Homework - William Blake's Poetry
.docx
keyboard_arrow_up
School
Lamar University *
*We aren’t endorsed by this school
Course
2322
Subject
English
Date
Dec 6, 2023
Type
docx
Pages
1
Uploaded by DeanRose3808
Homework – William Blake’s Poetry.
1)
Read the following poems from the Norton (pages 48-64):
From
Songs of Innocence
:
“The Lamb,” “Holy Thursday,” and “Nurse’s Song.”
Read the following poems from the
Norton from
Songs of Experience:
“The Tyger,” “Holy Thursday,” and “Nurse’s Song.”
These are all poems that appear in both
Songs of Innocence
and
Songs of Experience
.
Some of the poems have the same name in each of these books – you should read “Holy
Thursday” and “Nurse’s Song” from each of these two books.
“The Lamb” dialogs with
“The Tyger.”
2)
For each of these poems, summarize the meaning in at least 2 sentences.
-
1. “The Lamb”: The poem uses the lamb to symbolize purity as the poet asks if it
knows of its creator. The poem focuses on faith in God as he keeps you alive and
well, even if you do not know of it.
-
2. “Holy Thursday”: The poem symbolizes the purity of children during a Holy day.
The use of the lamb imagery ties the poem to innocence and Christ.
-
3. “Nurse’s Song”: The poem is about the purity of children and them enjoying
youthful play. The poem uses the joys of childhood to remind the reader of their
youth.
-
4. “The Tyger”: The poem questions the creation of the tiger. The tiger represents
natures savagery and the poet questions if the one who created the innocent lamb also
created the deadly tiger.
-
5. “Holy Thursday”: This poem counters the one from songs of innocence by pointing
out that the children are being forced to participate in this. It furthers this point by
pointing out that the children are made to be happy and joyous while the people are
poor and starving.
-
6. Nurse’s Song”: The poem is about the nurse from the first one being reminded of
her youth, and she calls the children inside for the night. The poem comments on the
realities of life and how the children are wasting their days playing and being
carefree.
3)
Each of these three poems in
Songs of Innocence
has a companion poem in
Songs of
Experience
.
How do each of the poems dialog with one another?
Compare each of the
companion poems and explain what Blake is trying to say as one compares them.
You
should write at least 5 sentences.
The poems and their counters are all very interesting and complement each other
perfectly. The Lamb and the Tyger are my favorite examples, as the two both deal with
the creation of a creature by God. They contrast by the lamb being a symbol of purity and
innocence, and the tiger being a symbol of nature’s savagery. The two poems set up a
question the poet wants answered, why would a god that would create something as pure
as the lamb, also create something that can destroy that innocence. The overall point I
believe he was trying to make with the two songs was that as you age your outlook on life
will change and you will become more cynical.
Discover more documents: Sign up today!
Unlock a world of knowledge! Explore tailored content for a richer learning experience. Here's what you'll get:
- Access to all documents
- Unlimited textbook solutions
- 24/7 expert homework help