WILLIAM BLAKE'S CONCEPT OF HIS FUNCTION AS A POET IN SOCIETY

This study focuses on William Blake's recognition of and reaction to the paradox of his career: he believed himself to be a poet-prophet with a significant message for society, yet he saw that his works were not read. Blake strove to improve men's minds by bringing them the truth about their own nature and that of the world they inhabited. To Blake this message was a more important consideration than the audience to whom he directed it. But Blake began writing at a time in English history when the audience was becoming a dominant force in art theory and practice. Blake's poetry and biography show him struggling to reconcile these two conflicting forces.;In the end Blake affirmed the primacy of the message over its audience. Yet he did not ignore his audience--he strove to reach it. All of his works after his first period of idealism show his consciousness of an audience. But his failure to reach an appreciable audience did not deter Blake from pursuing his ambitious goal. He believed in the truth of his message and the necessity of art in improving the lives of men.;Blake's concept of the poet-prophet's role in society developed from a naive faith in the simple statement of truth to a firm belief in the permanency of art and its ability to eventually make itself felt on the human consciousness. Blake's concept evolved through four stages. In the face of social and historical realities, Blake's initial idealism gave way to a period of doubt and seclusion. Uncertain about his role in society, he retreated to the security of patronage. But his genius could not be stifled; Blake emerged from seclusion determined to make his message known. In a burst of activity Blake produced a number of works and campaigned to win public attention. Although the campaign failed in every commercial sense, Blake accepted his modest achievements. Instead of seeking immediate and sweeping improvements in the lives of his fellow men, Blake put his work into the larger perspective of history. He was satisfied with the creation of art for the small audience he did have and for the larger audience he would have in the future. He spent the last period of his life diligently producing finished works in a medium that he felt would be appreciated by posterity and would help to better the lives of those who read him.