“My
Pretty ROSE TREE” is obviously the story of a jealous woman. Flowers are common
symbols for women and femininity and the allusion is not at all disguised (Holm
21). Blake writes, “I’ve a Pretty Rose-tree… but my Rose turnd away with
jealousy: And her thorns were my only delight,” (Blake 464). Thus, Blake is
rebuffed by a love interest due to the attraction of another “flower”. That
meaning is obvious. The rose as a common symbol of Christianity is also
immediately present. In Christianity, the rose and thorns represent a variety
of different figures and situations based on the context in which they appear.
Thorns are oft associated with martyrdom due to the placement of a crown of
thorns on Jesus’s head during his crucifixion with the original intention of
mocking Christ (“Matthew 27:29…”). The rose flower itself is often a symbol of
beauty and virtue (Koehler).
This
rich history of symbolism as it relates to the rose makes Blake’s use of it
compelling. After admitting the obvious something subtler appears. Given that
the rose typically represents virtue, and in this case the rose “turnd away,”
and “her thorns were my only delight,” then the poem takes on a new meaning
(Blake 464). If Blake ascribed the typical symbolic meaning of virtue to the
rose, then the rose tree would not turn away, but embrace that person which
desires to “tend her by day and night,” (Blake). However, in the case of Blake’s
pretty rose tree, she is prone to jealousy a synonym for envy, a sin which is,
“the rottenness of the bones,” (“Proverbs 14:30…”). If Blake’s rose tree
embodied typical Christian values it would not be prone to sin such as envy,
and thus breaks from the traditional meaning.
“THE
LILLY” is a poem that exhibits Blake’s views on love, specifically as it
relates to sex. Again Blake uses flowers as a symbol. The rose reappears in a
more conservative role along with another feminine symbol, a lamb [sheep]. He writes,
“The modest Rose puts forth a thorn: the humble Sheep, a threatening horn,”
(Blake 464). In this case, the rose and the sheep represent women practicing
the traditional, chaste Christian life turning away from love and sex. This is
clarified when Blake continues, “the Lilly white, shall in love delight, Nor a
thorn nor threat stain her beauty bright” (Blake). Obviously the Lilly delights
in love where others do not. Much like “My Pretty ROSE TREE” the symbols
utilized in the poem make it quite impactful. The lily flower, in typical
Christian theology, is a symbol of chastity, virginity, and purity (Scaff 111).
Lilies often appear alongside depictions of Mary or the Angel Gabriel (Morris
147). However, chastity is gone from Blake’s Lilly. Blake’s Lilly embraces
love, delights in it, and is not wilted by that “sin”. Instead she remains
bright and beautiful! Clearly, Blake’s Lilly breaks from typical Christian
symbols exactly like the rose present in “My Pretty ROSE TREE”.
Blake’s
misuse of Christian symbols is more clearly explained when looking at his views
as represented by the rest of his work. As exemplified by poems like “The
Chimney Sweeper”, Blake clearly is speaking out against the mistreatment of
certain people based on societal standards imparted by religion and societal
structure. This viewpoint helps to explain “THE LILLY”. Its message encouraging
love did not support promiscuity, but instead is merely representation of
another “victim” in society (McQuail 122). It is a call to move away from the
harsh sexual repression present in society, much like the rose breaking from
its traditional role or the Lilly embracing love.
In
addition to the symbols and poetry itself, the situation of the poems on the
page also plays a part in bringing further meaning to the poems. “My PRETTY
ROSE”, “AH! SUN-FLOWER”, and “THE LILLY” appear in that order from top to
bottom on a single page. “AH! SUN-FLOWER” contains a similar message to the
“THE LILLY” in speaking out against sexual repression (McQuail). Therefore the
page becomes a flyer speaking out against traditional Christian values, pushing
the viewer to break away [“My PRETTY ROSE”], and stop sexual repression [“AH!
SUN-FLOWER” and “THE LILLY”]. Blake emphasizes the unity of the three poems by
capitalizing nearly every letter in the three titles.
