William Blake: Songs of Innocence and Experience

Welcome to the World of William Blake!

In this guide, we are diving into one of the most famous poetry collections ever written: Songs of Innocence and of Experience by William Blake. This is a core part of your OCR AS Level English Language and Literature course.

We will look at how Blake uses language to explore the "two contrary states of the human soul." Don't worry if the poems seem short or simple at first—Blake is a master of hiding big, powerful ideas in small packages. Think of him like a modern songwriter who uses catchy tunes to deliver hard-hitting messages about the world.

1. The Big Picture: What are the "Two Contrary States"?

Blake believed that we all see the world through different "filters." He called these Innocence and Experience.

Innocence: Imagine looking at the world through a child's eyes. Everything is full of wonder, nature is kind, and God is like a loving parent. In these poems, the language is often simple, repetitive, and musical.

Experience: Now imagine looking at the world as an adult who has seen how unfair life can be. This state is about corruption, social rules, and hardship. The language here is often darker, harsher, and more complex.

Memory Aid: The "Sunglasses" Analogy

Think of Innocence as wearing rose-tinted glasses—everything looks bright and hopeful. Think of Experience as wearing dark, gritty sunglasses—you see the shadows and the dirt that the rose-tinted glasses missed. Blake wants us to see that you need both views to understand the whole truth.

Quick Takeaway: These aren't just "happy" vs "sad" poems; they are different ways of seeing the same world. For your exam, you need to show how Blake’s language choices change depending on which "filter" he is using.

2. The "Language Levels": How to Analyze the Poetry

The OCR syllabus asks you to use stylistics. This just means looking at the "nuts and bolts" of the language. Let's break it down into four key areas:

A. Lexis and Semantics (Word Choice and Meaning)

In the Songs of Innocence, Blake uses lexical fields (groups of words) related to childhood and nature: lambs, flowers, weeping, laughing, green, bright.

In the Songs of Experience, the words shift to restraint and suffering: chartered, manacles, blackning, blood, briars, prison.

B. Phonology and Prosodics (Sound and Rhythm)

Blake wrote these as "songs," so the sound is vital.

Pattern-making: Many poems use a "nursery rhyme" rhythm (AABB or ABAB rhyme schemes). This makes the Innocence poems feel safe.

Pattern-breaking: When Blake wants to show that something is wrong in the world of Experience, he might break the rhythm or use harsh consonants (like 'b', 'p', 't'—called plosives) to make the poem sound jagged and uncomfortable.

C. Grammar and Morphology (Structure)

Look for Parallelism. This is when Blake repeats a sentence structure to emphasize a point.

Example: In the poem 'London', he repeats "In every..." four times. This creates a feeling of being trapped—no matter where you look, the suffering is the same. This is a great example of linguistic repetition.

D. Pragmatics (Context and Hidden Meanings)

This is about reading between the lines. Blake was writing during the Industrial Revolution and the French Revolution. When he mentions "blackning churches" or "palace walls," he isn't just describing buildings; he is attacking the institutions (the Church and the Government) that he felt were hurting people.

Quick Review Box:
• Innocence: Simple lexis, soft sounds, predictable rhythms.
• Experience: Harsher lexis, plosive sounds, broken or heavy rhythms.
• Key Technique: Look for where the pattern breaks—that’s where the "meaning" usually hides!

3. Key Techniques: Repetition and Deviation

The syllabus highlights pattern-making and deviation (breaking the pattern). This is one of the easiest ways to get high marks!

Step-by-Step: How to Spot a Pattern Break

1. Identify the Pattern: Does the poem have a steady "ta-DUM, ta-DUM" beat (iambic)? Is the rhyme scheme simple (AABB)?
2. Find the Deviation: Look for a line that suddenly has too many syllables, or a rhyme that doesn't quite fit (a half-rhyme).
3. Explain the Effect: Ask yourself, "Why did Blake break the music here?" Usually, it's because the subject matter has become "broken" or painful.

Did you know? Blake was also an artist! He engraved these poems onto copper plates with illustrations. The visual layout of the poem on the page is part of its "discourse"—how it communicates with the reader.

4. Comparing the "Contrary" Poems

A big part of your exam will be exploring connections between poems. Blake often wrote "paired" poems with the same title or subject to show the two different perspectives.

The Lamb (Innocence) vs. The Tyger (Experience)

• The Lamb: Uses gentle interrogatives (questions) like "Little Lamb, who made thee?" and then provides a gentle answer. It uses repetition to sound like a lullaby.
• The Tyger: Also uses questions, but none of them are answered. The rhythm is driving and powerful, like a hammer hitting an anvil. The lexis of "fire," "dread," and "hammer" suggests a world that is dangerous and industrial.

Common Mistake to Avoid:

Don't just say "The Tyger is about a scary animal." Instead, say: "Blake uses lexis from the field of industry and rhetorical questions to explore the terrifying power of creation in the state of Experience."

5. The Importance of Context

To understand the language of poetry, you need to know why Blake was so angry at the world.

1. The Industrial Revolution: London was becoming crowded and dirty. Blake uses words like "chartered" (meaning mapped out and owned) to show how nature was being destroyed by greed.
2. Child Labor: Blake was horrified that children were used as chimney sweeps. In his poems, "soot" and "black" represent the way society destroys Innocence.
3. Organized Religion: Blake loved God but hated the "Church" as an institution. He often uses irony when mentioning priests or bells to show they are failing the poor.

Key Takeaway: Context isn't just "history facts." It's the reason behind Blake's language choices. He uses symbolism (like a rose or a chimney sweeper) to represent these huge social issues.

6. Final Summary Checklist

When you are writing your essay, check if you have covered these "Stylistic" points:

- Lexis: Have you noted the difference between the "soft" words of Innocence and "hard" words of Experience?
- Phonology: Have you mentioned the meter (rhythm) and how it creates a "song-like" feel?
- Imagery: Have you explained how Blake’s metaphors (like the "mind-forged manacles") describe social problems?
- Connections: Have you linked an Innocence poem to an Experience poem to show the "contrary states"?

Don't worry if this seems tricky at first! The best way to learn Blake is to read the poems out loud. Once you hear the "music" of the lines, the patterns (and the moments where they break) will become much clearer. Happy studying!