The Clod and the Pebble

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1 The Clod and the Pebble Songs of Ourselves Vol.2 Notes for English Literature, IGCSE By: Shubhanshi Gaudani By: William Blake "Love seeketh not itself to please, Nor for itself hath any care, But for another gives its ease, And builds a Heaven in Hell's despair." So sung a little Clod of Clay Trodden with the cattle's feet, But a Pebble of the brook Warbled out these metres meet: "Love seeketh only self to please, To bind another to its delight, Joys in another's loss of ease, And builds a Hell in Heaven's despite." NOTES COMPILED BY: SHUBHANSHI GAUDANI 1

2 Summary The Clod and the Pebble is amongst one of William Blake s most renowned Romantic works. Typical to the Romantic Movement, Blake has used pastoral settings to explicate two views on the nature of love by personifying a clod and pebble. This poem provides two contrasting attitudes, one of selfless love for others, and the second, of Love as self-absorption and possessiveness. Perhaps it is left to the reader to adjudicate between the two attitudes. However, it is important that the final words are given to the selfish Pebble rather than to the down-trodden Clod, perhaps suggesting that it is the former's attitude which is seen to be the most insightful. An alternative view is that the poem presents both perspectives as equally valid, and mutually true. The contrasting views Blake encapsulates in this beautifully succinct poem of innocence and experience, reflects the diverse range of human experiences of love. The unconventional personifications of the contented clod of clay and the propitious but peevish pebble are a timeless representation of the selflessness and selfishness still evident in modern contemporary creative commentaries on the theme of love. Clod Line to Line Analysis points In the first stanza of the poem William Blake describes the clods perspective of love. In the clods view, love is seen as a selfless, caring and even an amenable force. The soft malleable clay has a positive view of love, inspite of experiencing the physicality of being literally down trodden. Love according to the clod has the ability to relieve burden and suffering, to forge a heaven of hope in hell s despair. Love therefore is a force of good, it demands no reward, and takes no position; it has no motive or intent of obtaining any worldly pleasures. The Clod represents a heavenly biblical love, which puts others in front of him. Blake stated at the beginning of his poem, Love seeketh not itself to please Nor for itself hath any care But for another gives it ease. The clod gets joy out of helping others. A clod is soft, and it will not hurt someone. It can be moulded, changed stepped on, and squished without pain for anyone. The clod also represents a person full of innocence. It represents a person that has not been drove to the point of being a pebble by the hard times of life. That is why a clod is a perfect metaphor for this kind of love. But for another gives it ease imparts qualities of being feminine and maternal to the clod. The clod only finds joy in someone else s joy, and this quality makes it very feminine. Blake has implicitly used the clod s personality to allude to the gender identities of the Romantic Age. The clod s femininity adds to the thematic dichotomy and contrasts with the aggressive pebble. Though, the clod of clay has been repeatedly trodden with the cattle s feet the clod remains forgiving, flexible and transformable as it accepts this situation as its purpose NOTES COMPILED BY: SHUBHANSHI GAUDANI 2

3 with a sense of innocence. The clod has been moulded and shaped by its conditions and in spite of the negative experiences of being downtrodden, the clod emerges as enlightened and believing in a more perfect and selfless love. Thematic Dichotomy: Structure of the Poem The structure of Blake s compact yet eloquent poem is in two contrasting halves which reflect the thematic dichotomy of the poem. The tone of the first half speaks of a happiness and innocence that may exist regardless of external circumstances. The second half which is succinctly introduced with an apprehensive But as the pebble has quite the opposite tone as it warbles out its experienced and pessimistic belief that love destroys an otherwise peaceful existence. Rhyme: The ABAB rhyme pattern of stanza one and three reinforces the impression of selfcontained, undisputed opinions or maxims. The middle stanza differs - lines 1 and 3 do not rhyme. We are jolted from our expectations of pattern and harmony. The change from iambic to trochaic metre in the line beginning Trodden' also emphasises the battered state of the clay. Discussing the three Quatrains: Three elegaic quatrains (four-line stanzas). The first and third stanzas are made up of speech from two different personas, and the second stanza is narration. At the same time, however, there is an important division of structure between the second and third lines of the second stanza. On the third line, there is an immediate change in focus from the Clod to the Pebble. Each entity is given exactly half the poem, which is suggestive of the fact that both the Clod and the Pebble s perspectives are equally valid. Literary Devices The author has used a wide pool of literary devices to enhance the picture of the dichotomous nature of love. The predominant figures are the clod and the pebble, which are represented as possessing and expressing two different human emotions. Brook as a Symbol: The brook is a small river in which the water symbolically represents a connection between the realm of innocence, virtue and purity and that of experience, materialism and worldliness. The water representing the state of experience flows over the pebble leaving it unchanged and yet experienced and set in its opinions. NOTES COMPILED BY: SHUBHANSHI GAUDANI 3

