Songs of Innocence and Experience
William Blake
William Blake’s volume of poetry entitled Songs of Innocence and Experience is the embodiment of his belief that innocence and experience were “the two contrary states of the human soul,” and that true innocence was impossible without experience. Songs of Innocence contains poems either written from the perspective of children or written about them. Many of the poems appearing in Songs of Innocence have a counterpart in Songs of Experience, with quite a different perspective of the world. The disastrous end of the French Revolution caused Blake to lose faith in the goodness of mankind, explaining much of the despair found in Songs of Experience. Blake also believed that children lost their innocence through exploitation and from a religious community which put dogma before mercy. He did not, however, believe that children should be kept from becoming experienced entirely. In truth, he believed that children should indeed become experienced but through their own discoveries, which is reflected in a number of these poems. (Summary adapted from Wikipedia by Annie Coleman)
Author - William Blake.
Narrator - LibriVox Community.
Published Date - Thursday, 19 January 2023.
Location:
United States
Description:
William Blake’s volume of poetry entitled Songs of Innocence and Experience is the embodiment of his belief that innocence and experience were “the two contrary states of the human soul,” and that true innocence was impossible without experience. Songs of Innocence contains poems either written from the perspective of children or written about them. Many of the poems appearing in Songs of Innocence have a counterpart in Songs of Experience, with quite a different perspective of the world. The disastrous end of the French Revolution caused Blake to lose faith in the goodness of mankind, explaining much of the despair found in Songs of Experience. Blake also believed that children lost their innocence through exploitation and from a religious community which put dogma before mercy. He did not, however, believe that children should be kept from becoming experienced entirely. In truth, he believed that children should indeed become experienced but through their own discoveries, which is reflected in a number of these poems. (Summary adapted from Wikipedia by Annie Coleman) Author - William Blake. Narrator - LibriVox Community. Published Date - Thursday, 19 January 2023.
Language:
English
Chapter 1
Duration:00:01:28
Chapter 2
Duration:00:00:59
Chapter 3
Duration:00:01:34
Chapter 4
Duration:00:01:27
Chapter 5
Duration:00:02:55
Chapter 6
Duration:00:01:05
Chapter 7
Duration:00:02:43
Chapter 8
Duration:00:00:52
Chapter 9
Duration:00:00:50
Chapter 10
Duration:00:01:09
Chapter 11
Duration:00:02:18
Chapter 12
Duration:00:01:40
Chapter 13
Duration:00:02:10
Chapter 14
Duration:00:02:52
Chapter 15
Duration:00:01:22
Chapter 16
Duration:00:01:39
Chapter 17
Duration:00:01:08
Chapter 18
Duration:00:01:37
Chapter 19
Duration:00:02:32
Chapter 20
Duration:00:01:33
Chapter 21
Duration:00:01:53
Chapter 22
Duration:00:01:35
Chapter 23
Duration:00:01:54
Chapter 24
Duration:00:03:05
Chapter 25
Duration:00:03:05
Chapter 26
Duration:00:01:48
Chapter 27
Duration:00:01:32
Chapter 28
Duration:00:00:58
Chapter 29
Duration:00:01:30
Chapter 30
Duration:00:01:38
Chapter 31
Duration:00:02:37
Chapter 32
Duration:00:01:02
Chapter 33
Duration:00:01:17
Chapter 34
Duration:00:01:11
Chapter 35
Duration:00:01:43
Chapter 36
Duration:00:01:49
Chapter 37
Duration:00:02:01
Chapter 38
Duration:00:02:25
Chapter 39
Duration:00:01:27
Chapter 40
Duration:00:02:02
Chapter 41
Duration:00:02:03
Chapter 42
Duration:00:02:14
Chapter 43
Duration:00:01:00
Chapter 44
Duration:00:01:19
Chapter 45
Duration:00:01:59
Chapter 46
Duration:00:01:26
Chapter 47
Duration:00:01:16