Songs of Innocence and of Experience
Encyclopedia
William Blake
William Blake was an English poet, painter, and printmaker. Largely unrecognised during his lifetime, Blake is now considered a seminal figure in the history of both the poetry and visual arts of the Romantic Age...
. It appeared in two phases. A few first copies were printed and illuminated by William Blake himself in 1789; five years later he bound these poems with a set of new poems in a volume titled Songs of Innocence and of Experience Showing the Two Contrary States of the Human Soul. "Innocence" and "Experience" are definitions of consciousness that rethink Milton's existential-mythic states of "Paradise" and the "Fall." Blake's categories are modes of perception that tend to coordinate with a chronology that would become standard in Romanticism: childhood is a time and a state of protected "innocence," but not immune to the fallen world and its institutions. This world sometimes impinges on childhood itself, and in any event becomes known through "experience," a state of being marked by the loss of childhood vitality, by fear and inhibition, by social and political corruption, and by the manifold oppression of Church, State, and the ruling classes. The volume's "Contrary States" are sometimes signaled by patently repeated or contrasted titles: in Innocence, Infant Joy, in Experience, Infant Sorrow; in Innocence, The Lamb, in Experience, The Fly and The Tyger.
Songs of Innocence
Songs of Innocence was originally a complete work first printed in 1789. It is a conceptual collection of 19 poems, engraved with artwork.The poems are each listed below:
- Introduction
- The Shepherd
- The Echoing GreenThe Echoing GreenThe Echoing Green is a poem by William Blake published in Songs of Innocence in 1789. The poem talks about merry sounds and images which accompany the children playing outdoors. Then, an old man happily remembers when he enjoyed playing with his friends during his own childhood...
- The LambThe Lamb"The Lamb" is a poem by William Blake, published in Songs of Innocence in 1789. Like many of Blake's works, the poem is about Christianity.-Background:...
- The Little Black BoyThe Little Black BoyThe Little Black Boy is a poem by William Blake published in Songs of Innocence in 1789. It was published during a time when slavery was still legal and the campaign for the abolition of slavery was still young.- Analysis of the Poem :...
- The Blossom
- The Chimney SweeperThe Chimney Sweeper"The Chimney Sweeper" is the title of two poems by William Blake, published in Songs of Innocence in 1789 and Songs of Experience in 1794. The poem "The Chimney Sweeper" is set against the dark background of child labor that was well known in England in the late 18th and 19th century. At the age of...
- The Little Girl lost
- The Little Girl found
- The Little Boy lost
- The Little Boy found
- Laughing Song
- A Cradle Song
- The Divine Image
- Holy ThursdayHoly Thursday (Songs of Innocence)Holy Thursday is a poem by William Blake, from his 1789 book of poems Songs of Innocence....
- Night
- Spring
- Nurse's SongNurse's SongNurse's Song is the name of two related poems by William Blake, published in Songs of Innocence in 1789 and Songs of Experience in 1794....
- Infant JoyInfant JoyInfant Joy was published in 1789 in 'Songs of Innocence' and is the counterpart to "Infant Sorrow" which was published at a later date in 'Songs of Experience' in 1794....
- A Dream
- On Another's SorrowOn Another's SorrowOn Another's Sorrow is a poem by the English poet William Blake. The poem discusses human and divine empathy and compassion. It was published as part of the Songs of Innocence and of Experience in 1789 as the last song in the Songs of Innocence section....
Songs of Experience
William Blake
William Blake was an English poet, painter, and printmaker. Largely unrecognised during his lifetime, Blake is now considered a seminal figure in the history of both the poetry and visual arts of the Romantic Age...
's Songs of Innocence and of Experience. The poems were published in 1794 (see 1794 in poetry
1794 in poetry
Nationality words link to articles with information on the nation's poetry or literature .-Events:* Robert Treat Paine founds the Federal Orrery, a semiweekly Federalist journal in Boston, Massachusetts...
