The Condition of Youth in Blake’s Songs of Innocence and...

The Condition of Youth in Blake’s Songs of Innocence and Experience William Blake’s Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience are collections of poems that utilize the imagery, instruction, and lives of children to make a larger social commentary. The use of child-centered themes in the two books allowed Blake to make a crucial commentary on his political and moral surroundings with deceptively simplistic and readable poetry. Utilizing these themes Blake criticized the church, attacking the hypocritical clergy and pointing out the ironies and cruelties found within the doctrines of organized religion. He wrote about the horrific working conditions of children as a means to magnify the inequality between the poor working class and†¦show more content†¦The first part of the poem is light and happy, filled with bright images of â€Å"holy light† and â€Å"sunny beams† (8, 9). However, the maiden and her mate agree to meet the following night, a foredooming of their fateful friendship, as when the girl approaches her fa ther his â€Å"loving look, / Like the holy book, / All her tender limbs with terror shook† (27-29). Suddenly the poem shifts to dark imagery, â€Å"when the silent sleep / Waves o’er heavens deep† (22-23). The innocent maiden who was earlier â€Å"bright† and happy is described as â€Å"pale and weak† after her father’s reprimand (7, 30). The earlier word â€Å"bright† described her blissful innocence, while â€Å"pale† denotes the fear imbued in her and the wickedness associated with her earlier innocent play. Blake accuses Christian society as the â€Å"assassin of innocence† in the young couple (Trowbridge, 140). The church, in the form of a father figure, is being critically attacked by Blake via the children’s harmless affair. Blake also airs his issues with the church’s policy on the spiritual status of â€Å"unsaved† people who die, children and adults alike. He addresses the â€Å"spiritual status of babies† in several of his poems (Dilworth, 43). The child in â€Å"A Cradle Song† is depicted as an â€Å"Angel mild† in whose face theShow MoreRelatedWilliam 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 More An Analysis of Blakes The School Boy Essay1745 Words   |  7 PagesAn Analysis of Blakes The School Boy  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚   The School Boy is a typical example of Blakes Songs of Innocence 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 inRead MoreBrainless Children Or Heartless Adults?1391 Words   |  6 PagesHeartless Adults? The evolution of the mind as it develops from youth into adulthood is a topic highly analyzed by many authors spanning all forms of literature. 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However, Blake’s songs communicate experiences that go beyondRead MoreBlake s Use Of Nature Through Songs Of Innocence1914 Words   |  8 PagesTai Beiserman Professor Nachumi ENGL 1100 26 April 2015 Blake’s use of nature through Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience William â€Å"Bill† Cronon, an environmental historian and vice Chair of The Wilderness Society, believes that because society differ its self from the nature, it makes the nature to be seen as wild, remote, and inaccessible. In his essay â€Å"The Trouble with Wilderness; or, Getting Back to the Wrong Nature†, published in 1995 by the New York Times and in Uncommon Ground: TowardRead MoreELLA 4 ... A LEVEL ENGLISH LANG AND LIT2674 Words   |  11 Pagesand Blake write about innocence and experience in their poetry Both Seamus Heaney and William Blake explore the themes of innocence and experience in their poems. Heaney’s poetry develops powerful ideas of sacrifice in which childhood’s innocence is surrendered to a more experienced and developed life. Similarly, Blake explores innocence and experience through his religious awareness of sacrifice where innocence is repeatedly presented through childhood’s lack of experience. Both poets poetry haveRead MoreEssay on Comparing William Blake and William Wordsworth807 Words   |  4 Pagesgraduate with a B.A.. William Blake was born in London in 1757, the son of a hosier, he was one of four children. At the age of nine, he told his parents that he had seen visions, mostly of angels, that he continued to see for the rest of his life. Blakes artistic abilities were obvious even as a child so when he was ten years old his parents sent him to drawing school. When he was 14, he began a seven-year apprenticeship as a copy engraver then he began to make his living by working for London BookRead MoreThe, Gothic And The Sublime2368 Words   |  10 Pagesof a child symbolised innocence and freedom for many writers. Children were also presented as being closely linked to God reinforcing their purity. Romanticism enabled childhood to be viewed in a positive light as ‘The seventeenth and eighteenth century poets expressed an acute nostalgia for childhood which they saw as a period of joy, peace and security’ (Kitab, 2013, p9). The image of the child was glorified within many texts as romantic ideas portrayed ideals of innocence and divinity leadingRead MoreEssay on The Message Behind A Poison Tree1077 Words   |  5 Pagespainter. This aided Blake’s advancing symbolism; he could paint a lovely picture with his words (Eaves). The poem that I have analyzed is A Poison Tree. Blake strategically placed imagery and personification to hide his underlying truth; do not store up anger because horrible situations will arise. At first glance the poem seems hate filled and that he just wrote it out of revenge or angst, but in reality he is teaching a moral lesson that should be taken very seriously. Blake’s structure in the poem