ESSAY CEMETERY

Songs of Innocence Introduction A child, delighted by the songs of a piper, urges him to put them in writing. The Little Black Boy A mother teaches her black son that after long travail on earth, god awaits, as well as heaven, where everyone is equal. The Chimney Sweeper Little boy Tom has a dream that an angel releases all the chimney sweepers  to heaven, and is comforted. Infant Joy A two day old baby is joyful and wishes joy upon others. Songs of Experience The Chimney Sweep A chimney sweep, who is unhappy, blames his church-going parents and the church for his misery. The Sick Rose A worm destroys a rose The Tyger The speaker wonders at the power of a tiger, and wonders that it was created by the same entity as the lamb. The Garden of Love The garden of Eden turns into a graveyard after a church is built in it. Illustration by William Blake

THEMES AND CORRESPONDING QUOTATIONS Songs of Innocence Joy Piping songs of pleasant glee Children And I wrote my happy songs, Every child may joy to hear Meta-art The white race is superior to the black heathen race My mother bore me in the southern wild, And I am black, but O! my soul is white Tolerance My mother bore me in the southern wild, And I am black, but O! my soul is white; White as an angel is the English child Nature God Suffering is temporary, god brings relief Man as innocent (lambs) In heaven everyone is the same Songs of Experience Meta-art: the poet as see-all, prophet Hear the voice of the Bard! Who Present, Past, & Future sees; Whose ears have heard The Holy Word Criticism about the church ``And because I am happy & dance & sing, They think they have done me no injury, And are gone to praise God & his Priest & King, Who make up a heaven of our misery.'...