) Some of the poems, such as The Little Boy Lost and The Little Boy Found were moved by Blake to Songs of Innocence, and were frequently moved between the two books.
In this collection of poems, Blake contrasts Songs of Innocence, in which he shows how the human spirit blossoms when allowed its own free movement with Songs of Experience, in which he shows how the human spirit withers after it has been suppressed and forced to conform to rules, and doctrines. In fact, Blake was an English Dissenter and actively opposed the doctrines of the Anglican Church, which tells its members to suppress their feelings. Blake showed how he believed this was wrong through his poems in Songs of Experience.
The most notable of the poems in Songs of Experience are: "The Tyger
The Tyger
"The Tyger" is a poem by the English poet William Blake. It was published as part of his collection Songs of Experience in 1794 . It is one of Blake's best-known and most analyzed poems...
", "The Sick Rose
The Sick Rose
"The Sick Rose" is a poem by William Blake. The first publication was in 1794, when it was included in his collection titled Songs of Experience as the 39th plate. The incipit of the poem is O Rose thou art sick. Blake composed the page sometime after 1789, and presents it with the illuminated...
", "Ah, Sunflower
Ah, Sunflower
"Ah Sunflower" is a poem written by the English poet William Blake. It was published as part of his collection Songs of Experience in 1794. Ed Sanders of The Fugs set the poem to music and recorded it on The Fugs First Album in 1965...
," "A Poison Tree
A Poison Tree
A Poison Tree is a poem written in 1794 by the poet William Blake as a part of his collection of poems, Songs of Experience. Although it is one of Blake's less known poems, it is full of meaning and is sometimes considered to be one of his finest poems....
" and "London
London (poem)
London is a poem by William Blake, published in Songs of Experience in 1794. It is one of the few poems in Songs of Experience which does not have a corresponding poem in Songs of Innocence.-Analysis:...
". Although these poems today are enjoyed and appreciated, in Blake's time, they were not appreciated at all. Blake lived this whole life in poverty and in heavy debt. Songs of Experience only sold 20 copies before his death in 1827. It is now used in the school GCSE and A-level curriculum.
- Introduction (at wikisource)
- Earth's AnswerEarth's AnswerEarth's Answer is a poem written by the English poet William Blake. It was originally published as part of his collection Songs of Experience in 1794.- The Poem :Earth raised up her headFrom the darkness dread and drear,Her light fled,Stony, dread,...
- The Clod and the PebbleThe Clod and the PebbleThe Clod and the Pebble is a poem written by the English poet William Blake. It was published as part of his collection Songs of Experience in 1794.- The Poem :"Love seeketh not Itself to please,Nor for itself hath any care;But for another gives its ease,...
- Holy ThursdayHoly Thursday (Songs of Experience)"Holy Thursday" is a poem by William Blake, first published in Songs of Innocence and Experience in 1794. This poem, unlike its companion poem in "Songs of Innocence" , focuses more on society as a whole than the Holy Thursday ceremony.-Analysis:...
- The Little Girl LostThe Little Girl Lost"The Little Girl Lost" is a poem written by the English poet William Blake. It was published as part of his collection Songs of Experience in 1794. It is followed by "The Little Girl Found".- External links :...
- The Little Girl FoundThe Little Girl FoundThe Little Girl Found is a poem written by the English poet William Blake. It was published as part of his collection Songs of Experience in 1794. In the poem, the parents of a seven-year old girl, called Lyca, are looking desperately for their young daughter who is lost in the desert...
- The Chimney SweeperThe Chimney Sweeper"The Chimney Sweeper" is the title of two poems by William Blake, published in Songs of Innocence in 1789 and Songs of Experience in 1794. The poem "The Chimney Sweeper" is set against the dark background of child labor that was well known in England in the late 18th and 19th century. At the age of...
- Nurse's SongNurse's SongNurse's Song is the name of two related poems by William Blake, published in Songs of Innocence in 1789 and Songs of Experience in 1794....
