Blake’s ability to express himself in multiple ways. The music, art and
philosophical as well as artistic interpretations made for a thorough, well
rounded presentation. Each member of the group delivered their own
interpretations in the medium of their choice yet maintained the common
themes found in Blake’s work.
Expanding Blake’s ideas of rejection of the church by providing references to
material from other sources allowed a important connection to be made. That
is, across time and through different social backgrounds a common theme was
found, thereby reinforcing the opinions of the separate artists, and
providing a different perspective for the class to relate to.
The music and the corresponding lyrics provided, displayed a more
modern day version of some of the themes relating to Innocence and
Experience. Innocence seems harder to portray in modern song, but the
parallels to experience were evident in each of the three works presented.
Again, we saw the link to experience as being inseparable from sexual
expression.
The art being created in the background during the presentation was
slightly distracting, but the result was quite powerful. The renderings were
very accurate with respect to the panels in the book as far as both form and
coloring were concerned. Overall, the presentation was put together well and
had a wonderful feel to it.
Todd LaCasse
those that dealt with personal experience the most interesting. "Four
Windows Into the Lost" and "Am I Loved?" were both moving. I think it
takes a considerable amount of strength for people to express
themselves, especially in front of an audience of their peers. I was
moved by their analysis of Blake's work as applied to the current
experiences of our time. It is fascinating to realize how much Blake's
work is a reflection of today's society.
The particular elements of "Four Windows Into the Lost" was the
application of Blake's work to the music lyrics of today's artists.
More often then not we don't really "hear" the words of lyrics. It is
not until you analyze the deeper meaning that you realize what emotion
and thought lies within the melody. I was impressed by the presenter's
ability to discover these lyrics. Also within this presentation was the
artwork. Visual stimulation is a key element of Blake's work and the
presenter did a marvelous job. It is amazing to watch someone draw
freehand. The expression and meaning within artwork can be even more
stimulating than the words of a poem.
The other presentation I found most interesting was Jennifer's reading
of her experience with her biological father. I was moved by her
courage to share such a personal and disappointing part of her life. It
is a clear reflection of Blake's steps of innocence to experience. I
think the comparison to the "Clod and the Pebble" was great. It is as
if we are always searching for something we do not have. When we are
young we want to be older and when we are older we want to be young
again. We are always in conflicting states.
Alex Thomson
Experience" were one of the most creative displays of imagination and
artistic talent that has been done by classmates of mine. All the groups
were unique with their ideas and did a great job connecting with the
audience.
I really enjoyed the musical section of the first groups
presentation, "Four Windows into the Lost". I personally have always
loved Blake's "A Little Girl Lost" since I read it my first year in
college. I was going through a lot with my father at that time, and the
poem really reached me deeper than it was probably meant to. That is why
I was intrigued by the idea of comparing music to the poem. Tori Amos'
song "Icicle", which was compared to "A Little Girl Lost", is one of my
favorite songs- I love Tori Amos to begin with. I was surprised because I
have probably listened to that song a hundred times and never really
thought about it in that aspect. Amos' haunting lyrics reflect the voice
on an innocent girl who grows up and tries to deny her maturity, in fear
that she will lose her fathers love if he sees the changes in her. This
can be compared to the fear that the girl feels in Blake's poem. She
wants her fathers approval so badly, you can just picture her staring up
into his experienced face with her innocent pleading eyes. This group
did and excellent job of showing all the aspects and views that can be
interpreted from Blake's poetry.
Overall, I think every group brought something special into the
classroom on Tuesday, and I was very impressed by each groups creativity.
Group one's presentation just happened to hit home for me. Hopefully
every student was fortunate enough to connect to at least one of Blakes's
works like that. It really creates a whole new meaning to the word
poetry.
Elizabeth Torok
I would like to commend all the presenters on their collaborations and insights on different views of Blake’s work.
The first group used different personal techniques to share their interpretations of the "Lost" poems. This was a good idea because intern we were able to learn a little about the person presenting. The lyrics of Paula Cole and Tori Amos seemed to fit perfectly to the messages of Blake’s poems as I also interpreted them. This shows that artists may use different "mediums" to convey similar themes. Having an appreciation for most art forms, I was very taken by the artwork displayed on the chalkboard. With an art noveau influence, the work resembled that of Blake; they were full of color, very organic in drawing and abstracted, yet detailed enough to recognize the image. The slight shadings with the side of the chalk did its best to capture the watercolor look that Blake gave his illuminations. The artist was able to include many figures and objects Blake describes in his songs and illuminations, although the only thing I felt was missing was a picture of a sheep/lamb or shepherd, regarding the innocence. Overall, I think the presentation was interesting and personal, well done.
The presentation based on Diatom’s Ladder of Love was also an interesting relation to Blake’s use of love. The four levels of love: self love, the love of one person, the love of many people and celestial love were well illustrated and the examples used from the "Songs of Innocence and Experience" fit them well. It seems as if most of the poems fit into one, and in some cases more than one, category. In some poems is seems that both self love and the love of many people can be seen depending on the view taken. Besides falling in the four different rungs of love, the rungs of the ladder is also divided. The group did a good job in pointing out that self love and the love of one person related to one’s innocence and that the love of many people and celestial love may refer to one’s experience.
