Blake's "Songs of Innocence and of Experience"

Paper Summary:

This paper describes Blake's placement of the words on each page, his use of colors to convey meaning, and the graphic design of his printing. Several poems are cited as examples of how Blake's use of layout and other visual techniques contribute to the meaning of his poetry. Sexual imagery, Christian symbolism, and the theme of childhood innocence found in Blake's poems, are also addressed.

From the Paper:

"A figure emerges with the worm in the picture below the text. Because this image is placed at the bottom of the page, it shows that these are physically debased ideas. Blake refers to Christian symbolism here, as heaven is high and hell is below. In "The Blossom," all of the figures are high in the trees, whereas here they are on the ground. The rose blossom was too heavy for the plant; it could not handle its weight anymore, so the flower lays collapsed on the ground just as the figure of the woman is collapsed in the branches above."

More papers on Blake's "Songs of Innocence and of Experience":

• Poem Review # 107213 : "Songs of Innocence and of Experience"
• Analytical Essay # 4002 : "The Role of the Poet in William Blake's "Songs of Innocence" and "Experience"
• Poem Review # 1159 : "William Blake's "Songs of Innocence and Experience"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: