/http://www.biltmore.com/ http://www.hrc.utexas.edu/exhibitions/http://www.hrc.utexas.edu/exhibitions/

permanent/wfp/heliography.htmlpermanent/wfp/heliography.html http://www.outreachmagazine.com/docs/http://www.outreachmagazine.com/docs/

top100_2007_largest.pdftop100_2007_largest.pdf