Republicans have recently been outdoing themselves in cruelty, both regarding immigration and health care. William Styron and William Blake weigh in.
Tag Archives: William Blake
Immigrants Face a Sophie’s Choice
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged "Chimney-Sweeper", GOP, immigrants, Obamacare, Sophie's Choice, William Styron Comments closed
The Twisted Fingers Letting Go
Catherine Alder has a beautiful poem in which she calls upon us to unclench our fists. I reflect also upon two other works that feature clenched fists, Blake’s “Grey Monk” and George MacDonald’s “Lilith.”
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged "Advent Hands", "Grey Monk", Advent, Catherine Alder, George MacDonald, Hands, Lilith, St. Joseph Comments closed
All Must Love the Human Form
In “The Divine Image,” Blake gives us a poem for our time, a call to pray for mercy, pity, peace, and love and to recognize the human form in diversity. In “The Human Abstract” he adds that prayer is not enough. It must be accompanied by human justice.
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged "Divine Image", "Human Abstract", Abortion, analysis, Christian Right, classism, homophobia, Islamophobia, Jeff Sessions, Michael Flynn, politics, racism, Steve Bannon Comments closed
Teachers, Don’t Nip Their Buds
In “Songs of Experience,” William Blake worries that authority figures will nip the promise of budding schoolboys. “The Schoolboy” serves as a timely reminder for all teachers.
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged "Schoolboy", Education, public schools, schooling, teachers and teaching Comments closed
Ted Cruz–Dark and Satanic?
When NYT columnist David Brooks called Ted Cruz “dark and satanic,” he was referencing a Blake poem. But although the allusion is apt, it struck most people as weird or offensive because they didn’t recognize the source.
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged "Jerusalem", David Brooks, electoral politics, GOP primary, Marco Rubio, politics, Ted Cruz Comments closed
The Utterly Amazing William Blake
William Blake spoke to protesters in the 1960s but that is far from his only audience. A recent “New York Review of Books” articles surveys his greatness.
Swimming with the Water Babies
Swimming with my granddaughters put me in mind of Charles Kingsley’s “Water Babies.” Kingsley helped us enter into the rich imaginative lives of children.
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged Charles Dickens, Charles Kingsley, Childhood, Edward Lear, Lewis Carroll, swimming, Water Babies Comments closed
To See God, the Eye Must Catch Fire
Blake’s poem “Pentecost” explains what is necessary to experience the presence of the Holy Spirit.
