The Theme of Innocence in British Romantic Literature
Woven throughout the poetry of the Romantic era are major patterns or themes; one of the most prevailing themes is the state of innocence and its direct connection to the spiritual world. The Romantics used three major archetypes to represent the aforementioned theme: the child, the rustic, and the Noble Savage. In their untouched states, these characters were perfect examples of the purity to which many Romantics aspired. In this paper, I will explicate the theme of innocence (including its experience with the spiritual world) by presenting the manifestations of the theme in the poetry of particular Romantic authors. The theme of the innocent child saturates the works of William Blake. In Blake's poem "The Lamb," the speaker of the poem names himself a child and makes a direct comparison between himself and the lamb to whom he speaks. The lamb is referred to as "wooly bright" (white is the traditional color of purity) and wearing "clothing of delight" (joy is the traditional emotion of innocence). In essence, the speaker says that he is an innocent child by comparing himself to the innocent lamb. After the state of innocence is established, a spiritual connection is created:
" Wordsworth describes "a little cottage Girl" who has a "rustic, woodland air. This is a biblical reference to the birth of Isaac to Abraham and his wife. When he begins to interact with others and becomes a part of society, he loses his innocence and feels hate, wrath, and despondency. The innocence of the Hermit is created by his natural way of living and devotion to God. The connection Frankenstein's creation finds with God takes on two forms. The main points are that society and experience corrupt and distance you from the spiritual world. Thus, the child and the lamb experience the spiritual world most directly by living in the same way that Jesus lived, as meek and mild creatures of God. This information is indicative of the holy Hermit's extreme commitment to the spiritual and natural world. In William Wordsworth's "Michael," this theme prevails. However, the speaker, who is not a child of innocence, cannot see the connection or understand the cottage girl's reasoning. Blake, Wordsworth, and Shelley are not the only Romantic authors to use the theme of innocence, its archetypes, and spiritual connectedness. In fact, the better he cares for his flock, the closer he comes into contact with his spiritual alter ego. In other words, the eternal innocence is caused by his spirituality unlike the former poems; in those, the innocence caused the greater connection to holiness.
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