William Blake in Contrast of Songs of Innocence and of...

EN 222-Intro to British Lit. II April 21, 2012 William Blake in contrast of Songs of Innocence and of Experience William Blake, an engraver, exemplified his passion for children through his many poems. Blake lived in London most of his life and many fellow literati viewed him as eccentric. He claimed to have interactions with angels and prophets, which had a great influence on his outlook of life. Blake believed all prominent entities, those being church, state, and government had become sick with greed and hatred; and Christianity had somehow failed. According to Jeffery Bell in Industrialization and Imperialism, 1800 – 1914 â€Å"Blake’s simple language and use of vernacular spoke to the rebellion against established order and authority.†¦show more content†¦This poem implies that it could possibly be Satan. The â€Å"distant deeps† and â€Å"burnt the fire of thine eyes† suggest its creation in hell. The mystery behind Blake’s poem is left to the interpretation of the reader. Another poem from Songs of Experience is Infant Sorrow. This poem repre sents childbirth, and the pain associated with it. In addition, it signifies the uncertainty the child feels entering into unknown surroundings. The baby is swaddled and placed into the arms of what he feels is a stranger (his father) and laid upon his mother’s breast to sooth him. Blake’s analysis of childbirth allows the reader to experience the possible perspective of an infant as it enters the world. Blake’s unique way of writing challenges his readers to analyze each poem wondering if their interpretations are correct. Finally, years later, Blake wrote another rendition of The Chimney Sweeper. This time the child is considered experienced. The child, no longer innocent, understands his hopeless situation. He realizes his parents have purposely surrendered him to a life of despair. The child speaks the truth without any dreams or thoughts of rescue. Blake depicts the child’s senseless pain and suffering, in hopes of helping to eradicate child labor. M ost of these poems mentioned from the Songs of Experience, are free from imaginary dreams and happy endings. Blake wanted his readers to connect with both the Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience. These poems, although different,Show MoreRelatedWilliam Blakes Infant Joy and Infant Sorrow Essay1012 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"Infant Joy† from â€Å"Songs of Innocence† by William Blake is a simple song that highlights the joy of childbirth from a mother’s perspective. The mother asks the child what she should name the newborn child. The newborn names itself Joy, because that is all it knows. In contrast â€Å"Infant Sorrow† from â€Å"Songs of Experience† by William Blake is a simple song that focuses on childbirth from the infants perspective. It is a much less pleasant experience compared to that of the mother’s. The newborn strugglesRead More An Analysis of Blakes The School Boy Essay1745 Words   |  7 Pagesof Blakes Songs of Innoc ence and Songs of Experience in its themes and imagery. Like many of the other poems in this work it deals with childhood and the subjugation of its spirit and uses imagery from the natural world. While first published in 1789 as one of the Songs of Innocence there are strong reasons why Blake moved it to the Experience1 section of the 1794 edition. If we compare it to other poems in the collection it sits better with others in Experience than those in Innocence. On firstRead MoreEssay The Writings of William Blake1106 Words   |  5 PagesWilliam Blake was one of England’s greatest writers (Tejvan) in the nineteenth century, but his brilliancy was not noticed until after he was deceased. Blake was very much a free spirit who often spoke his mind and was very sensitive to cruelty. At the age of twenty five he married a woman named Catherine Boucher. They created a book of all Blake’s poems called Songs on Innocence, which was not very popular while he was alive. On the other hand Blake’s other book of poems, Songs of Experience, wereRead MoreWilliam Blake Songs of Innocence Experience1256 Words   |  6 PagesSweeper† Songs of Innocence amp; Experience analysis with, William Blake In 1794 William Blake’s work was known and published as a collection of poems that were put together as one book called Songs of innocence amp; Songs of Experience. In the collection Blake titles a poem, â€Å"The Chimney Sweeper†, and this one is viewed in two ways: Innocence and experience. In the book of innocence Blake shows how poor innocent children are being abused and mistreated during this time era. In Songs of innocenceRead MoreThe Chimney Sweepers By William Blake862 Words   |  4 Pages The Chimney Sweepers William Blake has written two poems with the same title of Chimney Sweeper, however each poem was written to portray a different perspective of similar situations. The poem Chimney Sweep (Songs of Experience) is written in a bleaker scope compared to Chimney Sweep (Songs of Innocence) which happens to be much more optimistic.Willaim Blake had written these stories as foils of one another and which has helped readers compare and contrast the messages that the poems are tryingRead MoreInnocence and Experience Essay1422 Words   |  6 PagesRevolution, the American Revolution and wars of national independence in Europe. William Blake, one of well known Romantic poets, commented on his society by viewing it through the child’s eyes in the two sets of ‘Songs of innocence and of Experience’. It is said that ignorance is a blessing but not according to William Blake. Blake has another meaning to ‘Innocence’; He refers innocence to ignorance. This means that innocence is corrupted and full of naivety. It is the ignorance of corruption, of theRead MoreEssay on Biography of William Blake1631 Words   |  7 Pagesinspire your work and success. William Blake was a famous artist, engraver and poet. However, it was not until 1863 that he became famous when Alexander Gilchrist published his biography(Blake, William, and Geoffrey Keynes).Blake and his poetry have been compared to Shakespeare (Kathleen Raine). As an artist Blake was equated to Michelangelo. Being born during the time of both the American and French Revolution, William Blake was against both the Church and the State. Blake was a Dualist, believing theRead MoreWilliam Blake s The Chimney1713 Words   |  7 PagesThe Pre-Romantic poet William Blake grew up in a world that was undergoing dramatic changes. With the Industrial Revolution in the eighteenth century, child labor bec ame a common practice throughout Britain. The children were oppressed and had a diminutive existence and were forced to work long hours in the factories, mills, coal mines and chimneys, in dangerous and inhumane conditions. The chimneys were often only seven inches wide and only a child was small enough to fit inside and brush cleanRead MoreWilliam Blake s Innocence And Experience Analysis Essay1529 Words   |  7 PagesIsha Fidai Amber Drown English 2323 14 September 2016 William Blake s Innocence and Experience Analysis The Romantic Era was a movement in literature that began in the late seventeenth century throughout the eighteenth century that was mainly influenced by the natural world and idealism. Romanticism was predominantly focused on emotion and freedom emphasizing individualism. Formed as an uprising against neoclassicism, romanticism was more abstract, focusing on feelings and imaginations, insteadRead MoreThe Lamb and the Tyger Essay1437 Words   |  6 PagesTyger and The Lamb by William Blake, written in 1794 included both of these poems in his collection Songs of Innocence and Song of Experience, takes readers on a journey of faith. Through a cycle of unanswered questions, William Blake motivates the readers to question God. These two poems are meant to be interpreted in a comparison and contrast. They share two different perspectives, those being innocence and experience. To Blake, innocence is not better than experience. Both states have their