Blakes view of innocence

[aceness2005]

hey everybody I need help with my exam preparation! I was asked to conduct background research on William Blake and what the words innocence and experience actually meant to him but wherever I look I just keep getting conflicting views. Does anybody have any clear, definite ideas? Would really appreciate your help!

xx :nod:

[Yorkshirelady]

Hello, I'm studying Blake at the moment as well so I hope I can help a little.
As far as I can make out, Blake wrote the innocence poems to difine love in a spiritual sense. Blake viewed innocence as being an inexperienced mind, where a person is closer to God as the mind is unclogged with material thoughts - like a child. In innocence 'The Chimney Sweeper' is unaware of being exploited and accepts his fate happily in the knowledge that when he dies he will go to heaven. Experience is just the opposite but then even a child can loose it's innocence easily such as 'The Chimney Sweeper' who knows he is exploited by his parents and the Church.
Blake was not really interested in the Church (mainly influenced by Swedenborg) but considered love to be the real key to spirituality. Did not like institutions including the Church.
Hope I have been some help.

[aceness2005]

Thats really interesting and thankyou for your help it was really useful. I did some of my own research from two analysis books of Blakes songs of Innocence and Experience and found that his 'voice of a child' is used to capture the naivety of innocence (or ignorance?) and how blind conformity is exposed and abused by people such as the Church in Blakes day. Your ideas reinforce this so I'll make a really in-depth presentation now, thanks a lot
:D
xx

[Jean-Baptiste]

I'm sure it's rather late to get in on this particular discussion, but I have a question along these lines. It's really about a source. I read somewhere (it may have been online) an explanation of Blake's major themes, and that he was essentially positing that (loosely quoted) True Innocence comes only after True Experience. That may be close to a direct quote, but I'm not sure, as it has been several years since I saw it. In any case, I agreed with it completely, and it really demonstrates that Blakes idea of innocence is not merely inexperience. In the midst of the two opposing states (experience and innocence) is placed an intrinsic idea of repentance. Therefore, one is not born innocent, in Blakes view, one acquires innocence.
The statement has helped me greatly in my studies of Blakes work, most so for "The Book of Los" and "The Marriage of Heaven and Hell."
Can anyone help me locate the quote?
Does anyone agree or disagree with the statement?

[Evey8]

Many of Blake's Songs of Innocence doesn't depict an innocent and happy world because many of them incorporate elements of suffering, injustice and evil. I read once that these aspects of the fallen world are represented as they appear to a "state" of the human soul that Blake calls "innocence". I think this is evident in the companion poems "The Lamb" and "The Tyger". But maybe I'm wrong.. any ideas?

[dilaram]

with these comments you are ALL right on the money :thumbs_up

this bkwsu.org is how i know whom i am and what i am (Soul) and that what i was writing about ultimately (without realising in the emerged sense at the time....is that God is too) however the fundemental differance is God never takes a body of matter, only our ethereal ETHER REAL (ROYAL)

so let's Hope it is in your fortune to collect your inheritance......God's WILL

:idea: