Light vs. Dark - Blake and Gardner 

There is absolutely no way in which we can explore the idea of contradictions and paradox without the acknowledgement of artist and poet William Blake - a figure in a time of revolution, fixated upon the idea that without contraries, there is no progression. Frankly, after having recently discussed some of Blake's work in class, I'll warn you this guy may give you a headache (hopefully though, it'll be the good kind - the kind that make you think). 

While probing in and out of Blake’s various works, I gravitated most towards the two introductory pieces to his interrelated major works “Songs of Innocence” and “Songs of Experience.” Not only were they enlightening on their own, they also served as an interesting supplement to our previous novel, Grendel, exemplifying much of the same thematic components prominent within the novel.

The human is filled with contradictions in thought, in feeling, and in actions. Life itself becomes paradoxical – we live to die and die to live. In the introduction to “Songs of Innocence,” the piper – often a character that connotes enthusiasm and passion, a child “wept with joy to hear” the song the piper enthusiastically sings to him. By the end of the poem, the child asks the piper to write the songs in a book for all children to hear, yet when the piper describes this process he claims, “I stain’d the water clear.” Extracting these details made me think of the whole idea of a transformation from innocence to maturity. The songs represent something capable of staining the purity of innocence, and the child weeps with joy to hear them. The child, being innocent, is incapable of understanding that these songs foreshadow destruction, yet Blake hints at it by commenting on the way the child weeps, which connotes sadness and helplessness. This is relatable to Grendel as well, because this whole poem represents a perspective of the loss of innocence. Is transitioning into adulthood as positive as it may seem? Grendel was internally conflicted between the pull of gaining experience and being “enlightened” versus the idea of remaining in a state of blissful ignorance. It is interesting to see how both Blake and Gardner have elements of the others ideas within their own works, and the reason for which Gardner included part of Blake’s work in the beginning of his own novel was explained through the overlapping themes that both literary figures discuss.

In the introduction to “Songs of Experience,” the poem talks of a Bard who sees the “Present, Past, & Future.” Through this, I think the poem is almost referring to those who are experienced, and when relating to Grendel, those who are enlightened. This part of the poem actually reminds me very much of the dragon himself, who was able to see through all of time. The third stanza of this poem manifests the theme of light versus dark as it speaks of the magnificence of Earth, but follows it up with the worn sense that swallows the night. This light versus dark parallels knowledge verses darkness or good versus evil. This is similar to Grendel, as Grendel struggles with defining what is good and what is evil. He is torn apart by the beauty of the Shaper’s songs, yet he refers to the Shaper’s words as ridiculous. He is drawn by the dragon’s knowledge, but his attempt to follow the dragon’s advice leads to his own doom. The real question is what truly is good? And what truly is evil? 

Though universal questions with no universal answers, both Blake's works and Gardner's Grendel help us see the varying perspectives on these questions.