William Blake’s poem, “A Little Boy Lost” is a poem from the Romantic period that analyzes consequentialism and religious irony within the time period. Although the Romanticism time period started in 1798 this poem was written slightly before in 1789. Even though there are multifarious different interpretations of what the audience for this poem might be this essay will examine it as if it were made for those who are affiliated or familiar with Christianity. The poem is written in the third person, with some first person dialogue occurring within the second stanza. It shows the little boy questioning religion and ultimately getting persecuted for it. In fact, the speaker reads, “One who sets reason up for judge / Of our most holy Mystery” (15-16).
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This can be seen when the Priest is condemning the little boy, saying how he “sets reason up for judge / of our most holy mystery” (15-16). Through these lines, one can assume that Blake is not completely sure of the existence of God or a religious figure when he refers to it as a mystery. This also shows his discreet methods of challenging the societal norms through his poetry. When looking to the symbolism within this piece the Priest and the little boy serve as representations of society and challenging ideas. When the little boy first confesses his beliefs, the Priest proceeds to lead “him by his little coat, / [...while] all admired the priestly care / [...] 'Lo, what a fiend is here! said he: / 'One who sets reason up for judge / Of our most holy mystery. ' / [...] They stripped him to his little shirt, / [...] And burned him in a holy place” (11-21). This quotation shows how the Priest is admired by all even when he is doing despicable deeds towards an innocent being. Blake mentions how “they” stripped the little boy of his shirt and bound him to iron chains. This shows how it was the majority of the population who took part in this atrocity. Overall it can be inferred that the Priest represented the twisted thoughts of the people, all while the little boy showcased the innocent person who dared question them. This …show more content…
When the little boy is about to be burned on the cross, the poet mentions how “The weeping child could not be heard, / [and] The weeping parents wept in vain” (17-18). These heavy and sorrowful events showcase the strong feelings that go into the poems during the Romanticism time period. The literature in this era is known for having passion and reason behind each word. This piece showcases those sentiments when mentioning particularly horrific instances and thus bringing forth emotion from the audience. When looking to the first stanza one can see that those thoughts are separate from the storyline of the rest of the poem. That stanza specifically mentions how “Nought loves another as itself, / Nor venerates another so, / Nor is it possible to thought / A greater than itself to know” (1-4). This independent idea represents the Romanticism period because this was around the first time when authors and poets began to express their own thoughts and opinions through their works. They broke away from just writing about facts and instead headed toward a more personal style. Blake’s view serves as an intro-like start to his poem and allows the audience to know the ideas that were rushing through his head as he wrote this poem. In the end, it is obvious that this poem represents the Romanticism
This can be seen when the Priest is condemning the little boy, saying how he “sets reason up for judge / of our most holy mystery” (15-16). Through these lines, one can assume that Blake is not completely sure of the existence of God or a religious figure when he refers to it as a mystery. This also shows his discreet methods of challenging the societal norms through his poetry. When looking to the symbolism within this piece the Priest and the little boy serve as representations of society and challenging ideas. When the little boy first confesses his beliefs, the Priest proceeds to lead “him by his little coat, / [...while] all admired the priestly care / [...] 'Lo, what a fiend is here! said he: / 'One who sets reason up for judge / Of our most holy mystery. ' / [...] They stripped him to his little shirt, / [...] And burned him in a holy place” (11-21). This quotation shows how the Priest is admired by all even when he is doing despicable deeds towards an innocent being. Blake mentions how “they” stripped the little boy of his shirt and bound him to iron chains. This shows how it was the majority of the population who took part in this atrocity. Overall it can be inferred that the Priest represented the twisted thoughts of the people, all while the little boy showcased the innocent person who dared question them. This …show more content…
When the little boy is about to be burned on the cross, the poet mentions how “The weeping child could not be heard, / [and] The weeping parents wept in vain” (17-18). These heavy and sorrowful events showcase the strong feelings that go into the poems during the Romanticism time period. The literature in this era is known for having passion and reason behind each word. This piece showcases those sentiments when mentioning particularly horrific instances and thus bringing forth emotion from the audience. When looking to the first stanza one can see that those thoughts are separate from the storyline of the rest of the poem. That stanza specifically mentions how “Nought loves another as itself, / Nor venerates another so, / Nor is it possible to thought / A greater than itself to know” (1-4). This independent idea represents the Romanticism period because this was around the first time when authors and poets began to express their own thoughts and opinions through their works. They broke away from just writing about facts and instead headed toward a more personal style. Blake’s view serves as an intro-like start to his poem and allows the audience to know the ideas that were rushing through his head as he wrote this poem. In the end, it is obvious that this poem represents the Romanticism