Innocence in William Blakes The Divine Image Essay

Innocence in Blakes The Divine Image Blake was both a poet and an artist and he created many Illuminated works which combined the two. These forms, each powerful in their own right are even more so when used together as in The Divine Image. In analyzing this piece I will be looking at the elements and principles of art, the corresponding ‘elements and principles of poetry and how they support one another to convey William Blakes idea of Innocence. Elements are the fundamental building blocks used in either art or poetry. In art they are line, shape/form, value, texture, colour (which I wasnt able to deal with in this case as the only reproduction was black and white) and space. In poetry one might classify the elements†¦show more content†¦Without much use of form there isnt a need for deep space which is the illusion which makes the observer think the picture extends far beyond its true two dimensions. This is notable in its absence because it makes the use of negative space much more interesting (Negative space being the area around the actual objects in a piece). In this image the negative space becomes an interesting shape. I say line and shape are the most important of the elements, not just because they were used often but also because of how they contribute to the principles. The focal point in the picture is the flame-like object along the right edge of the print. It is the first thing to catch ones eye as it is the most complex area of the picture, having been built up with a lot of line and showing the most form of anything in the print. It is also the most ink filled part of the image and has very little space. It is the part of the picture which seems most solid. From the focal point we arrive at the first sort of movement which is the actual path ones eye tends to follow. Here line plays the distinctive roll of defining that path. Ones eye moves very quickly from the focal point to the title of the poem and then either down the poem itself or down the flame-like object to the figures in the bottom right-hand corner of the page. From there the vinesShow MoreRelatedThe Human Abstract Essay1196 Wo rds   |  5 Pagesmanifestations in Blakes manuscripts, reading it against A Divine Image, a poem w hich was never finally published by Blake, or comparing it to its Innocence counterpart, The Divine Image. Most critics seem to agree that The Human Abstract represents a philosophical turning point in The Songs of Innocence and of Expe rience, and in Blakes work as a whole. In 1924, Joseph H. 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