- Blake describes innocence and experience as “the two contrary states of the human soul.” What do you think he means by this?
- Compare the mode of creation described in “The Lamb” with that of “The Tyger.” How are they similar? How are they different?
- In “London”, the speaker says he hears “mind-forged manacles” (line 8) What do you think that phrase means?
- What differences do you see between the two “Chimney Sweeper” poems?
- Choose a single line from any of the poems that made a strong impression on you and share it here. What is going on in this line in terms of language and meaning? Why do you think this line resonated with you?
- 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?
William Blake, Songs of Innocence and Experience
This entry was posted in Uncategorized. Bookmark the permalink.
What differences do you see between the two “Chimney Sweeper” poems?
In the first “Chimney Sweeper” poem we receive the story of the chimney sweeper and Tom Dacre, a fellow child chimney sweeper. In this version there is much symbolism of stolen youth and a kind of imprisonment. There is the sense that through the character of Tom Dacre, these chimney sweeps dream of their freedom from such a life. In this version an angel comes to Tom Dacre in a dream and Tom receives a key that he uses to free “thousands of sweepers” that “…were all of them locked up in coffins of black;”
In the second “Chimney Sweeper” we get a much shorter story where the narrator is still a very young child, and this version tells us more about the narrator’s feelings towards the parents. Even though this version is shorter we get to read
“And because I am happy, & dance & sing,
they think they have done me no injury,
and are gone to praise God 7 his Priest & King,
who make up a heaven of our misery.’
Here the narrator is more direct in letting us know that because of their innocence, those around them think that they are happy to be a child working as a chimney sweep which make it easy for the parents of the child to just let them go out into the world and ask for a job when in reality this is a world of misery for them.
Both poems show a dislike for being a child laborer, but the first poem uses more symbolism to describe that way of life. The second version of the “Chimney Sweeper” displays more direct views and feelings.
Compare the mode of creation described in “The Lamb” with that of “The Tyger.” How are they similar? How are they different?
“The Tyger” and “The Lamb” can be seen as part of a pattern of opposites that Blake created. The Tyger appears in “Songs of Experience”, while “The Lamb” appears in “Songs of Innocence”. “The Tyger” consists entirely of questions about the nature of God and creation, whether the same God that created vulnerable beings like the lamb could also have made the fearsome tiger. The tiger is a kind of fiery creature that represents violence, ruling and capacity for killing. In my opinion the tiger as a creature is a work of art because it is such a beautiful animal, it is an interesting animal that really makes you wonder how it was created.
“The Lamb”, is a kind of hymn to God, praising God’s creation while also implying that humankind has lost the ability to appreciate it fully.It asks questions about who made the lamb and then answers through the second stanza. The lamb is an expression of God’s will and the beauty of God’s creation. The lamb is very plain, a simple creature that doesn’t arouse any amazement from its looks. However, it seems to represent joy, love, and freedom.
“The Lamb” and “The Tyger” are two poems that express amazement at the work of God’s creation. Through the example of the tiger and the lamb, the poems examine the existence of innocence and evil in the world, asking the same question in many ways: how did the same God that created a small white innocent animal also create a big complex experienced animal. The lamb is very gentle, pure and holy, while the tiger is strong, confident, and courageous.
Both poems asks questions about God’s creations, and they both represent two different sides of human aspects. They represent two different characters and personalities which are associated with humans.
Hi Gilda! I definitely agree with how The Lamb is symbolized as a something vulnerable and innocent whereas The Tyger it is shown as a much more fierce animal. I also like how you mentioned that both a lamb and tyger are created from one, God, but there are completely different in not only looks but also in character. The last thing I wanted to point out was the how you mentioned both animals also represent human personalities which is definitely true.
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 two sides of the same coin, you can never have both facing up. Innocence is that of childhood, it is pure and uncorrupted. Experience is the opposite of this. In Songs of Innocence and Experience, William Blake shows the conflict between the two.
Right in introduction from innocence and experience, the contrast is clear. While the introduction in Songs of Innocence talks about making songs as a piper, who wants to make everyone happy with his mild tunes. Introduction from Songs of Experience, on the other hand, talks about a bard who is concerned about the loss of innocence and wonder, in exchange for knowledge and life experience.
What differences do you see between the two “Chimney Sweeper” poems?
The first “Chimney Sweeper” poem comes from Blake’s Songs of Innocence. This poem is about a kid by the name of Tom Dacre, a chimney sweeper. His mother died young and his father sold him to the working class. Tom has no parental care. We can also see in the poem that Tom dreams of a better life. “And the Angel told Tom if he’d be a good boy”. Following that line, ” And so Tom awoke; and we rose in the dark”. Here Tom awakes from his dreams and goes back to his dreadful reality.
On the contrary, Blake’s second “Chimney Sweeper” poem is written From Songs of Experience. Unlike his first poem, this one is written in the first person “I”. This shows that Tom is reflecting on his situation because he has grown to understand. Tom’s dreams were innocent, only wanting a better life as a child. Now as he has matured he is aware of the social injustices and bad working conditions he has endured since being in the working class.
That’s a great observation. I didn’t think of the second poem being from Tom’s perspective. We can see in the first “Chimney Sweeper”, Tom being happy simply thinking about everything being okay, and believing in god. But in the second “Chimney Sweeper”, he says “And are gone to praise God & his Priest & King, Who make up a heaven of our misery.” He is now truly realizing and acknowledging the state of their misery. The Angel he once believed in won’t do anything to make his present situation any better, and he will have to continue suffering. We can say that he has potentially lost faith in god, because in order to achieve that promised happiness, he has to continue living in misery.
Compare the mode of creation described in “The Lamb” with that of “The Tyger.” How are they similar? How are they different?
“The Lamb” and “The Tyger” written by Blake sono visti come due opposizioni l un altra. Firstly, in “The Lamb” Blake talks above all about themes such as innocence, creation, and the divine, while the tiger is seen as a contrast to the lamb figure. As mentioned several times in class, the lamb also refers to a biblical symbol that conveys innocence and purity, but also as the sacrifice that Christ made. Otherwise, the tiger does not belong to any Christian symbol, and unlike “The Lamb”, in the text, “The Tyger” we can notice asking a lot of questions throughout its verses where the answer is never given.
Blake describes innocence and experience as “the two contrary states of the human soul.” What do you think he means by this?
What I believe Blake was trying to say is the that from the in-between of innocence to experience, it is almost like they are describing to different ways of life that can be felt by one individual. They are almost at opposites sides of the spectrum. Innocence is usually associated with youth, being taken care, of not really having to worry about the “harsh” reality of human life. Experience on the other hand is usually associated with the loss of innocence, the reality of being thrown into that harshness, really without a choice. By having the burden of responsibility, it tends to take away the joyfulness of innocence. In terms of the contexts of Blake’s work, to me, this make perfect sense in regards to not only the child labor of the time, but the idea/concept of “growing up”. Most people “experience” these two distinct lives, starting off with innocence, and then ending with experience. With all of this being said though, they are both necessary for the human experience; you never really appreciate the innocence until it’s gone.
Compare the mode of creation described in “The Lamb” with that of “The Tyger.” How are they similar? How are they different?
“The Lamb” is written in the perspective of innocence, and speaks of the simplicity of the lamb and the innocence of childhood. The speaker is overjoyed at the creation of the lamb and believes the creator of the lamb is very gentle. However “The Tyger” takes a much darker turn, written in the perspective of experience. It explores the more complex aspects of life, questioning the creation of the tiger and who would be so daring to create such a fierce animal. Both poems explore and question creation, and the natural order of things, while at the same time find a stark contrast between good and evil.