What do the poems “The Songs of Innocence” and “The Songs of Experience” by William Blake mean?
mshurn Teacher College – Freshman eNotes Editor “Songs of Innocence” and “Songs of Experience” are groups of poems published by William Blake in his book, Songs of Innocence and Experience, so your question really concerns a collection of many poems. What makes these poems really interesting is that they show the contrasts in human nature, in life, and in the very nature of God. In other words, they are poems of “opposites.” Perhaps the most famous of the Songs of Innocence is “The Lamb” which presents God as a gentle and loving presence. The opposite poem in Songs of Experience is “The Tyger,” in which God is presented as a savage and fearsome force. Taken together, “The Lamb” and “The Tyger” both examine the nature of God, but each poem arrives at a different truth. God is a mystery to us. The Songs of Innocence are positive, affirming, and hopeful; the Songs of Experience are dark, gloomy, and sometimes quite poignant. Sources: http://www.enotes.com/songs-innocence-experience-salem/
