Instructions: There are three poems given with corresponding questions.

Kindly choose only

one poem and respond to the questions attached to it.

In your document, follow this format:

Name: GALE GWEN JAVIER

Section: BSED ENG 2A
Subject: ELE208
Copy of your Chosen Poem: I Saw a Chapel by William Blake

I saw a chapel all of gold

That none did dare to enter in
And many weeping stood without
Weeping mourning worshipping

I saw a serpent rise between

The white pillars of the door
And he forcd & forcd & forcd
Down the golden hinges tore

And along the pavement sweet

Set with pearls and rubies bright
All his slimy length he drew
Till upon the altar white

Vomiting his poison out

On the bread & on the wine
So I turnd into a sty
And laid me down among the swine

Question 1: Who is the speaker of the poem? Describe his or her possible role or
intention in the poem. Describe the setting where he is in.

Answer: The speaker of the poem is the author himself since the poem is narrated in a first
person point of view. As the author narrates his observation, the author’s possible role can be
considered as an observer of what has surpassed in the setting which was a chapel of gold. The
chapel was embellished in a grandeur style which none would enter.

Question 2: Who are the other possible characters in the story? What personality does
each character possess?

Answer : There are two characters in the poem, the author and the serpent. The author's role
as mentioned was an observer who tells the story. The author, I believe, is someone who has a
neutral disposition. Typically similar to a characteristic of a person who would watch at the side
and choose not to join or fight an event; someone who would simply observe and tell. The 2nd
character which is the serpent is depicted to be slimy in length. In the case of the poem, where
the serpent forced open the entrance and desecrated the chapel, we can draw out the
characteristics of being evil and corrupt. Another possible character would probably be the
church which has the characteristics of being pure, holy, and stylishly grandeur as how it was
depicted from the poem.

Question 3: What examples of imagery are present in the poem? How do they enhance
the message being conveyed by the poem?

Answer : “I saw a chapel all of gold that none did dare to enter in and many weeping stood
without weeping mourning worshipping.” This line was used by the author to convey innuendos
as to how grandeur and wealthy was the chapel as it was depicted in gold and embellished in
gems. Hinting that the chapel only acknowledges those who have power or members of high
society.

“I saw a serpent rise between the white pillars of the door and he forcd & forcd & forcd
down the golden hinges tore”. In this case, the author used the image of a serpent to convey a
character which has a role of desecrating the church. Serpents are known to symbolize the devil
and hate, which upon use, conveys the message effectively.

Question 4: There are two dominant yet contradicting interpretations of the poem.
Theorize or explain these two dominant and contradicting interpretations.

Answer : In the case of this poem, I believe that there are two contradicting interpretations
behind what the chapel and the serpent symbolizes. In the first interpretation, the chapel
typically symbolizes holiness and love. Upon the sudden appearance of the serpent, the chapel
was desecrated and defiled which tells us an interpretation of how evil always tries its absolute
best in defilling innocence and how there are times where evil triumphs over good. The second
interpretation tells us how religion oppresses the poor. In a way where the chapel was
ostentatiously designed in a grand manner intimidating the poor; therefore, no one dared to
enter the place. We can also conclude an interpretation where the chapel of gold exploits the
taxes of the people. The serpent then represents the rebellious act of conquering the place of
exploitation (symbolized by the church), and in this interpretation, the serpent desecrating the
chapel is an act of heroism.
Question 5: Select a dominant theme from the poem and discuss how it can relate
to the life of the people in the present time.

Answer: “Chapel of gold”. In my opinion, this theme represents some of the tackled cases
nowadays where churches receive special treatment from the government and stand above
other institutions. There are also cases where religious organizations or institutions are built by
some in order to avoid paying taxes and also to exploit the taxes of the people. Also back in the
early centuries, the churches were pretentious enough to be ostentatiously designed and only
acknowledged the ones on the higher part of society and looked down on the poor.

Question 6: In your own, understanding narrate what transpired in the whole poem.

Answer: Outside the chapel of gold, worshipers stood outside to mourn since they wouldn’t
dare enter inside. All of a sudden, a serpent described to be slimy and long, broke down the
entrance of the chapel and made its way to the altar and started to desecrate the sacramental
bread and wine. With disgust, the author, observing the scene, laid down among the pigs in the
pigsty upon witnessing the event.