Blake - Ecofeminist?

If only this would come up in my exam next week!

Songs of Experience

“II Earth’s Answer”

Earth raised up her head
From the darkness dread and drear.
Her light fled
(Stony dread)
And her locks covered with grey despair.

‘Prisoned on watery shore,
Starry jealousy does keep my den;
Cold and hoar,
Weeping o’er
I hear the Father of the ancient men.

‘Selfish Father of men!
Cruel jealous selfish fear!
Can delight
Chained in night
The virgins of youth and morning bear?

‘Does Spring hide its joy
When buds and blossoms grow/
Does the sower
Sow by night,
Or the ploughman in the plough?

‘Break this heavy chain
That does freeze my bones around.
Selfish, vain,
Eternal bane-
That free love with bondage bound.’



Now, tell me that Blake wasn’t talking about the jealousy possessiveness of mankind, his destructive repression of nature and the feminine/ feminine sexuality?

….Although having come back to “Songs”, with my 30 year old female eyes, I think – particularly songs of experience – does seem to be written by a man in the middle of middle aged sexual crisis – as many of the poems are arguments for freer sexual expression (basically the rose bushes should be putting out more like the lilies do) as well as freer emotional expression in general. I suppose (as many would say) he would have been much better suited to the late 1960’s and the summer of love. This one is immediately followed by “My pretty Rose Tree” which is a clear criticism of the futility of monogamous relationships – e.g. he “passed the sweet flower o’er” that he was offered, only to be faced with the “jealous” “thorns” of the rose tree anyway – so he may has well have enjoyed the sweet flower as he won’t be getting any from the rose bush any time soon. So maybe not such an ecofeminist after all - I mean - if a woman started "putting out more" in the 17th century she would have been classed as a "whore" but if a man was to do that it would be acceptable. Hmmm - have things changed that much since then?