AP Literature Assignment #3

     The book, Songs of Innocence and  Experience, by William Blake, is about different life experiences (maybe not necessarily Blake's life). In my opinion, these poems are very profound and insightful.
     The themes in this book are the innocence and the experiences that happen in people's lives. The innocence can be quoted as, "The sun does arise, And make happy the skies;...To the bells' cheerful sound; While our sports shall be seen On the echoing green." (The Echoing Green; lines 1-2, 8-10; Songs of Innocence). Everyone is happy in this poem. The experience can be quoted as, "My mother groaned, my father wept:...struggling in my father's hands, striving against my swaddling bands,..." (Infant Sorrow; lines 1-2, 6-8; Songs of Experiences). This quote is like a life struggle.
     The poetry's theme deals with love, death, and peace. It deals with all of these because it"s main focus are things that happen in life. This quote shows love, "O He gives to us His joy, That our grief He may destroy: Till our grief is fled and gone He doth sit by us and moan." (On Another's Sorrow; lines 35-38; Songs of Innocence). By my understanding of religion, the 'H' in He and His is a reference to God. This poem is about God's love. The following quote represents death, "They stripped him to his little shirt, And bound him in an iron chain, And burned him in a holy place...The weeping parents wept in vain." (A Little Boy Lost; lines 25-28, 30-31; Songs of Experience). These people might not have killed the boy but there is an eerie and death feel to the poem. This book also shows a peace theme. "Sweet dreams, form a shade O'er my lovely infant's head! Sweet dreams of pleasant streams By happy, silent, moony beams!" (A Cradle Song; lines 1-4; Songs of Innocence). This describes peacefulness through an infant.
     Lost and happiness are other themes in this poem book. There are a few poems that represent being lost. This lost poem is from Songs of Innocence, "Father, father, where are you going? O do not walk so fast!...Or else I shall be lost.'...and child did weep." (The Little Boy Lost; lines 1-3, 4, 8-9). In this quote, the little boy is sad that he is lost and can't find his father. This other poem is from Songs of Experience, "Seven summers old Lovely Lyca told. She had wandered long...'Lost in desert wild Is your little child...her mother weep?" (The Little Girl Lost; lines 13-15, 21-22, 24). This describes the lost theme. Happiness is also found in this book. "When the painted birds laugh in the shade,...come live, and be merry, and join with me To sing the sweet chorus of 'Ha ha he!" (Laughing Song; lines 16-17, 19-22; Songs of Innocence). This poem describes happiness and laughter.
     There are many concepts in these poems but the most important ones would be just to live your life; and to know that you're not perfect, therefore your life's not going to be perfect. You should also always try to stay happy because you never know when happiness can be taken away from you forever. Also there is no historical content.
     Innocence, experience, love, death, peace, lost, and happiness are several of the many other themes in this poem book. Overall, these poems were very interesting to read and to think about. There was plenty of innocence, happiness, experience, and just basically life; different situations in life to be specific.