Songs of Innocence, and Songs of Experience

William Blake was an English artist, mystic and poet, who is considered a founder of poetry and visual arts of the Romantic Age. Because of idiosyncratic and liberal views, Blake was considered mad by contemporaries. Nevertheless, he is held in high regard by later critics for his expressiveness and creativity. 


‘Songs of Innocence, and Songs of Experience’ is a collections of poems, appeared in two phases. ‘Songs of Innocence’ (1789) represents the 19 poems, written from the child’s point of view, of innocent wonderment and spontaneity. Songs of Experience (1794) contains 26 poems in response to ones from Innocence, suggesting ironic contrasts as the child matures and learns of such concepts as fear and envy. 


You have a great opportunity to enjoy the poems about, as author put it in the subtitle, 'the two contrary states of the human soul'.