I would also like to say that the story "Am I loved?" was very touching and my gratitude for sharing this piece of your life with us. Connections between this story and Blake’s works were well explained. This presentation also suggested there was a similarity between the innocence and experience. I thought that was a neat concept to bring up and discuss.
Janwyn Toy
Innocence and Experience." I especially enjoyed the first presentation,
which included chalk drawings, music, and analogies to trees and
mushrooms. I liked this project because it responded to Blake's work in
many different ways, and I found this appropriate as there are many ways
to interpret Blake. I also liked the project because the music and visual
aids kept the presentation interesting. I connected the most with the
music. Because Blake himself put his poetry to music, I think that a good
way to more deeply understand his poetry is to compare it with music that
reflects our innocence and experience today. If we are able to understand
our innocence and experience, how they are related to one another, and the
roles they play in our lives, it will be easier for us to understand
Blake's plates and poetry. Music is a common emotional tool that Blake
and readers of Blake can use to communicate when words fail us.
I also really liked the comparison to the mushroom, both because it was
such a unique idea and also because I had not thought of innocence in that
way. I liked how the group described innocence as internal, and even
things as physically unappealing as a mushroom can in reality be purely
innocent.
I think that Blake would have appreciated the talented chalk drawings. I
was glad that as a class we were able to watch him do the drawings. I
appreciated them much more seeing them shaped than I probably would have
if they had been there when we walked in. Blake, when making his plates,
must have taken hours and hours to perfect and shape them. Watching the
presenter draw on the board reminded me that the plates in the book are
not just illustrations, but artwork from Blake's own hand that he intended
his poetry to be read from.
I enjoyed all of the projects, and I think that they were all of
high quality, especially considering that it was the first day of
presentations and the groups had no examples to build upon.
Katie Sprigg
my opinion. I liked the way the four members used each of their individual
strengths to express their views on Blake’s work. The focus on the plates
Little Boy Lost and Little Girl Lost to represent Blake’s Songs of Innocence
and Experience were some good choices. They are very strong poems to start
with and the groups explanation and expression of them only made the meanings
stronger for me.
The first member used philosophy to look deeper into the poems. By
using comparisons to other works of poetry, the understanding of the poems
became clearer to me. The second member used music to better explain what
Blake was saying in Songs of Innocence and Experience. By playing specific
verses and showing the lyrics, it made it easy for me to see the examples of
innocence and experience within the songs. The third member used her
knowledge of nature to give an example of innocence and experience. The last
member used are as a means to express his views on Blake’s Songs of Innocence
and Experience. The artwork on the chalkboard was good and the explanations
of them made sense. It was intersecting how he used a few of Blake’s
different plates and combined them using some of his own ideas an well.
I thought that all of the presentations were good and they all had
aspects about them that made them stand out in my mind. I liked the first
presentation the most because it had a lot of variety.
Marc Shimamoto
my mind. Although all the presentation were very well organized, this
particular project used each individuals interests and formative
expertise.
The piece on philosophy seemed well thought out, even if it was a
little over my head. The music portion was quick and to the point. I
did wish she could have used artists from older generations and from a
different genre, like rock n' roll, soul, or classical.
The interpretation given to how nature was depicted in Blake's
plates was fascinating. She seemed have a good grasp of what kind of
message Blake was intending to portray through nature.
The graphical art drawn on the board was better than anything I
could do. For that reason along I was impressed.
All the groups seemed to have put a lot of effort into their
respective projects and each left an impression. I hope I can do half
as well as these first few presentations.
Jerry(Gerardo)Avalos
and Experience," I enjoyed the first group the most. I felt that having
each member demonstrate different aspects of the text via various media
kept the class interested and entertained.
The philosophy portion of the presentation was especially
effective in that it presented "Songs of Innocence and Experience" with
reference to other great works with which I was not previously familiar.
I felt that the references made to other works were not forced or skewed
in that the speaker tied everything together with a concise history of the
philosophers of which he spoke while still alluding to Blakian ideals.
Especially entertaining was the segment consisting of music. Even
though it was entertaining, it contained special significance to myself
and probably others in the class because it combined some contemporary and
popular displays of philosophy that, intentionally or not, referenced
Blake and often very specifically his "Songs of Innocence and Experience."
I recall one lyric in which the mound of clay was mentioned. This
especially drew me in and made me appreciate Blake's influence in his own
time, as well as our own.
The mushrooms presented as a contrast between the contrary states
or human nature was, at first, confusing. As the presenter continued to
speak, it became more apparent to me that she had in fact thought about
this and weaved her own interests well with the teachings of William
Blake. It was meaningful to me in that it caused me to realize that I,
myself, might be able to apply some of Blake's views to some of my own
interests, pursuits, and personal philosophies.
