Innocence v. Experience

     William Blake’s Songs of Experience and Innocence show two contrary states of a human mind.  Songs of Innocence portrays the angelic, naive, outlook a child has, where as the Songs of Experience emphasises the corruption and negativity in the world. The Songs of Innocence is written from the perspective of a child or someone watching a child, giving the poems their sense of  innocence. Many of the poems draw attention to the positive aspect of innocence, such as in the “Chimney Sweeper” where Tom is content because of his childlike faith although his circumstances are unfavorable.  What leads both the Songs of Innocence and the Songs of Experience is their introduction poems; the Songs of Innocence “Introduction” is giddy and light hearted with pipers, children on clouds and singing. This “Introduction” seem some what simpler and easier to understand, and although it does contain foreshadowing and conceptual ideas, the Songs of Innocence remains childlike and cheery.  A line from the “Introduction” best depicts the innocence when stated, “And I made a rural pen, And I stain’d the water clear (Blake).  The songs of innocence was written with clear, untainted water, truly showing how a child is pure when innocent.  The childlike theme of lightheartedness shines when the child weeps with joys, hearing the piper sing, where as in the Songs of Experience “introduction” a somber weeping occurs.  “Calling the lapsed Soul, And weeping in the evening dew”(Blake).  Both introductions contain weeping but the weeping in the innocence is joy induced, where as in the experience “Introduction” lament occurs.  The Songs of Experience is more complex, confusing and abstract than the Songs of Innocence mirroring also the complexity of an experienced person; The experience “Introduction” acts as more of a cautionary, telling the reader to take in account the lessons taught by others who have already been through this part of  life.  The “Introduction” then goes on to confront a negative aspect of the world, asking God to help them. “‘Turn away no more;  Why wilt thou turn away? The starry floor, The wat’ry shore, Is giv’v thee till the break of day’”(Blake).  I think it is God who is being asked to not turn away because He is the one who has a starry floor and there is also a reference to the Holy Word.  The introductions to Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience, although parallel, are very contrasting; the innocence “Introduction” is angelic where as the experience “Introduction” has a somber feel.  The collection as a whole explores the benefits and negatives of two different perspectives.