William Blake's Songs of Innocence and Experience - Book Report/Review Example

During this period he experienced the injustice and cruelty of life and the social efforts of his era. The songs of experience were written as a result of that living standard and observations. These were merged with the Songs of Innocence and were printed collectively in 1794. The Songs of Innocence were written in easy words, as if they are written for children, but they were not children's verses. They demonstrate the soul's ideal survival, which according to Blake is a state of childhood.

In London, he discovered that children are not just symbols of Innocence, but also of Experience as he noticed how children were despoiled. Songs of Experience were printed as to some extent of a reply to Songs of Innocence, to be evidence for the two contrary states of the soul. He occasionally matched poems in the two sets by granting them the identical titles. Blake took inspiration from many other philosophers such as Locke. Blake through his poems has given a perfect view of innocence and experience.

The Chimney Sweeper is an excellent poem written by Blake which analyzes the two states of life closely. The Chimney Sweeper is portrayed in the songs of innocence as well as in the songs of experience. Both the songs talk about a child who works as a chimney sweeper. The children, as portrayed in the poem, are compelled to work as chimney sweepers regardless of the dangers of death. The poems declare that if they do not become a victim of suffocation they would eventually be carried off by cancer or bronchitis.

The Chimney sweeper in the songs of innocence tells about a little boy who has had a dream which raises his spirits and motivates him to continue his strive in his job. The poem talks about little Tom Darce who is an innocent and guiltless child but he is being spoiled and corrupted by his profession. Tom's appearance is discussed as a child with curly white hair but his hair is cut off by his master. Blake has compared Tom to a lamb and hence to Christ. Blake compared Tom to Christ who had suffered the brutality of men.

The speaker of the poem consoles Tom by giving him a positive view of getting his hair shaved that his pretty curly hair will not be damaged by the black soot now. Tom takes a nap and has a dream in which he can see many people rejoicing in the heaven. These people are Tom's old friends who used to be chimney sweepers. In the dream all his friends are covered with soot in the coffin but afterwards they are released out of the coffin to wash out their soot and become white and shiny. Then the Angel further tells Tom that if he would work hard and would avoid the corruption of this world he would also be awarded heaven like his friends.

That dream enables Tom to go back to his work the next day without any fear of death and he feels more determined to work as he starts hoping to wash his soot and clear his way to heaven. Tom's determination to work in order to achieve heaven, as he saw in the dream, is the proof of his strong faith in God and innocence. The poem portrays the child as black at first. This was due to the worldly sins and the dirt of human brutality. Afterwards the poem describes the boy as pure white and sparkling as he has washed the filth and dirt of materialism and is now innocent.

This shows Blake's view about children. Blake believes that children are the symbols of innocence and this innocence is much more