Write a note on Mysticism.
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
Write a note on Mysticism.
Mysticism means believing in a hidden, spiritual truth that goes beyond normal human understanding. Mystics try to connect directly with God or the divine through feelings, visions, or imagination—not just rules or religions.
Blake’s Mysticism: William Blake (1757-1827) was a mystic. He saw the world as full of magic and meaning. He believed God was not just in heaven but in everything—flowers, animals, even humans. For Blake, imagination (not logic or science) was the key to truth. He wrote poems and drew pictures to share his spiritual ideas.
God’s Soft and Fierce Creation: Blake thought nature, people, and art were all parts of God. In “The Lamb” (1789), God is gentle like a caretaker. In this poem, Blake addresses God in the following manner:
“He is meek & he is mild.”
In “The Tyger” (1794), God is a fiery blacksmith—who can create strong and fierce animals like the tiger. Both poems show God’s power in different ways. Blake believed good and evil, joy and pain, innocence and experience are all needed to understand the world. The lamb (soft) and the tiger (fierce) are opposites, but both teach us about God’s creation.
Strict Religion: Blake hated strict religions and societies. He felt they trapped people’s minds. His poems like “The Chimney Sweeper” and “London” criticize religion and kings that chain people and allow children to suffer. In “The Chimney Sweeper” from Songs of Experience, the child knows how the Church and society force poor children to clean chimneys—so that the rich can live comfortably. The little sweep sorrowfully says:
“They clothed me in the clothes of death.”
Blake suggests that the Church should allow people to connect with God freely.
In conclusion, Blake’s mysticism teaches that life is a journey from innocence to experience and, finally, to a higher spiritual understanding.