The Garden of Love
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 turned to the Garden of Love
That so many sweet flowers bore.
And I saw it was filled with graves,
And tombstones where flowers should be;
And priests in black gowns were walking their rounds,
And binding with briars my joys and desires
The question is what literary devices are used?
I can see that imagery is used and possibly allegory? Am i missing anything else?
You're on the right track! The poem "The Garden of Love" by William Blake indeed uses several literary devices. Let's break them down further:
1. Imagery: Imagery is used throughout the poem to create vivid mental pictures. For example, the image of a garden filled with graves and tombstones instead of flowers appeals to the reader's sense of sight and creates a somber atmosphere.
2. Allegory: Yes, allegory is another literary device present in the poem. The garden itself serves as a symbolic representation of love and innocence. The closed Chapel with "Thou shalt not" written over the door represents the restrictions and rigid morality imposed by organized religion. The priests in black gowns symbolize the oppressive forces that suppress joy and desire.
3. Symbolism: Symbolism is also apparent in the poem. The flowers that should fill the garden but instead are replaced by tombstones symbolize the suppression and death of love. The briars that the priests use to bind the speaker's joys and desires can symbolize the constraints and restrictions placed on human emotions.
4. Irony: There is a touch of irony in the poem. The Garden of Love, which one would assume to be a place of blooming flowers and joy, is instead filled with graves and tombstones. This contrast between expectation and reality adds depth to the poem's meaning.
So, to summarize, the poem "The Garden of Love" by William Blake uses imagery, allegory, symbolism, and irony to convey its themes of the suppression of natural love and desire by institutionalized religion.