While all of the other group members were presenting their
portions of the group project, the "performance art" going on behind them
was not distracting, rather it added to the effectiveness of the group's
overall presentation. I was impressed at the great talent the artist
displayed as well as an astonishing grasp of Blake's trademark form.
Granted, it was in chalk, but the images still rang true of those within
"Songs of Innocence and Experience."
Kevin Sigmund
group was my favorite. This was the presentation I enjoyed and connected
with the most. Not only was this groups presentation thought out and well
prepared, but since it was the first group to present, it cleared up some
of the things I didn't quite understand before.
Group #1 titled their presentation, "Four Windows Into the Lost",
focusing on plates 50 and 51. Although I didn't really understand what
the first speaker was trying to say about philosophy, the other three
speakers made me really think.
The three songs were an excellent example of not knowing who we
are, having to hide our sexuality from others, and how many people are
forced to grow up sooner than they should have to. I'm sure there are
many other songs that deal with these same types of issues, if we were to
take the time to really listen to the words.
The nature speech reminded me how it is extremely necessary and
important to look inside ourselves to see the true beauty of things. I
think all too often this is forgotten and what we see, feel, touch or hear
is simply based on experience alone, as this speaker mentioned. Looking
inside ourselves forces us to use our innocence to experience things.
The art speaker showed me the different things Blake was trying to
convey thru his artistic style. He pointed out just how Blake's
drawings reflected the questions he has regarding faith. Now I see that
the lion and the tiger are symbols of humans ambivalence and how most of
the beautiful nature scenes represent life and the better place after
life.
All together, this group made me think about what Blake was/is
trying to say and why he wrote his book the way or the style in which he
did.
jnunes
did a great job with their presentation. I was impressed how they
each broke down the "Songs of Innocence and of Experience" and
expressed how it related to them as individuals. I could relate to
each of their interpretations of the plates and see how it has
affected their perceptions. That is true of each of us taking the
class. We each view the plates differently and have different
interpretations based on our own experiences. One of the group
members related to the plates and poetry more on a philosophical
basis whereas another member could relate more to the artistic
portrayal which Blake emphasizes his feelings. It gave me four other
ways to view and understand the plates, as well as an understanding
of how the plates affected four other peers within our class. I was
really impressed at the artist who drew the artwork on the
chalkboard. He didn’t even have a drawing to go off of and created a
huge picture in front of us all. I’m sure that he can see more of
what Blake was trying to portray through his plate artwork than
myself, which makes me a bit jealous. I could personally relate to
the nature within the artwork and grasp how Blake uses nature to
represent the innocence or experience of the artwork. The colors,
which he uses, depict the feeling of either innocence or experience
and sort of set the tone for the plate. All in all, they each did a
great job on their presentation.
Two other groups decided to create a collage contrasting
innocence and experience through cut out pictures they found in
magazines. Both groups did a good job in explaining their creations,
showing me how people transform from the innocent child to the more
experienced adult. One group made a point, which stated that adults
often try to regress back to the innocence, which they once
possessed, but will never be able to do so. I think that people are
can only regain their innocence for something in which they have
never experienced or can relate to. Once you can compare two things,
you are using your experience to make that comparison which directly
relates back to the experience aspect, which Blake talks about.
Whatever the case may be, each of the presentations presented another
view of the plates and their different interpretations of the plates.
It was interesting for me to see and hear how each team expressed
their view of Blake’s "Songs of Innocence and of Experience".
Ian McCormack
really helped me further examine the depth of William Blake's Songs of Innocence
and Songs of Experience.
The music and lyrics presented by current female artists such as: Paula
Cole, Suzanne Vega and Tori Amos, made Blake's ideas easy for me to identify
with. Particular lyrics by Paula Cole, "I want to be a dog or a lump of clay,"
expressed, to me, the whole idea of us experiencing a certain mourning for
something lost when we venture into the realm of experience. It's hard to deal
the changes that take place with the invasion of knowledge. We want to return
to an uncomplicated state of innocence. It seems more pleasing to be an
unfeeling lump of clay, or an innocent dog that only has to worry about eating,
sleeping, and playing, than to be a little girl dealing with becoming a mature
young woman.
Another feature that I loved about this group's presentation was the
artistic expression that the student shared with us up on the chalkboard. It's
great to be able to view the process of creation. The student's images were
very organic and flowing, as were his motions while drawing. The way his chalk
moved on the board appeared very natural.
Finding beauty in the natural world was emphasized by the stinky mushroom
story. I was inspired to appreciate the natural course of the universe and to
welcome all things in their unrefined, inherent states. As humans, we are
constantly trying to hide and deny our natural behavior and desires. Gaining an
appreciation for nature includes an acceptance of our minds and bodies.
I have a strong disbelief in conventional religions, and have a hard time
understanding why anyone would want to devote themselves to a god that tells
them that their natural desires and instincts are evil and wrong. It appears to
be a giant pile of lies that many people believe. Blake asks us to break out
from these lies that cloud the issues of human experience.
Brook McCurdy