Blake’s
movement from typical Christian ideology and symbols brings into question the
true intent of his poetry. Blake was a strong believer in Mystical
Christianity, and that presents itself strongly in his poetry (McQuail 121).
The use of typical Christian symbols in new ways, in strange ways, exemplifies
this religious philosophy. An allusion to Lilly Crucifixions is also a
possibility. Such crucifixions are those that depict Christ crucified on a
Lilly. They date back to medieval Christianity and “combine… mystical ideas
relating to Incarnation, the Virgin’s purity, the sacrifice of Christ… and
man’s redemption,” (Edwards 43). Although the ideology is similar and contains
a number of parallels, it is unlikely that this is the reasoning behind Blake’s
poems given the Lilly Crucifixions obscurity.
Blake’s
true intent was the representation of his overarching philosophy something that
has been explored at length by many scholars. Religion was the core of Blake’s
life philosophy. He professed himself to be a Christian (Davies 158). However,
as found in his poetry he often expressed radical beliefs within the confines
of Christian belief. In its most generalized form, Blake’s religion-based ideology
bares the most similarities to the transcendentalists that succeeded Blake’s
era. Blake stated, “The strong man… from conscious superiority… marches on…
raging with the inspiration of a prophet’s mind,” meaning any man of note
progresses through life confident in his actions, whether or not those actions
be wholesomely agreed upon by authority figures (159). Davies summarizes
Blake’s religious foundations nicely. He says, “[Blake] did grasp one vital
factor… if the religion of Christ is to mean anything at all, a man must make
it his own by personal discovery…” (160). Van Sinderen stresses the
implications of Blake’s philosophy on liberty saying, “[Blake] believed… the
way to God, lies in the imagination… only by complete freedom can man reach his
highest powers…” cementing Blake’s belief in the power of the individual rather
than the external (Sinderen 27).
Historically,
Blake’s views were of his time in a way, but were also influential on
successive thinkers as mentioned previously. The late 18th century
is correctly associated with the rise of romanticism in Britain, a break from
the “animal and gross...” societal settings that Britain found itself mired in
previously (Gaunt 9). Blake stood apart then, and stands apart now because of
his individuality. In a world of manners and style, Blake broke from the
preconceptions of the time, “it is a labour of genius to deny the
preconceptions and reveal the truisms as threadbare… it seems a vicious circle…
Blake broke the circle,” (Gardner 17). Blake railed against the air of
privilege of the preceding time, embracing his individualistic philosophy and
expressed everything through his work. He “attacked the dogma that God created
rich and poor, master and servant,” through a philosophy that emphasized the
power of the individual and the need of the individual to be wholly influential
on one’s own life (19).
Looking slightly
forward, Blake’s views appear quite similar to the transcendentalists of the
mid 19th century. Both Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson
stress individualism and an “inner spirituality.” Emerson professed, “What he
announces in me, I must find true in me,” stressing the need to find and follow
ones own path through a inner religious experience. Similar to Blake, Emerson
emphasized “Soul,” what Blake would likely understand as emotion and
imagination (Emerson 2). Thoreau spoke of an “internal heat” or “Fuel,” and
directly writes, “Cast behind you all conformity… Keep on your own track…”
ringing the same ideological bell as Blake with his views on freedom through
imagination and calls to find one’s own path to Christ (Thoreau 7, 77). Such
sentiments bare startling similarities to Blake, especially when compared to
such works as Blake’s Proverbs of Hell
wherein he writes, “’No bird soars too high if he soars on his own wings,’”
(Sinderen 29).
