William Blake: Innocence and Experience

William Blake had a creative and wild imagination. This makes his poetry very enjoyable to read, at the same time, it is not always so easy to analyze or understand all of his underlying themes and imagery. Blake separates his poetry into two categories which helped me to make the connections I may have otherwise missed. His first category is Innocence. Here he writes more hopefully naïve poems which are more bubbly and youthful in nature. Most of these poems have a sing-songy tendency. They are uplifting, full of hope and faith, and could easily be mistaken for a child’s nursery rhyme.
His other category Experience depicts poems with a darker tone. In Songs of Experience, he returns to many of the same topics as Innocence however this time with a more realistic attitude for the times. Blake however does not attribute age to experience. I found it interesting that the subject of some Experience poems were children. The text identifies this idea of Blake, which I thought was important given the youthful nature of some of the Innocence poems. “Some children even infants have already lost their innocence through a soiling contact with the world; and some adults, particularly joyously visionary poets, seem able to retain a kind of innocent vitality even as they enter the world of experience.” (pg. 1393) Perhaps what Blake is trying to suggest is that Experience is more of a sense of maturity and wisdom rather than age.
Nearly all of the poems in Songs of Experience are contradictions to specific poems in Songs of Innocence. Some are blatant comparisons and others are more subtle. One of the more subtle examples would be the subjects of “The Lamb” in Innocence and “Tyger” in Experience. These two poems are actually very interdependent on one another and have several similarities as far as structure and subject; however, they differ in tone and imagery. It was addressed in the podcast that both of these poems is set up in a catechism style of questions and answers. I found that to be very interesting because it was something I had not picked up on myself. Both address creation and have several biblical references. In “The Lamb”, I think Blake is relating the fact that the child and the lamb are both creatures of God, created in his image. Imagery is bright and happy and it seems that they are all peaceful and calm. Through his descriptions (“clothing of delight, softest clothing wooly bright”, “he is meek and he is mild”, “gave thee life and bid thee fid”) Blake shows a softer side of the creator and a more pleasing image of Christianity. (pg 1394) When Blake later describes the tiger, he does so with imagery that is more fearful. He describes the tiger with phrases “burnt the fire of thine eyes”, “what the hammer? In what furnace was thy brain” which question what kind of entity would produce such a creature. (pg 1403) When discussing who created the tiger, and whether it was the same creator as the lame, Blake never answers. In the podcast, Dr. Glance suggests this is because there is no comfortable answer. I find that to be a very good point. Christians like to believe that Christianity and God is safe and comfortable. The fact that he could make such an innocent and gentle creature (the lamb) and such a vengeful predator (the tiger) goes against the image of religion being safe and easy. And as history will show, we like to go with what is safe.
Another example of his contradicting innocence and experience is between his two poems both entitled “The Chimney Sweeper”. This I felt to be a very relevant example of how innocence and experience does not rely on age. The subject of these poems is young children who have been sold into the service of chimney sweep. The first account depicts young boys who are frustrated yet look to the future with hope. They seem to have a faith and optimism that is truly naïve. Contradictory in the second account, there is no optimism. Instead, he depicts bitter children who look with regret and pity.
Blake’s poetry is far from being easy to read or grasp. I thought of tons of questions during the readings. One I often wondered was whether he intended to write contradicting follow ups in Songs of Experience. Which perception, Innocence or Experience, is the more relevant and which does Blake agree with more? I personally tend to think that a little of each creates the happy middle ground of complacency. Though his readings were so complex I found them to be very enjoyable and for once, I actually had fun searching for the deeper meaning of poetry!