PRE-ROMANTIC POETS

Thomas Gray Thomas Gray spent most of his life at Cambridge University,where he became professor of Modern History. He was called ‘the most learned man in Europe’. However he didn’t produce many works because he was obsessed for precision and perfection in writing. He is remembered for his ‘ELEGY WRITTEN IN A COUNTRY CHURCHYARD’,composed after the death of his friend Richard West. An elegy is a funeral composition, very sad in tone,it comes from Greek’s tradition

William Blake William Blake was born in London he didn’t go to school but began engraving when he was very young. He also began to write poetry and produce his own book.Each page was hand-printed and coulored by Blake and his wife Catherine. His engravings and his book didn’t have success in his life time because the books were more expencive and because he also regarded as a madman for his vision. Blake anticipated the Romantic movement and supported the French Revolution because for him they symbolised freedom and justice for him they symbolised freedom and justice

His main works:Song of Innocence and song of Experience were published together: Innocence is sybolised by the lamb and childhood A state of freedom and happiness. In the poem ‘The lamb’ from Song of Innocence Blake questions creation and the role of the poet. In the firt part the poet is asking to the lamb about the creation, in the second part there is the answer. In the poem there is an Aristotelic silogism (A=B=C) The child,the lamb and Jesus are blessed The song of experience is symbolised by Tiger. Song of experience it’s about the mysteries of creation And God’s power....The question about the creation is The same but the tone is different and the attitude i negative To divinity