- The Sick RoseThe Sick Rose"The Sick Rose" is a poem by William Blake. The first publication was in 1794, when it was included in his collection titled Songs of Experience as the 39th plate. The incipit of the poem is O Rose thou art sick. Blake composed the page sometime after 1789, and presents it with the illuminated...
- The Fly (at wikisource)
- The AngelThe Angel (Songs of Experience)"The Angel" is a poem written by the English poet William Blake. It was published as part of his collection Songs of Experience in 1794.- The Poem :I dreamt a dream! What can it mean?And that I was a maiden QueenGuarded by an Angel mild:...
- The TygerThe Tyger"The Tyger" is a poem by the English poet William Blake. It was published as part of his collection Songs of Experience in 1794 . It is one of Blake's best-known and most analyzed poems...
- My Pretty Rose TreeMy Pretty Rose TreeMy Pretty Rose Tree is a poem written by the English poet William Blake. It was published as part of his collection Songs of Experience in 1794.- The Poem :A flower was offered to me,Such a flower as May never bore;But I said, ‘I’ve a pretty rose tree,’...
- Ah! Sun-Flower (at wikisource)
- The LilyThe LilyThe Lily is a poem written by the English poet William Blake. It was published as part of his collection Songs of Experience in 1794.-The Poem:The modest Rose puts forth a thorn,The humble sheep a threat’ning horn:...
- The Garden of LoveThe Garden of Love"The Garden of Love" is a poem by romantic poet William Blake. It was published as part of his collection, Songs of Experience."The Garden of Love" is written to express Blake's beliefs on the naturalness of sexuality and how organised religion, particularly the orthodox Christian church of Blake's...
- The Little VagabondThe Little VagabondThe Little Vagabond is a poem written by the English poet William Blake. It was published as part of his collection Songs of Experience in 1794.- The Poem :Dear mother, dear mother, the Church is cold;But the Alehouse is healthy, and pleasant, and warm....
- LondonLondon (poem)London is a poem by William Blake, published in Songs of Experience in 1794. It is one of the few poems in Songs of Experience which does not have a corresponding poem in Songs of Innocence.-Analysis:...
- The Human Abstract (at wikisource)
- Infant SorrowInfant SorrowInfant Sorrow is a poem by William Blake from Songs of Experience.-Poem:Infant SorrowMy mother groan'd! my father wept. Into the dangerous world I leapt...
- A Poison TreeA Poison TreeA Poison Tree is a poem written in 1794 by the poet William Blake as a part of his collection of poems, Songs of Experience. Although it is one of Blake's less known poems, it is full of meaning and is sometimes considered to be one of his finest poems....
- A Little Boy Lost (at wikisource)
- A Little Girl LostA Little Girl Lost"A Little Girl Lost" is a poem written by the English poet William Blake. It was published as part of his collection Songs of Innocence and of Experience in 1794.-References:* , at the - External links :...
- To TirzahTo TirzahTo Tirzah is a poem by William Blake that was published in his collection Songs of Experience. It is often described as the most difficult of the poems because it refers to an oblique character called "Tirzah", whose identity remains obscure. Tirzah is apparently to be rejected as a demonic figure...
- The Schoolboy (at wikisource)
- The Voice of the Ancient Bard (at wikisource)
Musical settings
Poems from both books have been set to music by many composers, including Ralph Vaughan WilliamsRalph Vaughan Williams
Ralph Vaughan Williams OM was an English composer of symphonies, chamber music, opera, choral music, and film scores. He was also a collector of English folk music and song: this activity both influenced his editorial approach to the English Hymnal, beginning in 1904, in which he included many...
, John Frandsen
John Frandsen
John Frandsen is a Danish composer, organist and choral conductor, whose work includes operas, chamber music, and religious music...
