An Age of revolutions

The last decades of the 18 century were marked by great revolutions: the Agraria
n and industrial revolutions,and French revolutions that had affect on the cultu
ral and literary aspects of life. This revolutions changed Britain from farming
country into an industrial one, increased population,increased demand for pots,b
eer and clothes,implied new technologies and inventions, the development of fact
ory system, new sources of power and transport. The most important inventions re
garded machinery for cloth-making and the Watt's engine that improved the built
of factories but put many people out of work. Also in agrarian aspect the invent
ions improved the production.(The most important inventor were Samuel Crampton i
nvented the spinning mule, Abraham Darby invented the smelting of iron with coal
, James Watt improved the engine, and for this reason the population dedicated t
heir a bronze statues.)
Industrial society
During the 18 century the population moved from agriculture south area to the ne
w industrial north area. Small towns, called mushroom were constructed to house
the workers. Women and children were increasly employed because they could be pa
id less. For the labourers the city environment meant long working hours and ter
rible living condition, there weren't the elementary public services, the air an
d water polluted by smoke and filth. At the beginning of 19 century the level of
unemployment rose for the new machinery, was a period of repression.
The American war of indipendence
When George 3 succeded George 2 Hannover, Britain was in a period of stability,
but the British government imposed new taxes for the american colonies. with the
tax on the tea brake out the ribellion, in fact in 1773 there was a Boston tea
party where the rebels threw tea into the Boston harbor. When indipendece begen
in 1775, the American were divided in Patriots e Loyalist and also helped by Fre
nch. On 4 July 1776 in Philadelphia, the Continental congress signed the Declara
tion of indipendence, written by Jefferson. With the treaty of Versailles in 178
3 Britain recognised the indipendence. Was borne the new repubblic of United Sta
tes of America who adapted a federal costitution and Washington become the first
president.
Boston freedom trail
Boston was built by Puritan settlers from England as a "city on a hill". This tr
ail starts from the heart of the city at Boston Common,America's oldest park, us
ed for civil rights meetings and as encampments to public hangings.Touches the h
ome of Paul Revere, one of Revolutionary leaders, while in
a block to the southeast is the park street church, With Its white steeple stone
markers Among the cemetery are the graves of the declaration of independence si
gners, samuel adams and john hancock
The Tyger
Written by William Blake, from Songs of Experience. It is divided into 6 stanzas
. The Tyger represent power and energy and also has been created by God. The sec
ond line, when he says that in the forests of the night refers to the dark world
of chaos before the creation. In the third and fourth lines there is an oximor
between fearful, that is negative and simmetry, that is harmonic. In the seventh
line there is anemage that is associated with the myth of Icarus. The eight lin
e referes to myth of Prometheus. In the fourth stanza, God is compared with a bl
acksmith that with his tools created the world. In the twelfth line the stars we
re compared to the rebels angels.
The Lamb
Wtitten by Blake, from songs of innocence. It is divided into 2 stanzas. The lam
b is simbol of purity and chilghood,closer to God than to humanity. In the first
stanza there was a question, there are a lot of adjectives for the lamb(l 5-6).
In the second stanza there was an answer, talk about the immagination: primary

immagination: that all have,it espress what you see; secondary immagination: ref
ere to the cristianity, comparison between God and poet. As God created the worl
d so the man has created poetry with immagination.
London
Written by Blake, talk about the town with negatives adjectives. It is divided i
n 4 stanzas with 4 lines. It is set in city at night and the rhyme scheme is ABAB. It suggest a society dominated by commercial profit, Blake identify the "Mon
acles" as political, religious term, the metaphor of soppression. In the third s
tanza there is an hyperbol. The last line expresses the meaning of marriage for
political or economical purposes. The hearse indicates the spread of disease. In
14 line there is a metaphor: the government forced women to be prostitutes and
the church doesn't care.
The Chimney Sweeper
Written by Blake, from songs of experience. It is divided in 6 stanzas and talk
about the Chimney Sweeper that are orphaned children of poor families who were b
rought in workhouses. Children were used for this job because they are small eno
ugh to be forced up chimnery to clean them. In this song there are signs of ligh
t,white,gold and signs of darkness, as black,night,worm.In the second part, Tom
had a dream. An angel, who had bright key free him and his friends from the chim
ney and playing on the grass and shine in the sun, that is the regeration. In th
e end there is as sound ironical, if this children will be good, God will give h
im the paradise.
Complementary opposites
Blake was a visionary and believed in the illuminating power of his visions. The
two most important literary influences were the Bible and Milton.He believed in
the reality of a spiritual world but regarded Christianity as responsible for t
he fragmentation of consciousness and dualism characterizing man's life. To his
view he substituted a vision made up of "complementary opposites". He stated: "W
ithout contraries there is no Progression. Attraction and Repulsion, Reason and
Energy, Love and Hate are necessary to Human Existence" The possibility of progr
ess, of achieving knowledge of what we are, lies in the tension between opposite
states of mind, not in their resolution by one gaining supremacy over the other
. The two states coexist not only in the human being but also in the figure of t
he Creator