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 dank I heard among the rushes dank Weeping, weeping.Weeping, weeping.

Love is personified 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 waste; To the thistles and thorns of the waste;

And they told me how they were And they told me how they were beguiled, beguiled,

Driven out, and compelled to the chaste. Driven out, and compelled to the 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 green. Where I used to play on the green.

Biltmore Estate in

Asheville, NC is the

location of America’s

largest gardens!

Stanza FourStanza Four

And the gates of this Chapel were shut And the gates of this Chapel were shut And "Thou shalt not," writ over the door; And "Thou shalt not," writ over the 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 should be; And tombstones where flowers should be; And priests in black gowns were walking And priests in black gowns were walking

their rounds, 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 use by William Blake, the use

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

_Love.htm_Love.htm http://www.biltmore.com/http://www.biltmore.com/ http://www.hrc.utexas.edu/exhibitions/permanent/wfp/hhttp://www.hrc.utexas.edu/exhibitions/permanent/wfp/h

eliography.htmleliography.html http://www.outreachmagazine.com/docs/top100_2007_lhttp://www.outreachmagazine.com/docs/top100_2007_l

argest.pdfargest.pdf