Songs of Innocence and Experience Summary
William Blake

Songs of Innocence and Experience Overview

Songs of Innocence and of Experience, by William Blake, is a synthesis of two collections of poetry composed in 1789 in which the poet examines the state of innocence and how it may be preserved or lost. Throughout the two books, Blake takes aim at certain societal institutions, such as the church and the educational system, and criticizes such hallmarks of contemporary society for the way in which they inhibit the imagination and repress individual expression. In doing so, the poet enlists the help of a wide cast of characters, from the lowly glow-worm to God. The book explores major themes such as the innocence of youth, the relationship between humans and nature, the guardianship of God, the duality of nature, issues with organized religion, the loss of innocence, imagination versus reason, nature versus industry, the different forms of love, and the immortality of language.