To begin the study and analysis of Blake’s ‘The Sick Rose’ William Blake Learning Intention: To begin the study and analysis of Blake’s ‘The Sick Rose’

Brief biography Poet, painter, printmaker, visionary 1757-1827 Critics say: "far and away the greatest artist Britain has ever produced". Considered mad by contemporaries for his idiosyncratic views, Blake is held in high regard by later critics for his expressiveness and creativity, and for the philosophical and mystical undercurrents within his work

His poetry The Marriage of Heaven and Hell – explores the relationship between the two opposites The Songs of Innocence and of Experience – two collections of poetry exploring those who are yet to be corrupted by society, and those who have. Typically, children are the innocent ones. Auguries of Innocence – exploring innocence and how it can be corrupted (augury means ‘the practice of…’)

Pictures and poetry Blake’s poems and images work together; he seeks to represent through words and pictures, the visions of his imagination. He was also paid to illustrate the works of others. His method of illustrating also proved a way of allowing artists to connect with a mass audience, preceding the rise of literacy and mass consumption of printed materials.

Nebuchadnezzar

The Ancient of Days

Songs of Innocence Using a language which even little babies can learn by heart Presenting a happy and innocent world without evils and sufferings Everything seems to be in pious harmony. However, in “The little black boy” and “The chimney sweeper”, we find racial discrimination and sufferings of the poor.

a laughing child upon a cloud

Songs of Experience A much mature work Show the sufferings of the miserable It marks the poet’s progress in his outlook on life. To him, experience had brought a fuller sense of the power of evil, and of the great misery and pain of the people’s life. The symbol changes from the lamb to the tiger.

The lapsed soul weeping in the evening dew Songs of experience The lapsed soul weeping in the evening dew

In 1794 he published a companion to the Songs of Innocence called the Songs of Experience, which contains "The Sick Rose." The Songs of Experience were never published without their counterpart, and the entire volume was called the Songs of Innocence and Experience: Showing the Two Contrary States of the Human Soul. The title couldn't be more descriptive. In general, the Songs of Innocence tend to be, more innocent, benign, and childish, whereas the Songs of Experience explore darker, more sinister themes associated with the Industrial Revolution, religion, and education.

The Sick Rose Put the lines in the correct order. 8 lines. 2 stanzas

A Sick Rose O rose thou art sick. The invisible worm, That flies in the night In the howling storm: Has found out thy Bed of crimson joy: And his dark secret love Does thy life destroy.

Let’s compare… A Red, Red Rose – Robert Burns O my Luve's like a red, red rose,  That's newly sprung in June:  O my Luve's like the melodie,  That's sweetly play'd in tune. 

The Sick Rose Sick Rose

O Rose, thou art sick, Break the title down. Think of the connotations of the words. What about the juxtaposition of the words? Sick: infection, disease, physical? mental?

The Sick Rose Juxtaposition – placing next to / side by side Themeaning of a word changes dramatically when it is placed next to (juxtaposed) another word. Rose  Sick Rose  Contrast – creates an image “rose” then juxtaposes the word “sick” to create a contrast and reveal the horror the poet feels at the corruption of something that we expect to be beautiful.

The poem isn't just about a sick rose and a flying worm, it's also about violence and sex, issues that we routinely encounter in movies, television shows, and video games. It is interested in the darker side of human nature, society, and culture, despite the fact that it is literally about a rose and a worm.

Annotate Highlight key words

Rose Sick Invisible Worm Night Howling Storm found out bed crimson joy dark secret love life destroy

Positive Negative Connotations

Rose -flower, England, love. Labour party, passion Sick -disease, corruption Invisible -can’t be seen, hidden, insidious Worm- phallic symbol, disease snake Night - dark alone ghosts scary malevolent – negative adultery Night positive – sleep, sex, physical love

Howling - could be sexual, pathetic fallacy – violent weather conditions indicate turbulence in life Storm - damage, violent passions/ tantrums, pathetic fallacy – indicating turbulence. found out - caught, guilt, discovery Bed - flower bed, death bed, bed for sleeping or sexual congress Crimson - red, blood, danger, death, passion Joy - happy, jolly, gay

Dark - evil, emotionally vulnerable, spiralling down, sinister, mysterious Secret - truth? Hiding something Love - happiness, jealousy, powerful emotion positive Life - precious Destroy - end of something, annihilate, wipe out

Modifiers = highlighted Animal; fear? Frightening? O Rose, thou art sick, The invisible worm, That flies in the night In the howling storm Has found out thy bed Of crimson joy : And his dark secret love Does thy life destroy. Mysterious; dark Links with “night;” evil? Destruction, chaos, link with “storm?” Nouns = underlined Verbs = circled Modifiers = highlighted

What words or phrases seem to go together? Rose Sick Invisible Worm Night Howling Storm found out bed crimson joy dark secret love life destroy

What words or phrases seem to go together? Rose and crimson Night and dark Destroy, storm, worm, howling Rose, love, bed, crimson, joy What do these associations suggest to you?

Developing Themes Rose and crimson Night and dark Love, passion Night and dark Evil, darkness Destroy, storm, worm, howling Destruction, death, chaos Rose, love, bed, crimson, joy Passion, sex, love

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52_FpZYer5M http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VqTwIeqkf8

The Sick Rose Theme of Love In "The Sick Rose," love isn't what we expect it to be; it's not that timeless, cohesive force that other poets, movies, and books always talk about. It's "dark" and "secret" and doesn't really do anything good for the rose; it's almost like a disease that infects the rose and destroys it. Love definitely isn't all you need in this poem. Questions About Love Are sex and love the same thing in this poem? What is "dark secret love" anyway? Do you think it's a euphemism for something else, like rape? If "dark secret love" refers to sex, shouldn't it be private, i.e. "secret"? If this is a poem that has to do with love, why isn't there anything happy or joyful in it? What is Blake saying about love?

Developing Themes Choose one or more themes Destruction/death/illness Passion/love Write about how the themes are linked What do the themes have in common? How might the themes contrast? Examples passion can be both positive and negative, destructive and creative Love and passion can lead to both emotional and physical “illnesses” and “destruction,” i.e. jealousy, death of the relationship, unwanted pregnancy, STD’s, etc.