Take any one of the letters we have explored today and explain what you see to be the most important content of the letter..

Blog 1: WILLIAM BLAKE

Out of all the letters written by William Blake, I must admit the letter written to Thomas Butts, Blake’s friend, on the 2nd of October, 1800 was the most eye catching for me as the use of various different language techniques was made evident in this letter in a rather clever and engaging way, whilst portraying his experience with the divine God.The first thing that caught my eye straight away was his use of rhyme and the repetition of this technique was used throughout the letter ;

“TO my friend Butts I write. My first vision of light,

On the yellow sands sitting. The sun was emitting

His glorious beams. From Heaven’s high streams.

Over sea, over land, My eyes did expand

Into regions of air, Away from all care;

Into regions of fire,Remote from desire;”

Not only does it draw the attention of the readers but it keeps them engaged and invested in what he is saying and how he is explaining what he’s doing and what he is seeing. Another language technique he uses within this beautifully written letter is imagery. I personally think that through the use of imagery it really portrays what Blake is doing and thus, giving the readers an insight and a greater understanding of his vision.

“The light of the morning, Heaven’s mountains adorning:

In particles bright, The jewels of light

Distinct shone and clear. Amaz’d and in fear

I each particle gazèd, Astonish’d, amazèd;”

It’s short, simple and straight to the point, written so cleverly and easily portraying what he wants the readers to see and acknowledge. Moreover, through the use of language techniques, he is able to highlight the importance of his letter well.

“I stood in the streams ,Of Heaven’s bright beams,

And saw Felpham sweet, Beneath my bright feet,

In soft Female charms; And in her fair arms

My Shadow I knew, And my wife’s Shadow too,

And my sister, and friend. We like infants descend

In our Shadows on earth, Like a weak mortal birth.

My eyes, more and more, Like a sea without shore,

“Heavenly men beaming bright,Appear’d as One Man,

Who complacent began,My limbs to enfold

In His beams of bright gold;Like dross purg’d away

All my mire and my clay.Soft consum’d in delight,

In His bosom sun-bright, I remain’d. Soft He smil’d,

And I heard His voice mild, Saying: ‘This is My fold,

O thou ram horn’d with gold, Who awakest from sleep

On the sides of the deep. On the mountains around

The roarings resound. Of the lion and wolf,

The loud sea, and deep gulf. These are guards of My fold,

O thou ram horn’d with gold!”

Therefore, from the use of various different language techniques,  it’s made evident to the readers that William Blake experienced something beautiful, something unordinary. He had an encounter with the divine beings in which exist in our universe.

 

Respond in whatever way you wish to today’s offering. What kind of sense do you make out of Beckett’s creations? Can you write a brief comment on any of the Beckett videos presented today?

Blog 2: SAMUEL BECKETT

From what I can see, Samuel Beckett’s creations are very interesting. At first, reading his work, I couldn’t understand it as well as I would’ve liked to. However, after watching the two videos presented today, I gained a greater understanding of his work. Beckett was able to turn simple text into a beautifully abstract production in order to move away from how we normally depict the world and he allows us to see the world in a different light. His productions can be understood in various different ways. Although, his main aim through his productions is for us as the audience to stop seeing the world as a fantasy and gain a more realistic view on our world and our lives. I believe because he lived through a very complex century, he used his experiences as a catalyst in order to find out more about humanity and recognise what makes us human.

‘Waiting for Godot’ A scene from Act 1 was confusing to me at first but the more I watched and actually paid attention to it, the more I understood exactly what was going on and what Beckett was trying to get the audience to understand. I believe, it articulates the experience of being thrust from nowhere into conscious existence without knowing the why and wherefore. Godot represents God. They’re waiting for someone/something that will never come.