Songs of Innocence and of Experience (Masterplots, Revised Second Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: William Blake
- First Published: 1789
- Type of Work: Poetry
- Genres: Poetry, Lyric sequence
- Subjects: Girls, Children, Religion, Poetry or poets, England or English people, Feminism, Christianity, Good and evil, London, Infants, Allegory, Jesus Christ, Songs or songwriters, Boys, Animals
Critical Evaluation:
Songs of Innocence and of Experience is the foundation of the work of one of the greatest English poets and artists. The two sets of poems reveal what Blake calls “the two contrary states of the human soul.” The presentation of these states is deceptively simple, literally childlike in the “Innocence” poems. In both series, clues are offered to deeper meanings and ways out of the apparent trap of selfhood are suggested, so that each reading provides greater insight and understanding, not only to the poems but also to human life.
The...
[The entire page is 2164 words long]
Join eNotes
Over 3,500 study guides, question and answer forums, literature criticism, reference content, and much more!
Navigate
See Also
