William Blake

William Blake's writings were vivid and imaginative. He used strong themes, and he had a grasp on language that many people don't have. Blake's writings open the reader to his beliefs, outlook, and ideas through his dramatic use of words. Blake uses images, phrases, and words that many people can relate to. Even though many of the words are simple it is the surprising manner and context in which he uses them that makes them outstanding. All of Blake's poems contain intense visuals which bring you into his world. It is as if the reader were seeing what Blake saw when he first wrote the poem. He uses many different images of heaven, earth, humans and animals in his writing. Through imagery, language, and visuals Blake transports the reader to a different place in each poem even though several of the concepts with in the poems are the same.

In the poem "Night" Blake takes us into a peaceful world through the images of sleeping animals, flowers, heavenly and earthly beings. When reading the first part of this poem it is as if a sense of safety, drowsiness, and contentment permeates the mind. The image of heavenly beings looking over and protecting earthly ones has always been a popular concept that people entertain. Blake uses the theme of heavenly protection in more than one poem and yet the message he conveys in each poem is always different. When I first read the poem I overlooked the second half and just assumed it was a pleasant poem on heavenly beings protecting us while we sleep. After reading only the first half of the poem I was a bit disappointed and thought the poem was lacking something, it seemed very nursery rhymish. There seemed to be no great significance to the poem until I had read the second half.

The Second half of the poem gives a sense of foreboding. The lions, wolves, and tigers give the poem an element of danger. The fold is in danger and the angels must take care of them. The fold could