Blake and Burns ?'s- Due March 17th

Blake and Burns ?'s- Due March 17th

British Literature
Robert Burns and William Blake ?•s

1. Robert Burns is known as the national poet of Scotland; how does Burns incorporate/
honor is Scottish heritage in the poems “Auld Lang Syne•” and “John Anderson My
Jo”?
He uses the Scottish dialect.

2. What idea concept is being praised/honored in “Auld Lang Syne”?
How is this same
theme extended in “John Anderson, My Jo”? How do these values reflect the values
of Romanticism? How do they contrast with the values of the Age of Reason?
He talks about enjoying nature and time. This is against the Age of Reason b/c his poems are so care free.

3. What does the metaphor of the hill in the second stanza of John Anderson, My Jo
represent?
Through the good times and bad he goes up and down hills

4. Explain how William Blake•s upbringing/worldview influenced the type of poetry he wrote.
He is a very spiritual person and he views the world very different then other people.

5. How are “The Lamb” and “The Tyger” similar to each other? (Read “About the
Selection” on p 679) What two sides of the human soul do the animals represent?
Why did Blake it equally important to understand both sides? In a religiousframework, what do the two animals represent?
They have the same rhyme scheme. The innocent side and the aggression side. You need to know the best and the worst in humanity. The Lamb represents Jesus and the Tyger represents the devil.

6. How do William Blake•s three poems celebrate the untameness of nature and rejectthe urbanity/structured society? How does this reflect Romanticism?
He looks past what most people see.