The way of poetry

Glossary

 Pleasant: Enjoyable

 Glee: Delight

 Vanished: Disappeared

 Hollow: Having a hole or empty space inside

 

OBJECTIVE Type Question

 Who is the poet of the poem “The Way of Poetry”?

 Ans. William Blake.

 In the poem the child is the symbol of?

 Ans. Christ.

 In the poem the lamb is the symbol of?

 Ans. Innocent joys of children.

 What does the poet see on the cloud?

 Ans. A child.

ABOUT POET

 William Blake was born in London on 28th Nov 1757. He was an English poet, Painter and Printmaker, largely unrecognized during his life time. Blake was a nonconformist who associated with some of the leading radical thinkers of the day. He privileged imagination over reason asserting that ideal forms should be constructed not from observation of nature but from vision. He declared in one poem “I must create a system or be enslaved by another man’s work.”

 The poem “THE WAY OF POETRY” has been taken from his book “SONGS OF INNOCENCE”, which is collection of illustrated poems by WILLIAM BLAKE

 

SUMMARY OF THE POEM

 This poem is in the form of a vision. The poet appears in the dress of a piper. He is piping songs of joys. The poet sees a child in the sky. This child is a symbol of JESUS CHRIST. HE inspires the poet to write songs for children. The poet plays a song on his pipe. The child feels happy on hearing this music. He asks the piper to play a song about lamb. In the poem the lamb is used as a symbol of innocent joys of children. The piper played a very joyful tune. The child liked this very much and requested the piper to play it again. When the child was listening the tune, his eyes were filled with tears. They were the tears of joy.

 Then the child asked the piper to lay aside his pipe and sing this song. The piper’s song gave immense joy to the child. Then the child requested the piper to write his song in the book so that all the children from the world could read and enjoy it. The poet vision broke just then.

 Then the poet plucked a reed. He made a pen from it. He took some ink and sat down to write his happy songs so that every child may be happy to hear them.

 

CENTRAL IDEA OF THE POEM

 

In this poem, William Blake tells us that the gift of poetry came to him as a divine inspiration. He wants to use this gift for the happiness of children. He has written many poems about the children and for the children. By reading these songs of happiness the children may get immense joy and happiness.

 

EXPLANATION OF POEM

Piping down the valleys wild,

piping songs of pleasant glee

On a cloud I saw a child,

And he laughing said to me.

 

REFERENCE TO THE CONTEXT: These lines have been taken from the poem The way of Poetry written by William Blake.

EXPLANATION The poet is coming down from the mountain valley. He is playing songs of happiness and joy. Suddenly he saw a child in the cloud .The child was very happy to hear his songs.

 

EXPLANATION

 

Pipe a song about a lamb

So I piped with merry cheer.

Piper pipe that song again

So I piped: he wept to hear

 

REFERENCE TO CONTEXT These lines have been taken from the poem The way of Poetry written by William Blake. In these lines the poets tells us how the gift of poetry came to him as a divine inspiration.

EXPLANATION The child asked the poet to play a song about lamb who is the symbol of innocent joys of children. The poet played the songs of happiness. The song gave immense joy to the child and he started crying but these tears were of happiness.

 

Drop thy pipe, thy happy pipe;

Sing thy songs of happy cheer.”

So I sang the same again:

While he wept with joy to hear.

 

EXPLANATION Then the child requested the poet to lay aside his pipe and sing that song of happiness for me. The poet sang that song. After listening the song he started weeping with joy.

 

Piper, sit thee down and write;

In a book, that, all may read

So he vanished from my sight, And I plucked a hollow reed.

 

EXPLANATION That child is the symbol of Christ. He asked the poet to sit and write your songs of happiness in a book so that all the children could read and enjoy it. After then the child disappeared and the poet vision broke just then.

 

And I made a rural pen,

And I strained the water clear,

And I wrote my happy songs,

Every child may joy to hear.

 

EXPLANATION In this Para, the poet tells that he followed the path shown to him by a divine power. He plucked a reed and made a simple pen from it. Then he prepared some ink with water. He wrote such songs which could bring joy to all the children.