Subjects:
and experience what life has to offer. At some point, these experiences seep into our
being and transform us from the innocent babe of childhood into a supposedly “mature”
adult. What causes this theft of innocence? Do we all succumb in the end? These issues
are brought forth in a book of poetry by William Blake. The first section of his work
deals with the idea of our blossoming innocence. Once he has fully developed this theme,
he moves on to critique the idea of “experience” and the benefits or drawbacks contained
within. To juxtaposes these two very contrasting ideas, Blake writes paired poems that
are contained within the separate sections. He is trying to show us each notion through its
opposite and presenting the belief that one’s view is dependent solely upon the attitude
with which one perceives the situations surrounding him. The idea that we can only
understand a theme through the eyes of it’s opposite is nothing new. Along these lines
we see that innocence can only be viewed when it is lacking and you are in a state of
experience. Our view of experience cannot be seen in this sa
. . .
games from a distance. She watches these children in the distance and is envious of their current
innocence and ability to play in the field without care. It
appears that the nurse of experience has yet to realize that what she has endured was
necessary for her being. After this though, the differences begin to emerge. She
doesn’t say that they have wasted their day, just that the night is coming and it is time to
retreat into the house:
Then come home my children, the sun is gone down. ” The laughter of the first scene is
supposed to be shared with those all around while the “whisprings” are concealing
something that lies beneath. It is
impossible to directly view “experience” in a state of innocence because we have not yet
entered into this realm of being; therefore, we can only view and judge our new found
experience through the memories we hold onto of our original innocence. She proceeds by saying that their play is a
waste of time. By becoming “pale” (NURSES 4)
we see that she is sickened in some way, perhaps by the revelation that she squandered
the precious time of innocence she held so long ago. This difference continues in the next line, “My heart is at
rest within my breast” (Nurse’s 3). Directly opposed to this idea are the next two
lines from the “NURSES Song:”
The days of my youth rise fresh in my mind,
My face turns green and pale. To understand this
difference, we must abstract the children and “light” (Nurse’s 13) in a certain way. These similarities concrete the connection between the two opening scenes of
children at play.
Essay's Topics
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