Blake, Hardy and the Poetics of Mixed Beliefs

Authors

  • Denis Fonge Tembong English Department

Abstract

The essay illustrates that although William Blake and Thomas Hardy may not be styled as orthodox Christian religious poets, there is evidence of unique and striking similarities of Christian belief patterns in their poetry. They exhibit in a similar manner, 'dual perceptions' of God, especially, concerning His presence and influence on the universe. Owing to their exclusive conception of the cosmos and existential views, the essay concretely reveals reasons why the two iconic English poets, could be considered as the most controversial and misunderstood writers in English literary history. With this in mind, the discourse starts by indicating what constitute the basic differences between them; what they share in common and the reasons why they are in most cases misunderstood. Notably, Blake's controversial interpretation of the scriptures and beliefs earned him the appellation 'madman'. Similarly, Hardy is difficult to be described for he does not squarely fit as an agnostic, atheist or Christian.

Keywords: Poetics, mixed beliefs, dual perceptions, misunderstood writers.

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Published

2016-01-02

How to Cite

Tembong, D. F. (2016). Blake, Hardy and the Poetics of Mixed Beliefs. ANGLISTICUM. Journal of the Association-Institute for English Language and American Studies, 3(5), 105–120. Retrieved from https://anglisticum.org.mk/index.php/IJLLIS/article/view/599

Issue

Section

Volume 3, No.5, May, 2014