An Explication of The Garden of Love :: Garden of Love Essays

An Explication of The Garden of Love      Ã‚  Ã‚   My original interpretation of "The Garden of Love" encompassed the speaker as a person who was scared to move on in their life and in love. I thought (he) was afraid of failure, afraid of losing childhood innocence in the wake of adulthood decisions and expectations. I funneled my theory into a neat little package that contained the Chapel as a symbol for marriage (or adult themes), and the Garden to stand for his life, or thoughts. I further belabored my opinion and interpretation.    After long deliberation with the writings of Blake 'experts,' I have conceded to concur with their interpretations of "The Garden of Love," and therefore: According to Ostriker, Blake "celebrates sexuality and attacks repression" (156). I agree that his attack on repression is apparent in this poem, in that Blake seems to want the speaker, and the readers, to take a chance on life, love, or sex. Whatever the convention of each individual, Blake wants us to not be afraid to go against the conventional. Yet the speaker in "The Garden of Love" is constrained to move forward with his own decisions, probably restricted by the strict conventions of the Church. The priests follow suit as a reminder of 'conventional holiness.'    Blake has often ridiculed the Church, and it seems as though he uses "The Garden of Love" to display the affects of the Church's manipulation on youth. Regarding the two youngsters kneeled behind the priest, Kauvar explains, "The bowed figures reveal the presence of Urizenic (def. Reason - mine) repression and morality, for instead of embracing, the youths kneel submissively behind the priest" (60). As I grasped in my first response to this poem, Blake's 'Garden' represents new growth and childhood innocence. Kauvar continues that thought with the opposite side, "but in Experience he sees nature dying and the graveyard supplanting the garden" (60).    It seems to me that Blake was highly disturbed with the manipulating effects placed on the public by the Church. I think he believed the public was mislead by the Church and its expectations, and further, believed their lives were governed as such. Pagliaro continues with the mention of, ".