Blog post #2- Rintrah in depth.

William Blake was not only a poet but also an artist.  He would often illustrate his poems into artwork.  In this painting, Blake gave us an image of what Rintrah looks like.  When I look at this picture, I see many characteristics of Rintrah, first off his body.  The way that Blake has sculpted him gives Rintrah a powerful and strong presence.  This is not only mentally but physically too because of the slender length and formed muscles.  I also see his hair length, which is a very distinct description.  I remember in mythology about Hercules and how his strength is representative towards his length of hair.  Blake seems to relate to a critical analysis of the bible.  I found the meaning of long hair through out the bible “Elijah is called a hairy man" (2 Kings 1:8) from his flowing locks, or more probably from the shaggy cloak of hair, which he wore.  His raiment was of camel's hair.  Long hair is especially noticed in the description Absalom (2 Sam. 14:26); but the wearing of long hair was unusual, and was only practiced as an act of religious

 Observance by Nazarenes (Num. 6:5; Judg. 13:5) and others is a token of special mercies (Acts 18:18).” Found at: http://www.bible-history.com/eastons/H/Hair/.  When Blake created this picture there was a lot of injustice going on around him.   The French and England revolution was near it’s ending point and the Romanticism period seemed represent a critical thinking of values and how people should live their lives.  This makes me stop to think that maybe Rintrah was created to represent Blake’s own emotion towards all of the injustice he was seeing daily.  Making the fire in the background and Rintrah represents all of Blake’s own Wrath and fury about the world around him.  Even though this picture Rintrah’s facial expression is quiet and subtle.  This makes me wonder what Blake tried to convey or express in his writings.  He often uses the opposite of what he really wants us to grasp, maybe this quiet and subtle face is really holding back a loud roar.  The hard thing with William Blake’s artwork and poetry is you never really know when you grasp what he wanted you to understand.