In
passing, a strong correlation between a radical, 18th century poet,
and influential thinkers of the succeeding era does not seem important. It
seems disconnected from our time, an insurmountable 200+ year ravine appears to
exist between our time and Blake’s. The importance and relevance of Blake
exists not in his similarities or differences to others, in his work, or his
formative experiences, rather, Blake is notable for his approach to societally
systemic issues. Gardner understands this. He says, “…even when the poetry is
based directly… on an intense personal experience, we are led towards the
general implications,” (Gardner 39). Blake’s work exists, in a way, as a guide
to addressing societally systemic issues. “My PRETTY ROSE”, “AH! SUN-FLOWER”,
and “THE LILLY” exemplify this very thing. They address a series of related,
systemic issues, namely the oppression of the poor and the misguided views on
sex. More importantly, they exemplify Blake’s work as moving from, “a
profoundly felt personal experience (which may be a reaction to social evil) to
a fiercely concentrated assault on the falsehoods that inhabit the soul and
therefore corrupt society,” (40). Simply, such an approach of distilling intense
emotion into concentrated argument and subversion is a relevant approach to
systemic issues for anyone, in any time, for anyone to strive for.
Blake
became “a hero of today’s radical student,” for good reason; his work persists,
supporting his religiously based, individualistic philosophy, and providing a
series of examples in how to address the issues of any time, including our own
(Singer 4). Continuing on, Blake’s practice of trans valuation and the
re-characterization of traditional symbols as evidenced in “My PRETTY ROSE”,
“AH! SUN-FLOWER”, and “THE LILLY” serves as an important tool. It helps the
reader connect with Blake’s intense emotional motivation in order to inspire
indignation at injustice, to inspire action (Gardner 48). Such an approach can
be applied to contemporary issues. Police brutality, racism, homosexual rights
are all things that seem to arise again and again, pointing to systemic issues.
Any movement benefits from the application of a Blakian approach. Sure,
traffic-clogging protests physically represent discontent and serve to
transfer basic message, and help to
raise awareness, but these issues, like the ones Blake addressed directly, are
complex. Regardless of the creator’s wit or brevity these issues do not fit on
a picket sign. I am not rallying support for some wild-eyed individualist to
write a series of illustrated poems on racism, or police brutality, or
homosexuality. Rather, I am imploring any person motivated to eradicate some
societal injustice to move as Blake did. Distill the highly charged emotions of
the issue to a clear and concise argument, and if possible, change the symbols
of evil to your own symbols of good.
The
success of such an approach may be doubtful, but for examples look to the US
civil rights movement of the 1960s. It may seem self-defeating to cite racism as
a contemporary societal issue, and cite the African-American civil rights
movement as an example of success, but when dealing with systemic issues,
success is progress, not the complete eradication of an issue. Progress was
certainly made with the adoption of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Thus, Martin
Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech stands as a prime example of a Blakian
approach to an issue. Dr. King subverts the societally accepted ideal of the American
dream, which until that time implicitly excluded blacks, and replaces it with
his own dream. He said, “I still have a dream, a dream deeply rooted in the
American dream – one day this nation will rise up and live up to its creed…” assigning
fresh meaning to a classic phrase that is so strong in its imagery that it
serves in the same way as Blake’s Rose (“I Have a Dream…”). More importantly,
the Civil Rights movement distilled raw emotional power in the form of rage,
sadness, and despair to a highly focused argument, and in the process achieved
a great deal. Dr. King’s famous speech is a prime example of my point.
William
Blake’s work subverted traditional values by applying new meaning to
traditional symbols. In particular, his poems “My Pretty ROSE TREE” and “THE
LILLY” exemplify his transvaluation of symbols. From his work one can grasp
Blake’s overarching, religiously based, individualist philosophy, which bears
many similarities to the transcendental thinkers that succeeded Blake’s era.
This connection to the transcendental helps to bridge the gap between the past
and present, and assists in focusing on the general implications of Blake’s
philosophy. The general implications of Blake’s philosophy provide a means of
addressing nearly any societally systemic issue by starting from a point of
emotion and concentrating that emotion into a clear argument. Blake’s work
serves as an example of this philosophy, thus cementing his relevance as long
as emotionally charged issues continue to plague society.
Works Cited
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Gardner, Stanley. Blake. New York: Arco, 1969. Print.
Gaunt, William. "Towards the Past." Arrows of Desire:
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Singer, June. The Unholy Bible: A Psychological Interpretation
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