4 Even though the pebble has never experienced being trodden upon and has only ever enjoyed the caressing comfort of the current in the brook, the pebble is hard and is ruled by it s love for itself. Heaven and Hell as Symbols: In traditional Christianity, heaven and hell are states to which people are sent after death. Heaven means eternally dwelling in the presence of God, which is the fate of the faithful. Hell means eternally being removed from God's presence and is thus a place of punishment for those who have rebelled. God is the judge of the person's destination. For Blake, however, these were not other worldly' places reserved for an after-life. He believed heaven and hell co existed in people's minds, and thus were created by people for themselves. The symbolism inherent in the concepts of heaven and hell draws on pre-existing imagery of spiritual places of peace and joy, and evil and suffering, respectively. The clod is optimistic and capable is creating its own heavenly love in spite of its hellish circumstances. Whereas the pebble s serene and comfortable existence ironically leaves it pessimistic and capable of finding hellish flaws in an environment more conducive to heavenly love. Love as an Imagery In the clod's description of love, Blake makes use of the imagery of Paul's hymn to love'. Further New Testament teaching emphasises that true love includes being completely humble, gentle and patient, bearing with one another' (Ephesians 4:2) and being devoted to others, honouring them above the self (Romans 12:10). Blake's readers would be familiar with this teaching and thus associate the clod's statements with ideal Christian love. Historical Context - Jesus Christ: The idea of sacrificing personal liberty for the sake of others would remind Blake's readers of Jesus who gave his life for others in a cruel death. According to John's Gospel, this is the greatest demonstration of love and is the motivation for Christians to love others, including those who disregard them. This association would elevate the worth of the clod. Personification of Clay: The image of clay personified may allude to the biblical idea that God is the potter' who has fashioned humanity from the earth. As such, it is not up to the clay to protest as how it is used but to accept its role. Blake echoes the lowly status associated with clay in the clod's selflessness and submission to the cattle's feet NOTES COMPILED BY: SHUBHANSHI GAUDANI 4

5 Paradox - Rebirth (Christian teachings) The apparent paradox of creating heaven out of hell echoes the paradoxical Christian teaching that new life is achieved through death and that Jesus opened up access to God/heaven by being cut off from God's presence / hell (prior to his resurrection). Imagery - Prison Blake creates an everlasting imagery in the minds of the reader which mentions that the clod gives ease / liberty to those it loves, whilst the pebble binds another to itself and rejoices in their bondage. The Clod is therefore associated to freedom, while the bond of love is ultimately pronounced as a prison for the pebble in virtuous terms. Themes Defining a true love relationship It seems that many people condemn the pebble, while warmly embracing the viewpoint of the clod. However, the superficial appearance of the poem masks the true intent of Blake. He ridicules the clod as much as the pebble. This is seen by the phrase Trodden with the cattle s feet which shows how the clod is crushed underfoot by a stupid bovine. It doesn t even have the strength or ability to stand for itself, as well as love. He is contrasting two extremes of human characters, which he both condemns. The clod is too passive, where it can bring nothing to the love relationship, other than its ability to serve. It s love relationship is spineless and is easily susceptible to destroy like a pyramid of cards. Conversely, the pebble brings nothing in the love relationship other than the will to dominate. Whereas, in real life, there should be a try-understanding and a balance of support from both the members in a love relationship. They must have the power to stand up for what they believe in, but also the empathy to lay down to their partners when they are morally incorrect. NOTES COMPILED BY: SHUBHANSHI GAUDANI 5

Passion. By: Kathleen Raine. Notes Compiled by: Shubhanshi Gaudani

Passion. By: Kathleen Raine. Notes Compiled by: Shubhanshi Gaudani Passion By: Kathleen Raine Notes Compiled by: Shubhanshi Gaudani Full of desire I lay, the sky wounding me, Each cloud a ship without me sailing, each tree Possessing what my soul lacked, tranquillity.