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duffypratt's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.75
The poems themselves are as much like songs as they are poems. Blakes use of rhythm and rhyme is delightful. And it's cool to see how much simpler in these terms the innocence poems are than the experience poems.
On top of that, you get a kind of mirroring between the poems in the two states. Thus, The Little Lamb is reflected by The Tyger. There are several of these that have the same name in both sections. This structure takes a series of poems which are lyrical and delightful on their own, and it places them in a context which adds to their depth.
I'm sure I will be returning to these fairly frequently.
On top of that, you get a kind of mirroring between the poems in the two states. Thus, The Little Lamb is reflected by The Tyger. There are several of these that have the same name in both sections. This structure takes a series of poems which are lyrical and delightful on their own, and it places them in a context which adds to their depth.
I'm sure I will be returning to these fairly frequently.
olivia260207's review
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
lucy_pip's review against another edition
challenging
dark
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.25
lucazani11's review against another edition
4.0
THE HUMAN ABSTRACT
Pity would be no more
If we did not make somebody poor,
And Mercy no more could be
If all were as happy as we.
And mutual fear brings Peace,
Till the selfish loves increase
Then Cruelty knits a snare,
And spreads his baits with care.
He sits down with his holy fears,
And waters the ground with tears;
Then Humility takes its root
Underneath his foot.
Soon spreads the dismal shade
Of Mystery over his head,
And the caterpillar and fly
Feed on the Mystery.
And it bears the fruit of Deceit,
Ruddy and sweet to eat,
And the raven his nest has made
In its thickest shade.
The gods of the earth and sea
Sought through nature to find this tree,
But their search was all in vain:
There grows one in the human Brain.
----------------------------------
"Songs of Innocence and Experience" is a collection of poems written by William Blake in the late 18th century. The collection consists of two parts, with each part containing a set of poems that are thematically connected. The poems in the "Songs of Innocence" explore the joys and wonder of childhood innocence, while the poems in the "Songs of Experience" explore the dark realities of adulthood.
One of the main themes of the collection is the loss of innocence. In the "Songs of Innocence," Blake portrays children as pure and innocent, untouched by the corruption of the world around them. However, in the "Songs of Experience," he portrays the harsh realities of life that strip away this innocence. For example, in "The Chimney Sweeper" from the "Songs of Innocence," Blake depicts a young boy who is content with his life as a chimney sweep, unaware of the dangers and exploitation he faces. In contrast, in "The Chimney Sweeper" from the "Songs of Experience," the same boy is portrayed as being disillusioned and broken by his experiences.
Another important theme in the collection is the corrupting influence of societal institutions. In the "Songs of Innocence," Blake portrays institutions such as the Church and the monarchy as benevolent and protective. However, in the "Songs of Experience," he exposes their darker side and the way in which they can be used to oppress and exploit individuals. For example, in "Holy Thursday" from the "Songs of Innocence," Blake celebrates the charitable work of the Church. But in "Holy Thursday" from the "Songs of Experience," he exposes the hypocrisy and corruption of the Church and its role in perpetuating poverty and suffering.
Overall, "Songs of Innocence and Experience" is a complex and multi-layered work that explores themes of innocence, experience, corruption, and societal institutions. Through his poetry, Blake offers a critique of the world around him and highlights the need for individuals to question the status quo and fight against injustice and oppression.
Pity would be no more
If we did not make somebody poor,
And Mercy no more could be
If all were as happy as we.
And mutual fear brings Peace,
Till the selfish loves increase
Then Cruelty knits a snare,
And spreads his baits with care.
He sits down with his holy fears,
And waters the ground with tears;
Then Humility takes its root
Underneath his foot.
Soon spreads the dismal shade
Of Mystery over his head,
And the caterpillar and fly
Feed on the Mystery.
And it bears the fruit of Deceit,
Ruddy and sweet to eat,
And the raven his nest has made
In its thickest shade.
The gods of the earth and sea
Sought through nature to find this tree,
But their search was all in vain:
There grows one in the human Brain.
----------------------------------
"Songs of Innocence and Experience" is a collection of poems written by William Blake in the late 18th century. The collection consists of two parts, with each part containing a set of poems that are thematically connected. The poems in the "Songs of Innocence" explore the joys and wonder of childhood innocence, while the poems in the "Songs of Experience" explore the dark realities of adulthood.
