"Songs of Innocence" and "Songs of Experience"

Paper Summary:

Through the analysis of various poems such as "The Lamb" and "The Tyger" and "London", this paper contends that both the 'Songs of Innocence', and the 'Songs of Experience' are simple and complex. It looks at how they exist on a number of levels, having at once simple meaning, and complex analogy symbolism to further give expression to the poetry. The paper also examines how the conflicting simple and complex natures of the poetry gives rise to more thought on behalf of the reader.

From the Paper:

"The innocent child who speaks in 'The Lamb' does so freely, however, seemingly the child's innocence prevents it from grasping correctly the allusion it has made. Although obviously in Christianity God has a connection with all living things, the child makes the connection with the lamb, and then compares it with "He" who became a little child. This is a reference to 'The Lamb of God', or Jesus Christ. The aforementioned innocence of the child blinds it from understanding that 'The Lamb of God' was a sacrifice, and so in making such a comparison he is stating both the lamb and himself are akin to a sacrifice. This meaning, taken from the further, more complex reading, may make the question of the first line, "Little Lamb, who made thee?" more poignant, in the face of whether or not the Christian God is so benevolent."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Norton: 'Norton Anthology of English Literature' (2nd Edition-2000)
• Damon, S Foster: 'William Blake, His Philosophy and Symbol' (Dawsons of Pall Mall-1969)
• Glen, Heather: 'Vision and Disenchantment: Blake's Songs and Wordsworth's Lyrical Ballads' (Cambridge University Press-1983)
• Damon, S Foster: 'A Blake Dictionary' (Brown University Press-1965)

More papers on "Songs of Innocence" and "Songs of Experience":

• Poem Review # 103314 : "Songs of Innocence" and "Songs of Experience"
• Analytical Essay # 27387 : "Songs of Innocence" and "Songs of Experience"
• Analytical Essay # 4002 : "The Role of the Poet in William Blake's "Songs of Innocence" and "Experience"

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