Community Blog Assignment: Blake's Prophecies Revealed

     The blog I chose was Blake's Prophecies Revealed, written by Makenna Childers, Edde Diaz, Alex Pinzon, and Haun Tran. This bog was able to give good insite into what Blake was about, and also capture the readers attention. The first thing you notice when you go to Blake's Prophecies Revealed is the fish. Although the fish are not the focus of this blog they are a great touch to get the readers interested. 
     I found the post by Edde Diaz, "America a Prophecy" By William Blake, to be very helpful. For not knowing much about Blake this blog entry helps to depict some expectations of Blake for the Americas, and some of the disappointments he had when he saw that there was no sensual liberation in the Americas.
     Other entries that were benificial were by Alex Pinzon. These two posts, Summary of Europe: A Prophecy by william Blake part 1 and 2, certainly show the thoughts of William Blake, and in a way "bring it home" with clear explainations and questioning on Blakes' prophetic writing. The break down of what Blake meant when writing this piece makes it clear and easier to understand, although she does mention how she struggled herself while reading the piece. By explaining how difficult the writing was to follow, and the reasons why, we can see the thought process she went through to come to her conclusion. The connection between man and nature that she discusses comes up all throughout the romanticism time period. I had found this to be helpful, because it gave me some more knowledge about that specific connection that romantic writters felt was so important.
    Many of the blogs our class has put together have been remarkably helpful but this one in perticular helped to make others clear, as well as, thier own. Some topics dicussed can also help with other poets, and thier beliefs. If anyone ever needed information on Blake and his prophecies this would be one of the places I looked, and if not information, atleast for a better understanding of what Blake meant in many of his pieces of writing.

Too Hot To Breathe

The feeling on my skin.
The pain it causes.
Feeling weak not wanting to do anything. I stand at the window despising the thought of you.
I stuggle to even move when I walk to the door.
The knowing nothing will be there makes it worse.
But the hoping something is different keeps me going.
It keeps me going. But for how much longer?

It is still gone. Is it not?

So what now?
Are you not the one I ask if I need help?
You continue to hold back.
The one thing I crave,
The one thing you hold back. If only just for one moment you could releave the pain.
But that would to easy.
You sit,
And wait,
And watch,
While I waste away into nothing.
Once gone never to return again,
Or to think of you.
And still nothing changes.
As the thoughts race through mind I wonder if this is really the end.
The purpose I was looking for,
Gone.
The dreams that once got me through my day,
Gone.
The feeling of you that always made me smile,
Gone.
And for what?
As of now you haven't even taken the time to see what is really happening.
All hope is lost, and it wasn't from what I did. It was thanks to you.
I trusted you to help me, but now you have let me down.
I can't go on like this.
    ______________________________________________________________________
At the turn I see the light at the end of the tunnel.
A new day has come,
And this time I praise you for it.
The change you made was unmistakable. But what change was there really?
Did you finally listen to what I had to say? Or does it still not matter?
Either way I can go on, and will.
This is what I have been waiting for.

The Life of Byron

     George Noel Gordon was only ten when he took the name of lord. After Byron went through som;e years of private school he attended a school with other boys called Harrow. This lead to an almost romantic attachment to the school. As the years passed the affctionate relationps with men became more pronounced.
     Unfortunatly after a term at Trinity College Byron fell deeply into debt, but shortly after his return home in 1806 his Fugitive Pieces were published. Upon his return at Trinity he had become close friends with John Cam Hobhouse, who sparked his interest in liberal whiggism. A year later he had taken his seat in the House of Lords, which lead to another publication, this time anonymous, and Byron embarked on a tour with Hobhouse. This voyage with Hobhouse found him love, as well as, more poems. Childe Harold was one of these, which reflected on his own experiences.
     Following the death of his mother Byron fell into many affairs, one of which could have possibly been with his half sister, Augusta Leigh. This may explain why his dughter, from his marriage with Anne Isabella, was named Augusta. Although this marriage may have produced a child it proved difficult for Byron to control his wandering eye. Soon Anne had taken their daughter to her parents to not return, and rumors began to fly. When rumors had gone to far Byron legally seperated from Anne, and left never to return to England. This making him the most famous exile in Eroupe.
     A boat trip taken with Percy Bysshe Shelley, William Godwin, Shelleys' wife, and Godwins stepdaughter, Claire Clairmont, had lead to more writting for Byron as well. Byron was able to accomplish Prisoner of Chillon, and a third canto of Childe Harold. By the end of the summer it was time for everyone to part their ways, as the Shelley party headed for England, they took with them Claire Clairmont who was not only a mistress to Lord Byron in Englad, but carried his illegitimate daughter.
     As time went on Byron found himself in love with a married 19 year old girl name Teresa Guicciolo. This love not only lead him around Italy, but gave him great friendship, and more masterpiece poems that are still read to this day.
  

We'll Go No More A Roving

So, we'll go no more a-roving
So late into the night
Though the heart be still loving,
And the moon be still as bright.

For the sword outwears its sheath,
And the soul wears out the breast,
And the heart must pause to beathe,
And love itself have a rest.

Though the night was made for loving,
And the day returns too soon,
Yet we'll go no more a-roving
By the light of the moon.

     The first stanza talks about how these two people will no longer see each other. The love between them won't be expressed anymore no matter how strong it may be, and although the night will still come, it will come alone. While the second stanza continues to illustrate the depth of these feelings it also shows that as we age our needs change. Along with needs changing we "outwear" what we already have. Meaning somethimes that we just grow up. The final stanza in a way trys to justify why the two shoud not see each other.

     I found the "night" in this poem to not only literally mean the night but to also be refering to a secret. As if this were to be a secret love between him an another. If this were a secret love then it may have made sense for this poem to be within a letter given to Thomas Moore. This would be due to Byrons' bisexuality.

     The one part of this poem I had a hard time understanding was that Byron talks about age being a factor, but he wrote this at 29. To me that does not seem too old to have this love with another, although if he had finally found what he was looking for this too would make sense.

     Even though being "gay" was not accepted anymore then, than it is now by some, why would he not go for what he truely wants? We can clearly see that the love between these two individuals flourished immensely, and that it is a struggle for Byron to let go. By using the "day" as a way to say that it is time to go, and the line just above that, "Though the night was made for loving" we are able to enter into the emotional endeavor of letting go, and feel the whole emotion of this scene. Although this poem may be short the simple message of love that it sends is one with great impact, and one that most people have been able to experience in thier life. If the chance at love never comes then those people will be missing out on a excellent experience.