, Sven-David Sandström
Sven-David Sandström
Sven-David Sandström is a Swedish composer best known for his compositions operas, oratorios, battets, and choral works, as well as orchestral works.Sandström studied art history and musicology at Stockholm University...
, and Benjamin Britten
Benjamin Britten
Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten, OM CH was an English composer, conductor, and pianist. He showed talent from an early age, and first came to public attention with the a cappella choral work A Boy Was Born in 1934. With the premiere of his opera Peter Grimes in 1945, he leapt to...
. Individual poems have also been set by, among others, John Tavener
John Tavener
Sir John Tavener is a British composer, best known for such religious, minimal works as "The Whale", and "Funeral Ikos"...
, Jah Wobble
Jah Wobble
Jah Wobble is an English bass guitarist, singer, poet and composer. He became known to a wider audience as the original bass player in Public Image Ltd in the late 1970s and early 1980s, but left the band after two albums...
, Tangerine Dream
Tangerine Dream
Tangerine Dream is a German electronic music group founded in 1967 by Edgar Froese. The band has undergone many personnel changes over the years, with Froese being the only continuous member...
. A modified version of the poem "The Little Black Boy" was set to music in the song "My Mother Bore Me" from Maury Yeston's musical Phantom
Phantom (musical)
Phantom is a musical with music and lyrics by Maury Yeston and a book by Arthur Kopit. Based on Gaston Leroux's 1910 novel The Phantom of the Opera, the musical was first presented in Houston, Texas in 1991....
. Folk musician Greg Brown recorded sixteen of the poems on his 1987 album Songs of Innocence and of Experience
Songs of Innocence and of Experience (Greg Brown album)
Songs of Innocence and of Experience is the title of an album by folk singer/guitarist Greg Brown, released in 1986. Brown sets the poetry of William Blake to music.-Reception:...
and by Finn Coren in his Blake Project.
Poet Allen Ginsberg
Allen Ginsberg
Irwin Allen Ginsberg was an American poet and one of the leading figures of the Beat Generation in the 1950s. He vigorously opposed militarism, materialism and sexual repression...
believed the poems were originally intended to be sung, and that through study of the rhyme and meter of the works, a Blakean performance could be approximately replicated. In 1969, he conceived, arranged, directed, sang on, and played piano and harmonium for an album of songs entitled Songs of Innocence and Experience by William Blake, tuned by Allen Ginsberg (1970).
The composer William Bolcom
William Bolcom
William Elden Bolcom is an American composer and pianist. He has received the Pulitzer Prize, the National Medal of Arts, two Grammy Awards, the Detroit Music Award and was named 2007 Composer of the Year by Musical America. Bolcom taught composition at the University of Michigan from 1973–2008...
completed a setting of the entire collection of poems in 1984. In 2005, a recording of Bolcom's work by Leonard Slatkin
Leonard Slatkin
Leonard Edward Slatkin is an American conductor and composer.-Early life and education:Slatkin was born in Los Angeles to a musical family that came from areas of the Russian Empire now in Ukraine. His father Felix Slatkin was the violinist, conductor and founder of the Hollywood String Quartet,...
, the Michigan State Childrens Choir, and the University of Michigan on the Naxos label won 3 Grammy Awards: Best Choral Performance, Best Classical Contemporary Composition, and Best Classical Album.
External links
- Songs of Innocence and of Experience (1794), from Rare Book RoomRare Book RoomRare Book Room is an educational website for the repository of digitally scanned rare books made freely available to the public.Starting around 1996 the California based company Octavo began scanning rare and important books from libraries around the world. These scans were done at extremely high...
- Songs of Innocence and of Experience (1826), from Rare Book RoomRare Book RoomRare Book Room is an educational website for the repository of digitally scanned rare books made freely available to the public.Starting around 1996 the California based company Octavo began scanning rare and important books from libraries around the world. These scans were done at extremely high...
- Songs of Innocence and of Experience
- Link to Ginsberg recordings