In his poems, Blake used the opposing states of Innocence and Experience to make contrasts between how life should be and how life is. He wrote two anthologies of poems entitled “ Songs of Innocence”, written in 1789, and “Songs of Experience” four years later in 1793 that explored the details of these states.
Blake was keen to put across that in Innocence and Experience there came two meanings, of mind and of Situation. As with “The Tyger”, it was naturally a hunter and seen to represent evil, Blake saw it was born that way and knew no different, so theoretically it remains Innocent and not corrupted by society. In terms of the bible “The Tyger” shows the Old Testament, the old God, the commanding God! The title of this poem is not representative of its content, which looks at life, death and Gods creation. Whilst in “The Lamb”, although dealing with the same issues, the language is rather simplistic and idealistic, like that used in a Sunday school. “The Lamb” is representative of the New Testament with a kind and forgiving God. The Lamb is gaining experience in life but in its mind it continues to be Innocent, as is the child; in that sense they are the same;
“ I a child, and thou a Lamb.”
In this poem Blake also makes reference, in his language, to the church, which he bitterly hated. Although he is often seen to use the bible, and Biblical results and believes;
“For the Last Judgement draweth nigh.”
In the Christian faith and with William Blake, this is taken to mean you will be judged for your actions, such as those in “Auguries of Innocence”. This therefore implies that all actions have consequences.
Such as the actions of the parents in “The Chimney Sweep” and the implications it had on the children that “could scarcely cry”.
It is Ironic that these boys mentioned in “The Chimney Sweep”, “Dick, Joe, Ned and Jack”, although they suffer worse day by day, only cry when their hair is shaved from their heads. But this is how they were brought up from a “very young age”. The Shaving of the white hair, “that curl’d like a lambs back”, symbolises the destruction of Innocence, and was shunted in their society. All that was still Innocent was covered, dressed in the “clothes of death” and soot, a contrasting state to that of the dream.
The dream can be seen to be telling the story of Jesus, the boys are locked in this trade, one that shall kill them, yet they reawaken, as did Jesus, to live again, but this time they are free.
The way the poems have been structured, both contain a number of ‘shhhhh’ noises that could reflect the sweeping of chimneys or the covering up of this child slavery. Taking into consideration that one poem is of Innocence and one is of Experience, the view taken in them a not all to different. Although, the first chimney sweeper takes a rather optimistic view over things, the last line can be seen as a warning to society, much like the last line of “Auguries of Innocence”
“If all do their duty they need not fear harm.”
“The Chimney Sweeper” of Experience tells life how it really is in Blake’s eyes; Life and Death.
William Blake had a very interesting and revolutionary view point of Innocence and Experience. Personally, I agree with much of what he is saying, and through it I can see that although the time is different, Society is much the same.
