The Garden of Love
By William Blake
I went to the Garden of Love,
And saw what I never had seen:
A Chapel was built in the midst,
Where I used to play on the green.And the gates of this Chapel were shut,
And ‘Thou shalt not’ writ over the door;
So I turn’d to the Garden of Love,
That so many sweet flowers bore.And I saw it was filled with graves,
And tomb‑stones where flowers should be:
And Priests in black gowns, were walking their rounds,
And binding with briars, my joys & desires.
Summary of The Garden of Love
- Popularity of “The Garden of Love”: “The Garden of Love” by William Blake, one of the most celebrated English poets, is a poem brimming with thought and feeling. Published in his collection Songs of Experience in 1794, it explores a speaker’s astonishment at the transformation of a cherished place. The poem subtly reflects on the cyclical nature of existence and the loss of innocence. Its enduring popularity stems from its depiction of a place that has lost its vibrancy.
- “The Garden of Love”, As a Representative of Amazement: Written from a perspective recalling youth, the poem highlights the passage of time and the inevitability of change. The speaker revisits a “Garden of Love,” a place likely associated with joyful memories. However, he is shocked to find it profoundly altered. The chapel, once a site of play, is now closed and forbidding. Turning back to the garden itself, he discovers not flowers but graves, and not gentle caretakers but priests who seem to be actively suppressing joy and desire. The poem isn’t simply about a physical location; it’s about the loss of a state of being.
- Major Themes in “The Garden of Love”: The central themes of the poem include the transient nature of time, the contrast between past and present, and a sense of bewildered disappointment. The speaker initially anticipates finding a place unchanged, a haven of happiness. Instead, he encounters a landscape that has been corrupted and controlled. The chapel and the garden, once symbols of freedom and delight, have become emblems of restriction and repression. The poem suggests that societal forces can stifle natural emotions and transform beautiful things into something bleak and forbidding.
Analysis of Literary Devices Used in “The Garden of Love”
Blake masterfully employs a range of literary devices to create a haunting and symbolic poem. These devices contribute to the poem’s overall meaning and emotional impact.
- Assonance: Assonance, the repetition of vowel sounds, adds a musical quality to the poem and emphasizes certain words. For example, the repetition of the short “a” sound in “And Priests in black gowns, were walking their rounds” creates a somber and rhythmic effect.
- Allegory: “The Garden of Love” functions as an allegory. It is not merely a description of a physical place but a representation of the human soul and the suppression of natural desires. The garden symbolizes innocence and joy, while the chapel and the priests represent restrictive doctrines and societal control.
- Anaphora: The repeated use of “And” at the beginning of several lines in the final stanza— “And I saw it was filled with graves,” “And tomb‑stones where flowers should be,” “And Priests in black gowns”—creates a sense of relentless and overwhelming change. It emphasizes the speaker’s growing despair as he witnesses the transformation of the garden.
- Allusion: The opening line, “I went to the Garden of Love,” alludes to the biblical Garden of Eden and the loss of innocence. This connection adds a layer of religious and symbolic meaning to the poem. It suggests that the speaker is experiencing a similar fall from grace.
- Alliteration: The use of alliteration, such as the repetition of the “w” sound in “were walking,” creates a subtle musicality and draws attention to specific phrases.
- Consonance: Consonance, the repetition of consonant sounds, reinforces the poem’s somber mood. For example, the repetition of the “r” sound in “And Priests in black gowns, were walking their rounds” creates a sense of hushed and ominous activity.
- Imagery: Blake’s powerful imagery evokes vivid sensory experiences. Images such as “filled with graves” and “tomb‑stones where flowers should be” create a stark contrast between life and death, joy and sorrow. The imagery effectively conveys the speaker’s sense of loss and disillusionment.
- Metaphor: The entire poem operates as an extended metaphor. The garden itself is a metaphor for the human heart or soul, and the events that unfold within it represent the internal struggles and conflicts that individuals face.
- Metonymy: The use of “black gowns” is a metonymy, where the clothing stands in for the priests themselves, representing authority and rigid doctrine.
- Symbolism: The poem is rich in symbolism. The garden represents innocence and joy, the chapel represents restrictive religion and authority, and the briars symbolize the constraints that bind and suppress natural desires.
Analysis of Poetic Devices Used in “The Garden of Love”
Beyond literary devices, Blake utilizes specific poetic techniques to enhance the poem’s form and meaning.
- Diction and Tone: The poem’s diction is deceptively simple, yet evocative. Blake employs concise language to create a somber and wistful tone. The overall effect is one of quiet desperation and melancholic reflection.
- Rhyme Scheme: The poem uses a varied rhyme scheme, with each stanza containing internal rhymes that create musicality and a sense of order. The pattern differs from stanza to stanza, reflecting the changing mood of the speaker.
- Quatrain: Each stanza consists of four lines (a quatrain), a traditional poetic form that lends itself to concise and focused expression.
- Stanza: The poem is divided into three stanzas, each exploring a different aspect of the speaker’s experience. This structure allows for a gradual unfolding of meaning and a progressive deepening of emotional impact.
Quotes to be Used
These lines from the poem, “The Garden of Love,” are particularly resonant and can be used to evoke themes of lost innocence and disillusionment.
“I went to the Garden of Love,
And saw what I never had seen:
A Chapel was built in the midst,
Where I used to play on the green.”
This opening stanza establishes the poem’s central conflict—the speaker’s shock at discovering that a once‑beloved place has been transformed into something alien and forbidding.