Innocence And Experience Poem example essay topic

The term 'romantic' first appeared in the 18th Century and originally meant 'romantic like'. But from about 1750-1870 there was a movement in literature and the romantic era was created along with the 'romantic poets'. The first generation of romantic poets were Wordsworth, Blake and Coleridge. These poets changed the face of English poetry. Being the era of passion the 'romantics' were interested in individuality imagination and nature rejecting the values of the 18th century. The French revolution was their main inspiration in writing when times of change were being questioned and tested.

They were interested in feelings not facts during a time of the industrial revolution when there was a shift in values and concerns. They expressed new political ideas emphasising equality and brotherhood. Wordsworth, Blake and Coleridge managed to inspire later poets Keats and Shelly to write about society and times they lived in. The 'romantics's read throughout Europe inspiring artists and musicians also. Blake, Wordsworth, Coleridge, Keats and Shelly's work encompassed some of the most lyrical and passionate poems of all English poetry Born on the 28th of November 1757, Blake was a son of a hosier, paying for his son to have only a modest education. He apprenticed in 1771 as an engraver for seven years ending to study painting for a short period of time, then leaving in the belief of creating his own system of art and he and not enslaved by another mans.

Producing his first poems in 1789. Blake created new symbols and myths in order to protect his highly individual visions. Blake was both a poet and an artist who associated the break with tradition, protesting against the cold and repressive nature of religious doctrines. He was not interested in the strict 'correctness' of art and poetry but was more concerned with bringing out the imagination of what an experience meant to him.

The purpose of his poetry is to startle the dormant imagination, to excite the stunned vision and to disclose to us the reality of heaven and hell, and Blake explores this with simplicity in his "Songs of Innocence and Experience'. Blake wrote these two types of poetry in two different stages of his life. The "Songs of Innocence" celebrate childhood, joy and spontaneity. His "Songs of Experience" offer a deeper study of maturity and deal with corruption and social injustice.

This is evident in both Songs of Innocence and Experience of "The Chimney Sweeper". Comparing both "The Chimney sweeper" from songs of innocence and songs of experience, the poems are both similar in subject with Blake using 'The Chimney Sweep" in both to emphasise the miserable urban life of a chimney sweep during the industrial revolution. Appearing in both poems is the rhyming pattern of a abb, abab and four beat line rhythms producing the effect of a children's song, this is a technique used to accentuate innocence of the poem. The two poems are also similar that in which are being told from a child's point of view display one important difference. In the 'innocence' poem the child is unaware of the implications that the story he is telling beholds. Where as in "experience" the child is a streetwise child of the slums creating a darker tone.

In both 'innocence' and 'experience' we can see the contrast of each revealing the story of a chimney sweep. Putting audiences into shock revealing them to the evil of child labour that was throughout London during the Industrial Revolution. The 'innocent' piece of writing is a brighter poem displaying the naive optimism of the child telling the story. Blake also reinforces the 'cheerful' tale with his own moral 'so if they all do their duty they will fear no harm'. Although the "innocent' piece of writing may seem a little more bright there is a dramatic irony in every serene statement, with dull evidence of the misery experienced by the child. Throughout Songs of Innocence there is a vivid use of imagery "then down the green plain, leaping, laughing they run, And wash in a river and shine in the sun".

This line clearly is explaining life after death for the children. When the sweeps are set free from their 'coffins' this symbolises the deathlike confinement in the chimneys that the children clean being set free from their imprisonment. The angel in the poem also is a symbol. She may symbolises joy promising the boys a nice life but in this way she also promises their death.

This also is another instance of imagery in the poem. There is also use of repetition at the beginning of each 'innocence' and 'experience' poem. In 'innocence' the young boy telling the story attempts to say 'sweep' but says 'weep' 'and my father sold me while yet my tongue could scarcely cry " 'weep! 'weep! 'weep!" , this is an ironic comment on misery emphasising the neglect of the child also reinforcing the child being very young. Metaphors are also present "they rise upon clouds and sport in the wind" this is an example describing the setting of heaven up high where they will live and be 'free'. Overall the Songs of innocence of "The Chimney Sweep" is a clever poem in which can be read in two ways, innocently or ironically. Making it an enjoyable piece of poetry to read.

The Songs of Experience "The Chimney Sweep" is a complete contrast to "The Songs of Innocence". In writing this song Blake wanted to express the social injustice of the relationship between the Chimney sweep and it's parents. It launches an attack on the hypocrisies of the parents and god. "Who make up a heaven of our misery" The anti-establishment expressed in this poem are the same as those that were being expressed in revolutionary France and among the radical groups of London. It is a very dismal poem with a grey mood anticipating the audience to sympathise with the child being neglected by it's parents. There is use of metaphors "they clothed me in clothes of death" this expresses how the child has been betrayed by his parents, who put him to work as a sweep which would lead to him sickness and death at an early age.

"A little black thing among the snow" is an impersonal narration presenting the abandoned little child, black from the soot of his labour in the snow. A small sad poem with great meaning that is being simply put across to the reader with great simplicity and ease. Written about the city of London Blake's poem entitled "London" is a Song of Experience. Blake above all shows the evil effects of the Industrial Revolution on London. This poem is noting his imagination as he explores through the dirty streets of London. In writing this poem Blake wanted to communicate the dirty facts that the city was being taken to its inner death.

Blake's intention was to startle the imagination. Blake voices himself in this poem allowing the people to see what London had become or what it was becoming. Throughout the poem the emotions remain dark and melancholy expressing the horrible surroundings. It evokes images of death, despair, grief and shame supporting the state in which London was at that time period. "London" is compromised of four stanzas each with an ABAB rhyming pattern. Blake's uses of words are very symbolic but colourless relating to the theme of the poem.

The language is quite simple as Blake tried to keep his poetry as simple as possible so even the not so educated could read his work. Blake uses many examples of symbols throughout this poem, he created new symbols through his writing in order to protect his highly individual visions. Blake uses the symbol of the evil of Christianity, he writes about their abuse of power as he mentions 'How the chimney sweeper's cry, Every black " ning Church appals' cleaning the soot out of the churches the chimney sweeper is a symbol of a lost child working in the soot and dirt of the church which itself is black with dogma and punitive crime. During the industrial revolution women were forced to prostitution for money. Including this emphasises the extreme effects of the industrial revolution.

'How the youthful Harlot's curse, Blasts the new born infants fear, and blights with plagues the marriage hearse'. This symbolises how the town of London are killing themselves forcing women to prostitution, men getting diseases from them, taking them home to his wife where she bores a child then giving the child the disease. The carriage used for their married is the hearse used for their funeral. Blake also uses alliteration and repetition in this poem.

'Marks of weakness, Marks of woe'. Weakness and woe being depressing words supporting the mood and tone of the poem. The use of repetition dominates the tonal order of the poem - the every cry of every man, the infants cry of fear swelling into the generality of every voice of London. This becomes a hyperbole as the use of the word every is an exaggeration meaning absolute. Blake also uses imagery with 'Soldiers sigh runs in blood down palace walls' using this figure of speech to express the soldiers' desperation and unhappiness.

The poem has a slow rhythm again reinforcing the melancholy mood and tone throughout the poem. 'London' is a colourless yet intriguing poem that successfully expresses Blake's thoughts and feelings on the state of London at the time of the Industrial revolution Although Blake was not very well known throughout his life, he became a part of history creating some of the most passionate poetry of all time. He was an artist of great ability creating amazing pieces of work with profound simplicity encouraging and inspiring people around the world. Exercising the minds of many commentators still to this day.