The Doors of Perception

William Blake was a painter, poet, and overall thinker who, was far ahead of his own time. His works of art wither it be poetry or art were greatly undermined and written off as if he was not sane. Blake was a big on the idea of to see the world to its fullest extent and to see it as the “infinite” being it is, as he states in his poem The Marriage between Heaven and Hell. Although Blake may have had some unorthodox styles of painting, writing and thinking, he was forging his way into being one of the most well know and widely recognized British poets and artists. Blake uses his poetry to address such topics that are not recognized during the time in which he lived. For instance Blake wrote poems about Africans, in which he expresses his opinions how they should be treated, and he writes about the nearly invisible orphan children of England who are chimney sweeps. These were issues what were hardly ever addressed and discussed, let alone being used as a medium for art and poetry. As Blake states in the end of The Marriage of Heaven and Hell “if the doors of perception were cleansed, everything would appear to man as it is, infinite. For man has closed himself up, till he sees all things thro’ narrows chinks of his cavern.” Essentially Blake is saying that man needs to cleanse his senses and views of the world, to see the world as the infinite being it is. As Blake emphasizes through out his poetry, that it is important to ones self to experience the world, out side of a classroom, and out of the conformities and views of society. Man needs to break free from all of these types of “blinders” to see the world as it truly is. In the poem “the Chimney Sweeper” Blake is telling the story of a forgotten orphan boy who is held down by the grips and social “norms” of a corrupt society, and he is not viewed by anyone who cares for him and all the little boy can hope for in life is death, when he can finally be free and happy. By Blake saying these things in his poems and depicting them in his art work, he is trying to offer a medium to the man, so he can cleanse his senses and see the harsh, unforgiving world, as its never ending infinitely full of sorrow, hopelessness, and death. Yet man has put up his “blinders” and only views what he thinks that society is like, and Blake tries to show the reality. Also through his diverse style of art, he gives that raw, image, of a man (Blake) who has cleansed his “doors of perception” and in his poetry and art is in its most raw and infinite state. As Blake also states in the “School Boy” that it is good for men, to touch on there youthful