Economic Exploitation and Animal Ethics in Select William Blake Poetry

Abstract

This research paper reinterprets the poetry of William Blake through the lens of animal studies, with a particular focus on economic exploitation. It reveals the commodification of animals during industrial capitalism and the emergence of animal ethics in the 18th century, a period when animal rights were not yet fully developed. A new interpretation is given to his major literary poems, and animal law, such as the Martin Act (1822), is discussed in detail. Blake's poetic vision also anticipates contemporary debates on animal ethics by revealing the suffering of non-human beings under early industrial capitalism. He posits the awareness regarding the moral and ethical responsibility of human beings towards these non-human creatures in his seminal work Songs of Innocence and Experience. The paper situates Blake within the historical context of the rise of capitalist markets. It suggests how he transcends time as a poet, becoming an animal activist in the current century who contributes to society and provides a moral foundation.