With Songs the Jovial Hinds Return from Plow 1821

Editor: Here we have William Blake's "With Songs the Jovial Hinds Return from Plow," a small print. It's quite striking, this return from labor under a setting sun. What symbols stand out to you? Curator: Notice how Blake uses the setting sun – a visual shorthand for the end of the day, yes, but also consider it as a symbol of closure, of cycles completed. Does the imagery evoke a sense of pastoral harmony, or something more complex? Editor: I see what you mean. It's both idyllic and…a bit melancholy? Curator: Precisely! Blake often juxtaposed seemingly opposing ideas. The 'songs' of the jovial hinds suggest joy, but their stooped postures hint at the weight of labor. This tension is crucial. Editor: That makes me look at it in a new way. Thanks! Curator: A pleasure. Symbols are never straightforward, are they?