Clod and the Pebble - Notes
Some notes which analyse the key elements of Blake's poem 'The Clod and the Pebble'
INTRODUCTION
William Blake?s Songs of Experience were written to answer the Songs of Innocence, and many poems of Innocence can be matched to their response from the perspective of Experience. ?The Clod and the Pebble?, however, uniquely presents a pair of contrary visions in a single poem. The Clod, presenting its innocent view of an idealistic and altruistic love; and the Pebble, arguing that love is self-centred, are each given precisely half the poem to preach their message to the reader. The reader can resolve this paradox in a number of ways, but the poem especially lends itself to a reading which champions the Pebble?s perspective: with experience, we will come to the realization that all love is self-centred.
At the end of the Clod?s half of the poem, the voice of innocence is ?trodden with the cattle?s feet?. This line invites the reader to ask whether it is the Clod?s na?ve self-denial that has lead to its suffering; and the Clod?s previously heroic perspective of life is thus revealed for its true absurdity. The subsequent lines ground the Pebble?s perspective as much more credible ? it is given the last word of the poem and does not suffer any indignity. It will continue to warble for years to come, impervious to the brook; and, unlike the Clod, it is hard and so resolute in its stance. The Pebble?s views, though shocking at first, are presented as more accurately depicting the reality of love.
FORM
The poem is classified as lyric. This form of poetry has few structural or technical demands, but ?The Clod and the Pebble? is, like many other lyric poems, characterised by the imaginative phrasing of personal emotion.
STRUCTURE
Three elegaic quatrains (four-line stanzas with rhyme scheme ABAB). The structure clearly divides the poem into three distinct sections ? 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.
TITLE
The title states that there are two separate entities to be involved. It is ?The Clod and the Pebble?, not ?The Clod and Pebble?.
SYMBOLISM
Two symbols of nature are used as the characters in the poem. The Clod is the symbol of innocence. It is malleable and young, and has a very idealistic and altruistic view of love. The Pebble is strong and hard. It was once a much larger rock, but has been weathered by the brook ? it is now a voice of experience. In thousands of years, geological processes and the actions of the brook (itself a symbol of passing time) will change the Clod into a pebble. The use of these symbols highlights how our experience of love can change during our lifetime.
IMAGERY
The image of the Clod being ?trodden with the cattle?s feet? evokes a sensory experience which has an important effect on the range of meanings available. The reader asks whether it is the Clod?s self-denial that has lead to its suffering, and the effect is to present the Pebble?s perspective as more appropriate and valid.
RHYME
Each stanza has masculine end-line rhyme of ABAB. There is one important exception: lines one and three of the third stanza ? ?delight? and ?despite? ? only near rhyme. The effect of this is that the final word of the poem, ?despite?, is foregrounded, exposing the malice of the Pebble, and the enormous difference between its views and those of the Clod.
RHYTHM
Iambic tetrameter (six syllables per line, in unstressed and stressed pairs) is the ongoing rhythm. The significance of rhythm is exemplified on the two ?Heaven? Hell? lines of the first and third stanzas ? there are 8 syllables on these lines, which has the effect of slowing reading pace and placing emphasis on their uniqueness.
REPITITON
The first and last stanzas share the same structure and many of the same phrases. This is an example of CONCEIT ? the words of the Clod are used by the Pebble, establishing a powerful comparison between two essentially dissimilar entities.
PERSONIFICATION
Love is personified, making its ability to take on two different states even more complicated. This technique allows Blake to make Love?s actions in the last stanza seem more shocking than otherwise. ?Binding?, for example, connotates wickedness, torture and abuse.
PARADOX
The poem presents a pair of contraries on the subject of love. The reader is forced to resolve this paradox, and the techniques of the poem encourage the reader to privilege one of the perspectives presented, perhaps based on the reader?s own experiences.
INTER-TEXTUALITY
The God of the second ?Chimney Sweeper poem who ?make[s] up a heaven of our misery?, can be compared to the Clod. There are also parallels with the Bible. The Clod is a martyr, and its death after preaching its philosophy is similar to both Jesus? Crucifixion and the stoning to death of martyrs of the Church. However, Jesus? teachings did not end; perhaps the Clod will be resurrected, and he ? not the Pebble ? will have the last word.
SOME READINGS
The poem presents two contrary perspectives of love as both equally valid and mutually true.
The poem suggests that with experience, we will come to the realisation that all love is self-centred.
The poem presents love as commonplace, and as an emotion that can be moulded into something different for everyone.
The poem reminds us that people with an idealistic view of the world are those who will most be at odds with it.
