GEORGE BYRON, GIAUR

- written in couplet, sometimes interfered with quatrains

- `giaur' means infidel

- at the beginning there are general notions connected with Greece

- Giaur is similar to anti-hero presented in Paradise Lost (Satan)

GIAUR - NON-TYPICAL HERO

- he is isolated from the rest of the society and it's his choice,

- he rebels against social norms and is rejected not only by Muslims but also by Christians,

- Byronic hero always feels guilty,

- we don't know his name or origin - he is mysterious,

- h feels proud, independent, stands out from the crowd,

- he doesn't care about other people,

- he administers his own justice

- he feels remorses not because his being murderer, but for loss of his lover, he thinks it is his fault

- he doesn't confirm to mainstream values

- he is self-destructive - whatever he does it leads to his freedom

- man of great talent - he is more gifted, genious

- he is passionate

PRE-ROMANTICISM (Zgorzelski, Str. 158)

HALF PRE-ROMANTIC, HALF ROMANTIC POET-WILLIAM BLAKE

• his poetry was marked by distinct personality and original poetic expression.

• his first published volume: ”Poetical sketches”.

• he modelled his poems on Shakespeare, Spencer, Milton.

• he wrote a sonnet without rhymes ”To the evening star”.

• the poet combined two arts: poetry and engraving.

”Songs of innocence” and ”Songs of experience” presented two contrasting viewpoints of man: a child-like innocence, dispalying ignorance of the surrounding reality snd belief in everything the child is told and a grown-up awareness of all the bad sides of life. Such a contrast was shown in matched counterparts ”The lamb” and ”The tyger”. The poet suggests the way of reaching true maturity, the joining of two states, a stage which comprehends and transcends both viewpoints: the complete understanding of reality - ”organised innocence”.

SONGS OF INNOSENCE

- happiness and joy

- innocence associated with state of soul

- irregularity in structure, imitating the language of infant

- lack of experience

- similar to pastorals - idealized life close to nature

- general ideas of childhood

`INFANT JOY'

- means that Blake employ to make the poem sound childlike:

* simple language

* short sentences

* repetition of positive words

* mixed word order - author tries to imitate child's language

- poem is irregular, it is associated with child's innocence

- there are examples of repetition, alliteration and assonance; they emphasize joy of the infant and his innocence

- there are two speakers - mother and child

THE LAMB

- it expresses joy and innocence

- in the 1^st stanza there is description of the lamb

- in the 2^nd stanza there is a question `who made you?'

- the lamb is also a religious symbol to express innocence and glory of God

SONGS OF EXPERIENCE

- regular

- complex structure

- show a different aspect of human nature

- more sorrowful

- maturity as the state of soul

- more personal

`INFANT SORROW'

- poem is more regular and different from Infant Joy, the speaker is more mature

- different aspects of the same stage, age are presented

- there is one speaker - infant

THE TYGER

William Blake does not understand why or how the deity who is responsible for good and innocence, is, at he same time, the same who inserts violence and evil in this world. However, the poet does not make any statement at any moment. He only asks questions which invite the reader to think about. Finally, the last stanza is the same as the first one which may indicate that the author is not able to understand the world where we live.

2

3

Tyger! Tyger! burning bright

In the forests of the night,

What immortal hand or eye

Could frame thy fearful symmetry?

In what distant deeps or skies

Burnt the fire of thine eyes?

On what wings dare he aspire?

What the hand dare sieze the fire?

And what shoulder, & what art.

Could twist the sinews of thy heart?

And when thy heart began to beat,

What dread hand? & what dread feet?

What the hammer? what the chain?

In what furnace was thy brain?

What the anvil? what dread grasp

Dare its deadly terrors clasp?

When the stars threw down their spears,

And watered heaven with their tears,

Did he smile his work to see?

Did he who made the Lamb make thee?

Tyger! Tyger! burning bright

In the forests of the night,

What immortal hand or eye

Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?

My mother groand! My father wept.

Into the dangerous world I leapt:

Helpless, naked, piping loud

Like a fiend hid in a cloud.

Struggling in my father hands

Striving against my swadling bands,

Bound and weary I thought best

To sulk upon my mother's breast.

Little Lamb, who made thee?

Dost thou know who made thee?

Gave thee life, and bid thee feed,

By the stream and o'er the mead;

Gave thee clothing of delight,

Softest clothing, woolly, bright;

Gave thee such a tender voice,

Making all the vales rejoice?

Little Lamb, who made thee?

Dost thou know who made thee?

Little Lamb, I'll tell thee,

Little Lamb, I'll tell thee.

He is called by thy name,

For He calls Himself a Lamb.

He is meek, and He is mild;

He became a little child.

I a child, and thou a lamb,

We are called by His name.

Little Lamb, God bless thee!

Little Lamb, God bless thee!

`I have no name;

I am but two days old.`

What shall I call thee?

`I happy am,

Joy is my name.`

Sweet joy befall thee!

Pretty joy!

Sweet joy, but two days old.

Sweet joy I call thee:

Thou dost smile,

I sing the while;

Sweet joy befall thee!

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