Song of Innocence and Experience

Author: William Blake
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-04-01
Features: Songs of Innocence and of Experience is a collection of poems by the genius English poet William Blake, including most of his important works. The collection is divided into Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience based on the content, style, and creative characteristics of each poem, reflecting the poet's thoughts and creative journey from a childlike innocence to the bitterness of adult experience. The poems in the Innocence phase are fresh, lively, and full of a sense of playfulness. The poems in the Experience phase take a sharp turn, with a completely different style—harsh, bitter, and condemning social injustice. The innocent The Laughing Song, the somber and sorrowful The Chimney Sweeper, and the symbolically rich The Tyger are all celebrated masterpieces. Blake himself was also a printmaker, and he skillfully combined rich content with vibrant illustrations by using the form of poetry paired with images.