- How do language and form communicate the emotions expressed in this poem?
The emotions expressed in this poem are all experienced; there are feelings of sorrow, depression, loneliness, and vulnerability from the baby.
In the first stanza the words “groaned” and “wept” are used to show the emotions of the parents; however they can be interpreted in many ways. When the baby talks of the dangerous world it has just entered it suggests “leaping”, this could mean that the baby has been pushed into an experienced world and situation, this could also be a reason for the mother and father to be upset about the birth. The baby refers to itself as “a fiend”, an experienced word meaning a cruel wicked and inhuman person, this shows that the baby has strong emotions of neglect from its parents. The whole of the first stanza symbolises the change of state for the new born baby, it changing from being in the womb to being in the dangerous outside world and having no one to look after it, “helpless”. The opening stanza also shows that the real world is a dangerous place to live in, it is unpleasant and un secure for the baby.
In the second stanza the baby is talking about its true feelings and again how its mother and father are reacting to it. Throughout the poem we know that the fat her is in control, he has power over the new born baby, we know this from phrases such as “Struggling in my father’s hands”, suggesting that the fathers hands are controlling the baby. The baby also talks of “swaddling bands”, in the past these have been seen as ways to keep your baby close to you and wrapped up tightly to create the atmosphere of being in the womb, however here “swaddling bands” are used to symbolise restraint and control of the father and separation from the mother completely. In innocence, a baby is suggested to be a gift from God, something to admire, look after and love, however, in experience the baby is seen as corrupt, in “Infant Sorrow” the baby is hidden away, “Bound and weary”
To end the second stanza the word “sulk” is used, normally the word “sulk” would be linked with children or teenagers, youths mainly however here the baby uses “sulk” to describe its own emotion. This shows a sign of rebellion on the baby’s behalf, the baby has simply given up trying to fight against these feelings of hatred from this mother and father, “To sulk upon my mother’s breast”.
c) Write about the use Blake makes of children’s voices in at least two other poems.
I am using the innocence poems “The Lamb” and “Infant Joy” in order to compare the way Blake uses children’s voices with the experienced poem “Infant Sorrow”
“The Lamb” is written like a religious hymn and is narrated by a small child. The “Little Lamb” in the poem symbolises Jesus. The structure of “The Lamb” is two simple stanzas each of ten lines. The first half of the poem represents the child talking to “The Lamb” the second half shows the “Lamb” replying to the small child. The first half of the poem also acts as a chorus, like in a religious hymn, the simple structure reflects the simplicity of the poem and the child.
“Infant Joy” shows the joys of a child being born and the choosing of names. The poem is narrated by a two day old baby throughout. The poem shows the celebration of child birth and a child. The structure of “Infant Joy” is two simple stanzas, each of six lines, the structure if simple like the baby, this symbolises innocence.
“Infant Sorrow” is the partner poem of “Infant Joy” ad is the complete opposite of it. It shows the pain and upset caused by child birth and shows the loneliness of the newborn baby. The structure of “Infant Sorrow” is two stanzas, each of four lines, which appears quite simple and innocence like however the lines are much longer than in “Infant Joy”. The poem is narrated by a new born baby.
The three poems I have chosen have a lot of similarities, they are all narrated by children or babies but Blake changes his style of writing in each case. In “Infant Joy” the baby is “but two days old”, the baby appears happy and content as it is an innocence poem, throughout the poem the baby talks of its joy of being born. In “The Lamb” the small child is talking to Jesus, represented by “The Lamb”. The child asks questions of creation and then replies to itself. “The Lamb” is different to “Infant Joy” as the child is playing both parts, the lamb and the child therefore asking and answering its own questions where as in “Infant Joy” there is only one character, the baby, and therefore we only feel its emotions, the mother and father are not involved in the poem. Whereas in “Infant Sorrow” the mother and father play a main part, the baby talks of the upset and moaning of his mother and father shortly and it is born and shows how it is feeling lonely and controlled. Blake here is obviously creating a different child for each poem, and each child obviously has its own voice and opinions. Possibly, the babies in “Infant Joy” and “Infant Sorrow” are the same baby but Blake has given them different situations to live and cope in.
Blake uses different language also in each of the poems, in “The Lamb” Blake uses archaic language to symbolise the relationship between the child, God and Jesus, “Dost thou know who made thee,” whereas in “Infant Joy” Blake uses innocent, positive words to symbolise that the baby is happy with its birth and excited at the fact that it will soon be named. “Infant Sorrow” is in complete contrast with the two other poems; Blake uses negative, experienced words of corruption and hatred to portray the emotions that the baby is feeling.
