The Smile William Blake (1757-1827)

By using the theory of norm strata analysis from Roman Ingarden, it divided into four
detailed analytical steps, there are sound stratum, units of meaning, the stratum of the
world and the stratum of metaphysical qualities. Sound stratum identifies the power of
sound in a poem, a power to produce meaning. The writer shows an ordinary word (love,
deceit, frown, disdain, vain), ordinary phrase and sentences in his poem, but his words
give richer meaning in the existence of humans norms. The word love and frowns stand
in an opposite side which represents positive and negative things. It also reflexes the two
extremes of human emotion, love and hate. Every single word in this poem has its
meaning. The writer combines each of word into a unit which shaping the context of this
poem, through syntagmatic relation and sentence patterns. The first and second stanza
smile of love and frown of hate creates the duality of human. It relates with the third
stanza hearts deep core and the deep back bone as the place of duality itself.
Furthermore, the understanding of the third stanza reveals that there is another place
which is deeper from the place of duality; there is only one smile alone. I could say that it
represents the purity of human, the nature of human. In last stanza the word grave has an
implied meaning; it is an object which represents a death. The word grave becomes the
representation of a death can be seen as the stratum of the world. I get the philosophical
insights of this poem that human nature is all the goodness. The goodness can be change
because of our terrible world, but something pure and eternal from the God is real when
we honestly stand beside our God.
In my opinion, this poem is really impressing. The writer could transfer his feeling and
his ideas through his words clearly. It uses some ordinary word in our daily life, but it
becomes an unordinary thing when he arranges it in a unity. The poem shows the two
sides of human; positive and negative, about the duality between love and hate. It works
simultaneously to reveal the original meaning inside the poem that every man created in a
pure condition by God. Originally the nature of human is in white color, about good and
positive things. The goodness of human is represented by only one smile which comes
from the God. It is an eternal give by God to every man as his creatures, but sometimes a
give disgraced by the sinfulness of world. The purity of human will emerge again when
they arrive in their last destination place and back to their creator. It can be seen when the
writer said about the cradle and grave with the last two sentences of this poem, one smile
and to end all misery.