“Blake is primarily a religious poet.” Explore some of the ways in which Blake treats the Church and religion in the Songs of Innocence and Experience.
Paul Appleton
Throughout “Innocence” and “Experience,” many poems incorporate religious views and imagery. Blake presents many contradicting views on the Church and religion, the contrast being particularly clear between “Innocence” and “Experience.”
Within the “Songs of Innocence” a child-like portrayal of Church and religion is portrayed. Throughout “Innocence” there are many references to “The Lamb” representing Jesus Christ who was the Sacrificial Lamb, as shown in the poem “The Lamb.” Another common image of religion used by Blake is that of religion as the Shepherd, the Shepherd is “watchful” and ever watching over his sheep, protecting them, Blake is showing religion as being ever-present and constantly present. This is a very child-like and partial view of Christ. Religion is portrayed in a child like manner, as is Christ in the poem “On Another’s Sorrow,” Christ is portrayed as “[giving] his joy to all” as he is embodied both within an “infant small” and “men of woe.” Also in “On Another’s Sorrow,” religion is seen as immanent, as God “gives to us his joy.” A simple view is portrayed: one that God is ever present and is there within everyone. Images of the Church and religion are juxtaposed to images of joy, fun and laughter, showing the simple view of religion portrayed. This view is extended in “The Divine Image” in which the balanced structure continues the child-like view of religion. The image that God is present within everyone is also shown in “The Divine Image” is that God is ever-present within everyone. In “The Chimney Sweeper,” religion is used to help the chimney sweeps get through their arduous days, and the vision of Christ helped him to remain “happy and warm.” Blake also represents the Church as regulating people’s lives by providing regulations: “And the Angel told Tom if he’d be a good boy/ He’d have God…” this contradicts imagery that God is constantly within everyone, if he is only their upon the completion of certain regulations. Through this, Blake is showing the hypocrisy of religion, a theme commonly shown throughout “Experience.”