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    Songs of Innocence and of Experience
    Songs of Innocence and of Experience
    Songs of Innocence and of Experience
    Audiobook51 minutes

    Songs of Innocence and of Experience

    Written by William Blake

    Narrated by Sarah Bacaller, Kendra Murray, Rosalind Murphy and

    4/5

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    About this audiobook

    This collection arguably contains some of the most charming lyrics ever written in English. The childlike simplicity and trust of these artless verses are unique.

    Blake’s poems can be enjoyed, not only for their historical importance in an age which was fiercely proud of its genius and its traditions, but also for their simple and beautiful expression of “two contrary states of the human soul.”

    Songs of Innocence was originally a complete collection of twenty-three poems, first printed in 1789. In 1794, a composite collection entitled Songs of Innocence and of Experience, containing forty-seven poems, was published.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBlackstone Publishing
    TranslatorWilliam Blake
    Release dateJul 2, 2024
    ISBN9798874825584
    Author

    William Blake

    William Blake was born in London in 1757. He was apprenticed to a master engraver and then studied at the Royal Academy under the guidance of Joshua Reynolds. In 1789 he engraved and published Songs of Innocence and the contrasting Songs of Experience came later in 1794. A poet, painter and printmaker of great originality and imagination, his work was largely unrecognized during his lifetime and he struggled to make a living. Blake is now considered a seminal figure in the history of both the poetry and visual arts of the Romantic Age. He died in 1827.

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    Reviews for Songs of Innocence and of Experience

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    • 3/5
      This was reportedly the only book (actually two) with which William Blake had a very modest commercial success during his life (1757-1827). And I can understand that: compared to his later work, these early poems still come across as very appealing. Songs of Innocence (1789) offers what the title suggests: children's verses and songs, very pastoral, with many sheep, children and angels. There some shadowy sides (such as in the Chimney Sweeper), but it always ends well, the stories radiate confidence and security, especially in God. But that pleasing simplicity is deceptive, as evidenced by Songs of Experience (1794), published 5 years later. This is very different in tone, much more somber and even grim, “it is eternal winter there”. Blake has clearly constructed this as a negative reflection of the first book. Of course, an evergreen in this tome is the Tiger poem, which is perhaps best known for its rhythmic alliterations, but which actually ingeniously confronts us with the question of evil in the world: why does the God, who appears as the caring father in the first book, tolerates such horrible animals to exist? Here, Blake clearly shows that he has much more to offer than nursery rhymes.
    • 4/5
      Beautiful language, not always about beautiful experiences.
    • 2/5
      Illustrated poetry, mostly on religious topics.1.5/4 (Meh)."Songs of Innocence" is trite garbage about how Jesus loves you. "Experience" has a lot more craft, but still basically just pushes immature philosophy. And I really do not understand what people see in the art. Is it just that it was expensive to reproduce (and therefor fancy) for a couple centuries?
    • 4/5
      First of all, I would like to state in my defense that I picked up this slim volume days before I started freaking out about getting to 50 books by any means necessary. Ever since I catalogued my poetry shelf, I've been making an effort to get more of it read. Plus, in the story currently in my head, I'm a teacher, leading a unit on poetry. And apparently now I'm doing research for the stories I tell myself on long walks and as I fall asleep.

      Yes? Well, okay. I don't know exactly what I was expecting when I first picked this up, but it certainly wasn't the poems I found in Songs of Innocence. This first volume is so excessively sweet, devoid of any hint of adult cynicism, that I felt a bit unmoored, and it actually took me days to work my way through them. It wasn't until I made it into Songs of Experience and heard the call and response between volumes that everything fell into place. Each side is illuminated and brought into relief by the other.

      This volume contains what must surely be one of the most famous poems in the English language -- "The Tyger," which somehow I think I had never previously read in its entirety, though certainly I have seen its opening lines quoted often enough. Myself, I prefer "the Little Vagabond."

      Worth its reputation after all, I'd have to say.
    • 4/5
      My copy of William Blake's 'Songs of Innocence and of Experience' features Blake's original plates on one page and his poems typed out on the other. The pictures are strange, ornate, exquisite and the poems are poignant and beautiful, about children and nature, the Chimney Sweeper and the Echoing Green. More famous poems appear in the Songs of Experience, The Sick Rose and the Tyger. The work is visionary and shows sensitivity, depth and a great social conscience.
    • 5/5
      Songs of Innocence and of Experience remains a favorite of mine. The concept is brilliant-- illustrated poetry. Blake paints a beautiful picture with the poem woven into it. The words are so small I'm not sure how he actually got them on there. I told my daughter she should try to do a painting "Blake-style" with a poem woven into the picture.

      Some of my favorite Blake poems are found in this collection: "The Lamb" and "The Tiger." But I read some new ones that I also really enjoyed. The first half of the book contains the Songs of Innocence and the poems reflect that theme with sweet poems of God and children and Shepherds, etc. Many of these poems in the Songs of Innocence seem like lullabies.

      The second half contains the Songs of Experience, with more emphasis on pain, poverty, and sin. The cover picture for Songs of Experience is a picture of someone dead on their bed. It sets the tone for the whole last part. Is the first part like the Garden of Eden—Innocence, and Experience--post Garden? The title is Songs of Innocence and Of Experience: Shewing the Two Contrary States of the Human Soul. So is that contrasting good and evil? Here are some examples of his criticism.

      Holy Thursday was pointed, “Is this a holy thing to see,/In a rich and fruitful land,/Babes reduced to misery,/ Fed with cold and usurious hand?” This was critical of children in poverty.

      The poem Garden of Love, I found very critical of the church. The garden had a church built there and it was now filled with tombstones instead of flowers; and priests in black robes were binding with briars. Where he used to play was no longer a garden of love!

      London was very critical of the city. Phrases like “Harlot’s curse” “blood down palace walls” “marriage hearse” “Infants cry” etc. really paints a bleak picture of the city.
    • 4/5
      Despite their age, these poems really sing to me: "Get with child a mandrake root...."
    • 3/5
      I like Blake´s poetry but not his content. The structure, the rhythm and rhyme, the length of the poems I enjoyed; the subject matter, especially in the Songs of Innocence was too much 'little lamb of God' for my tastes.

      That said, this book is very short and does contain some treasures - most notably The Tiger - so I would recommend it to anyone who, like myself, is trying to acquire some knowledge of poetry.
    • 3/5
      Blake wrote some good poems, but I didn't particularly like most of them.
    • 5/5
      Songs of Innocence and Experience are William Blake's two most famous books. The best way to read them is as the artist intended, with a facsimile of the original artwork/poems. They are admittedly a little strange and opaque at first but its possible to pry out some double meanings to discover the "contrary states of the human soul," and if not that, at least enjoy some mirth and joy in lightness of being.
    • 5/5
      I started reading this from the age of twelve. Still love it, and find it deeply meaningful.
    • 5/5
      Blake's collection of ballad-like poems. Deceptively simple and direct, but often more complex and difficult than they seem.
    • 4/5
      The contrast between the songs of innocence and the songs of experience is amazing. Blake is at the same time vague and descriptive. The subtleties in his meter are fantastic! I love reading these and analyzing the intention and the meaning behind them. There are so many points of view one could take.
    • 5/5
      Interesting Poems to Compare and Contrast: Interesting poems to compare and contrast - definitely a must for any literature student. Moreover, if you're interested in the different movements, as Blake was a key figure in bringing Romanticism into poetry.
    • 5/5
      A gorgeous book
    • 5/5
      One of the few poets that have stayed and grown with me. And the artwork!
    • 4/5
      This is a beautiful edition of Blake's poems. I've used this a lot in school.