2. William Blake:
British Romantic poet
1757-1827
One of the first writers
of the Romantic Period
Not always a poet:
◦ 10 Drawing school
◦ Royal Academy of Arts
◦ Apprentice for a well-
known engraver, James
Basire
◦ Read and wrote poetry in
his free time
3. Relief Etching
In 1788, Blake began to
experiment with relief etching,
also called illuminated printing.
1. Write the text and illustrations of
the poems on copper plates with
pens & brushes, using an acid-
resistant medium
2. Etch the plates in acid to dissolve
the untreated copper, leaving the
design standing in relief
3. Print pages from these plates
4. Watercolor by hand Blake used illuminated printing for
four or his works, including Songs
5. Stitch together to make a volume of Innocence and Experience.
4.
5. William Blake:
Songs of Innocence
And Experience
Wrote for content rather than form
Most popular work = Songs of
Innocence and Experience
Originally published by itself in 1789
Republished 5 years later with a
new set of poems
Songs of Innocence and of
Experience: Shewing the Two
Contrary States of the Human Soul
6. Songs of Innocence
and Experience
Main theme of the poems =
Blake‟s belief that children lost
their „innocence‟ as they grew
older and were influenced by the
ways of the world
Children were born innocent
Became experienced by the
influence of adult beliefs and
opinions
Could no longer be
considered innocent
7. Songs of Innocence
and Experience
Songs of Innocence: Innocent child's perspective
Songs of Experience: Perspective of a more experienced person
who has become bitter towards all the evil in the world
Blake believed we:
1. Experience a protected childhood
2. Are soon corrupted by the oppressive world,
(the Church, the State, and the ruling classes)
The “contrary states” within the work
are often signaled by repeating and
contrasting poem titles
Innocence: “Infant Joy”
Experience: “Infant Sorrow”
Innocence: “The Lamb”
Experience: “The Tyger”
8. “The Lamb”
Little Lamb, who made thee [1]?
Dost thou know who made thee?
Gave thee life, and bid thee feed,
By the stream and o'er the mead [2];
Gave thee clothing of delight,
Softest clothing, woolly, bright;
Gave thee such a tender voice,
Making all the vales [3] rejoice?
Little Lamb, who made thee?
Dost thou know who made thee?
Little Lamb, I'll tell thee,
Little Lamb, I'll tell thee.
He is called by thy name,
For He calls Himself a Lamb.
He is meek, and He is mild;
He became a little child.
I a child, and thou a lamb,
We are called by His name.
Little Lamb, God bless thee!
Little Lamb, God bless thee!
[1] thee, thou = you
[2] mead = meadow
[3] vales = valleys
9. “The Tyger”
Tyger! Tyger! burning bright
In the forest of the night
What immortal hand or eye
Could frame thy [1] fearful symmetry?
In what distant deeps or skies
Burnt the fire of thine [1] eyes?
On what wings dare he aspire?
What the hand dare seize the fire?
And what shoulder, and what art,
Could twist the sinews of thy heart?
And when thy heart began to beat,
What dread hand? and what dread feet?
What the hammer? what the chain?
In what furnace was thy brain?
What the anvil? what dread grasp
Dare its deadly terrors clasp?
When the stars threw down their spears,
And watered heaven with their tears,
Did he smile his work to see?
Did he who made the lamb make thee?
Tyger! Tyger! burning bright
In the forests of the night,
What immortal hand or eye
Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?
[1] thine, thy = your
