1. Blake describes innocence and experience as “the two contrary states of the human soul.” What do you think he means by this?
2. Compare the mode of creation described in “The Lamb” with that of “The Tyger.” How are they similar? How are they different?
3. In “London” the speaker says he hears “mind-forged manacles” (line 8) What do you think that phrase means?
4. What differences do you see between the two “Chimney Sweeper” poems?
5. The introductory poem to Songs of Innocence refers to a poet/singer/piper who composes “…happy songs,/Every child may joy to hear.” To what extent does this line describe the poems in Songs of Innocence?
17 thoughts on “William Blake, Songs of Innocence and Experience”
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Blake describes innocence and experience as “the two contrary states of the human soul.” What do you think he means by this?
I think William Blake is trying to explain to us that innocence is replaced by experience over time due to the accumulation of knowledge and thus they are located on different ends of of the human state spectrum. Experience has the power to reshape human beings and their way of thinking as opposed to when they are completely innocent and they lack any outside knowledge that may alter their beliefs or opinions. This concept can even be extended to mark the difference between children and adults. Innocence on one side and experience on the other.
1. Blake describes innocence and experience as “the two contrary states of the human soul.” What do you think he means by this?
In this statement, I believe Blake is trying to explain the idea that these two ideals go against one another but at the same time are very much related. One who is considered innocent, may lack said experience. Whereas in experience, you have surpassed the idea of innocence and have gained knowledge. Gaining this experience takes the person from being of childish behaviors to an adult like state.
3. In “London” the speaker says he hears “mind-forged manacles” (line 8) What do you think that phrase means?
As I look at this line I instantly know it has to do with mind relating to brain, thought and logic. The word “forge” in this context I believes means to block or prevent , while the word manacles can be defined as chains. With putting all this information together, I believe “mind-forged manacles” means that the speaker hears ignorance or people who are using their head to their fullest potential and blocking it from knowledge.
people who are not using**
Blake describes innocence and experience as “the two contrary states of the human soul.” What do you think he means by this?
Blake describing innocence and experience as the two contrary states of the human soul reminds me of the evil and angel on your shoulders. Blake is trying to describe that the innocence self would be naive and gullible but when you have experience you are more knowledge able and reasonable , you should know better. They are two different mind states, they are contrary, opposites. What a child’s mistake is shouldn’t be the same that an adult would make.
Blake describes innocence and experience as “the two contrary states of the human soul.” What do you think he means by this?
What Blake is trying to say is that these two states of human beings are total opposites. They contradict one another. Innocence lacks knowledge and is susceptive to believing others easily. Most of the time, they might not understand the problem in the situation because they’re too young or immature. Experience on the other hand, usually comes with age and someone who is experienced probably went through many trial and errors in order to gain that knowledge of the world. They know more, do more, and think more.
Blake describes innocence and experience as “the two contrary states of the human soul.” What do you think he means by this?
Blake is basically describing how these two ideas are contradictory. Someone who is considered to be innocent has not yet faced experience. Someone who is experienced, may not necessarily be considered innocent anymore because they have been exposed to outside information.
What differences do you see between the two “Chimney Sweeper” poems?
The first “Chimney Sweeper” stated a child being sold as a chimney sweeper. The child was described as a lamb, which is innocent. He was sad but in his dream, angel came and said that he would be rewarded after his present life. After he woke up, he felt optimistic from his work.
However, in the second “Chimney Sweeper,” as time passed, now the child grew up and became more mature. From experience, he realized the misery of life as a chimney sweeper. He is no innocent anymore.
The introductory poem to Songs of Innocence refers to a poet/singer/piper who composes “…happy songs,/Every child may joy to hear.” To what extent does this line describe the poems in Songs of Innocence?
In the song of innocence piper describes the inexperienced human mind and their happy expressions of thoughts through this lines. As child we are unaware of mortality and because of that child mind can’t think deeply. So, they can live with joy and enjoy the pleasure of nature or songs without going to deep in it.
Blake describes innocence and experience as “the two contrary states of the human soul.” What do you think he means by this?
Innocence is experience without knowledge, and experience is knowledge without innocence is how I see the quote written before my eyes. It was just a way of saying innocence and experience goes in opposite directions than one another to define “soul” for human-beings.
What differences do you see between the two “Chimney Sweeper” poems?
The first “Chimney Sweeper” is in the perspective of a young child. He believes that if he continues to be a good child and continue working, God would deem him worthy and he would be in a better place. The second “Chimney Sweeper,” the child mature and learned that the work he did was miserable and was inhumane. He grew up and realized the world is not that innocence than he used to think.
1. Blake describes innocence and experience as “the two contrary states of the human soul.” What do you think he means by this?
I think he’s trying to say how when one is innocent, one has much experience jet to live and learn. By saying innocent he also meant oblivious and young minded vs. experience being savvy and old minded. When you’re experience you’re mature, have lived and experience a lot, you know about the great pain of death unlike the innocent young minded.
Blake describes innocence and experience as “the two contrary states of the human soul.” What do you think he means by this?
You’re innocent until you go experience it. For example if you steal something from a friend you feel no remorse for his loss but one day you get stolen from you and you it had something of value to you. You know feel like the same as your friend did when you stole their belonging. You don’t know the real harm in something unless you experience it for yourself first. “the two contrary states of the human soul.” These two things need to exist to make us human, without it we could just be ignorant or brainless fools walking around. You don’t learn from an experience you are non the wiser.
Blake describes innocence and experience as “the two contrary states of the human soul.” What do you think he means by this?
Innocence and experience are juxtaposed as being opposite of one another as an individual experiences the former in his/her early years when it has not yet been exposed to the evils of the world, when it is pure. It is the state which the human soul wishes to be in its innocence. However, with exposure to reality comes experience and a recognition of the evils that the world contains. It is opposite of the purity that is found in innocence. Therefore, it Is a contrary state to that of innocence in the soul.
Compare the mode of creation described in “The Lamb” with that of “The Tyger.” How are they similar? How are they different?
The mode of creation described in “The Lamb” has implications of purity, innocence, and that akin to heaven. On the other hand, “The Tyger” has implications of fire, hell, and ungodly conception. In other words, while the lamb is thought of having been created by God, the tyger is implied to be far too perfect and precise to be the creation of job. He is “forged” of fire—not the work of God, in a furnace like setting akin to hell. “The Lamb” and “The Tyger” are both similar in their descriptions as well, in that they refer to both the lamb and the tyger as being creatures not like humans—they are perfect and mesmerizing. In both, the POV character seems to place the creatures in high regard.
What differences do you see between the two “Chimney Sweeper” poems?
The first clues as to the differences between the two “Chimney Sweeper” poems can be found in the fact that the first is found in the Songs of Innocence while the second in the Songs of Experience. In the first, the little boy reflects innocence in his belief that he will one day be rewarded and go to heaven where he can frolic, run and play with his friends who are now happy out of their coffins. However, in the second poem, it can be heard that he is now aware that his family has left him to chimney sweep and they do not share in the pain of his struggles. He is more cognizant of the evils in the world.
Blake describes innocence and experience as “the two contrary states of the human soul.” What do you think he means by this?
He means that you are innocent because you have not experienced the impurities of the world and its sexual drive in the souls of the many. The two different states need to co-exist to make the consequences and activities differentiable. Without them we could be stuck on a one track mind and be unable to tell apart.