Romantic Ideal in the Poetry of William Term Paper

Romantic ideal in the poetry of William Blake, William Wordsworth and Walt Whitman shares the attitude that the most worthy part of human existence lies in simplicity and deep emotion rather than rational thought. Romanticism is based upon a movement away from the rationality of Enlightenment and the wealth-driven society inspired by Industrialism. This ideal is reflected in the work of the poets mentioned above. To demonstrate this, "The Chimney Sweeper," "Ode: Imitations of Immortality" and "I Sing the Body Electric" from each respective poet are considered.

William Blake

Blake's poetry emphasizes the evils of existing power systems within society, and how these are used to oppress the poor and powerless. This is shown in his poem "The Chimney Sweeper." The little chimney sweeper is representative of the poor and oppressed suffering under the current systems of power. The parents and the church are images reflecting the oppressive forces.The child emphasizes that neither of these entities are aware of the suffering of the chimney sweeper and others like him.

Another interesting element in the poem is the happiness and songs belonging to the chimney sweeper. His unhappiness and misery are products of forces outside of the chimney sweeper, whereas his joy comes from within himself. The misery forced upon him by the clergy, social forces and even God is contrasted by the joy that he finds within himself. This however does not change either the injustice or the misery and physical circumstances imposed by society. It is this dichotomy between rich, supposedly pious people and the poor that is criticized by Blake. He also criticizes the reasoning of those who intellectualize their effort to help the poor, whereas the true fate of the poor is overshadowed. This focus on the evils of….....