One of the main themes of the collection is the loss of innocence. In the "Songs of Innocence," Blake portrays children as pure and innocent, untouched by the corruption of the world around them. However, in the "Songs of Experience," he portrays the harsh realities of life that strip away this innocence. For example, in "The Chimney Sweeper" from the "Songs of Innocence," Blake depicts a young boy who is content with his life as a chimney sweep, unaware of the dangers and exploitation he faces. In contrast, in "The Chimney Sweeper" from the "Songs of Experience," the same boy is portrayed as being disillusioned and broken by his experiences.
Another important theme in the collection is the corrupting influence of societal institutions. In the "Songs of Innocence," Blake portrays institutions such as the Church and the monarchy as benevolent and protective. However, in the "Songs of Experience," he exposes their darker side and the way in which they can be used to oppress and exploit individuals. For example, in "Holy Thursday" from the "Songs of Innocence," Blake celebrates the charitable work of the Church. But in "Holy Thursday" from the "Songs of Experience," he exposes the hypocrisy and corruption of the Church and its role in perpetuating poverty and suffering.
Overall, "Songs of Innocence and Experience" is a complex and multi-layered work that explores themes of innocence, experience, corruption, and societal institutions. Through his poetry, Blake offers a critique of the world around him and highlights the need for individuals to question the status quo and fight against injustice and oppression.
imme_van_gorp's review against another edition
4.0
|| 4.0 stars ||
This collection of poems is parted into a happy / naive side (sectioned under innocence) and a more sad / realistic side (sectioned under experience). This divide and obvious contrast between both sides really adds a lot of weight to the overall message and thoughts portrayed in this collection. It was very interesting.
I can definitely get behind most of the criticisms and observations expressed by [a:William Blake|13453|William Blake|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1199069675p2/13453.jpg] in a lot of these poems. He seems like a pretty cool and moral dude, especially for his time. Good for him.
There are quite a few poems in this collection I really really like, and one of my favourites is probably The Clod and the Pebble:
Love seeketh not Itself to please,
Nor for itself hath any care;
But for another gives its ease,
And builds a Heaven in Hells dispair.
So sang a little Clod of Clay,
Trodden with the cattles feet:
But a Pebble of the brook,
Warbled out these metres meet.
Love seeketh only Self to please,
To bind another to Its delight:
Joys in another loss of ease,
And builds a Hell in Heavens despite.
This poem is kind of simple and actually quite straightforward, but it really resonated with me and thus, felt special. I also like that ‘innocence’ and ‘experience’ meet half way and that each show their different views. It displays the intriguing contrast of both sides and is in this way quite representative of the collection as a whole.
This collection of poems is parted into a happy / naive side (sectioned under innocence) and a more sad / realistic side (sectioned under experience). This divide and obvious contrast between both sides really adds a lot of weight to the overall message and thoughts portrayed in this collection. It was very interesting.
I can definitely get behind most of the criticisms and observations expressed by [a:William Blake|13453|William Blake|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1199069675p2/13453.jpg] in a lot of these poems. He seems like a pretty cool and moral dude, especially for his time. Good for him.
There are quite a few poems in this collection I really really like, and one of my favourites is probably The Clod and the Pebble:
Love seeketh not Itself to please,
Nor for itself hath any care;
But for another gives its ease,
And builds a Heaven in Hells dispair.
So sang a little Clod of Clay,
Trodden with the cattles feet:
But a Pebble of the brook,
Warbled out these metres meet.
Love seeketh only Self to please,
To bind another to Its delight:
Joys in another loss of ease,
And builds a Hell in Heavens despite.
This poem is kind of simple and actually quite straightforward, but it really resonated with me and thus, felt special. I also like that ‘innocence’ and ‘experience’ meet half way and that each show their different views. It displays the intriguing contrast of both sides and is in this way quite representative of the collection as a whole.
rui11224's review
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0
I don’t read much poetry so I thought I’d give this a try, and I liked it. I have a favourite too (I took a picture to save it to my phone). I do think to properly enjoy it you need to mull over the poems and read into them, which it didn’t do deeply, I only read the light analysis at the end. Still, I definitely enjoyed this foray into poetry.