How Does Blake Represent Two Contrary States of the Human Soul?
Songs of Innocence and of Experience is a notable literary work by William Blake. A complete discussion of this literary work is given, which will help you enhance your literary skills and prepare for the exam. Read the Main texts, Key info, Summary, Themes, Characters, Literary devices, Quotations, Notes, and various study materials of Songs of Innocence and of Experience.
Answer
How does Blake represent two contrary states of the human soul?
The subtitle of William Blake’s (1757-1827) collection “Songs of Innocence and of Experience” (1794) is Shewing the Two Contrary States of the Human Soul. In this collection, Blake shows two different sides of the human soul. One side is innocence, which is full of happiness, purity, and trust. The other side is experience, which is about sadness, struggles, and losing trust. Blake believes both innocence and experience are important to understanding life.
Innocence: A State of Purity and Trust: The poems in “Songs of Innocence” show the happy and simple view of life through the eyes of a child. Innocence is full of joy, curiosity, and trust in God and nature. In “The Lamb,” a child asks a lamb who made it and answers that God did. The lamb represents purity and love, and the child feels close to both the lamb and God. This shows how innocent people see the world as a place of beauty and harmony.
In “Nurse’s Song” (“Songs of Innocence”), children play happily in the fields while their nurse watches them with love. The nurse enjoys their laughter and lets them play late.
“Well, well, go and play till the light fades away
And then go home to bed.”
It shows how innocence values joy and freedom.
In “The Chimney Sweeper” (“Songs of Innocence”), even though the young boy is forced to work, he holds onto hope. He sees an angel who releases all the boys from “coffins of black”—a metaphor for their grim lives—and leads them to a bright and beautiful paradise. It shows how innocence hopes for the better.
Experience: A State of Hardship and Loss: The poems in “Songs of Experience” show the darker side of life. Experience brings knowledge of pain, loss, and how society can be cruel.
In “The Tyger”, Blake wonders about God’s creation. The tiger, fierce and powerful, symbolizes the existenceUnlock this study guide now