William Blake was one of England's great poets. His diversity and insight in human nature is truly masterful, being able to write in the voice of a young child with all the innocence this brings and then in the voice of an adult. Blake did write of dreams and sunny days, angels, little ones leaping, shouting, and laughing, but to Blake these were all Songs of Innocence. A child had not experienced enough to "know" that life was dreadful, dreary, cruel, and merciless. Going through many of lifes experiences hardened him to life and perhaps was the insperation for Songs of Experience. Blake was able to take a happy poem, with laughter and sun and such, and change it only slightly to change it to a much darker tone.
             William Blake was born in 1757 and had no formal education. He lived in or near London for most of his life. Consequently, London became the subject of much of his work. He was well read in the Bible, Milton and Greek and Latin classic literature, evident throughout his work. Blake, witnessing his brother's death, remarked that he saw his brother's soul "ascend heavenward clapping its hands for joy." Blake continued, from that point on, to feel Robert's inspirational influence over his work. When Blake's brother, Robert, died in 1787 he reported to have been visited by not only his dead brother but Old Testament prophets (104-105). During one such visitation from his brother, Blake was given the method of "Illuminated Printing" which he would use in many of his works (104-105).
             In Songs of Innocence Blake asks, as a child, to play a song that is cheerful and sits down to finish by writing the songs in a book so all who read it will be happy and cheerful. Blake shows his mastery of the language in writing these two books. He is able to take one poem and change only a few words and make the tone completely different. For example, starting with Introduction in the Songs of Innocence William Blake had written in the voice o...