It is hard to place William Blake within a specific time frame, as
he was just ahead of the Romantic poets and many years after the Neoclassical
poets. However, one aspect that attracts readers to this poet is his use of
symbolism. He skillfully employed a variety of symbols, some of which are
common but used in very unique or different ways. Blake is famous for his
book Songs of Innocence and of Experience, which contains several
poems.
Songs of Innocence presents its poems in
a more innocent way, while Songs of Experience contains poems
that are more complex and often convey a sad and dark tone.
In Songs of Innocence, we find various symbols that
are distinct yet easy to interpret. For example, the lamb symbolizes innocence
and is also a symbol of Jesus Christ. The figures of the shepherd and the
father represent God, who looks after His children or people.
In Songs of Innocence, Blake often highlights the
happy side of life. That is why his chimney sweepers initially appear to be
relatively less unhappy. The nurse is also not unhappy, and throughout the
poems in Songs of Innocence, there is an overall sense of joy and
pleasure.
On the contrary, in Songs of Experience, some poems
share the same titles as those in Songs of Innocence, but they
present a much darker picture of society. For example, The Sick Rose is
one such poem. The poem London depicts a very sorrowful image
of the people in London. The contrast between the two Chimney Sweeper poems
illustrates that in Songs of Experience, the chimney sweeper is
portrayed as a boy who endures immense suffering and is utterly miserable. He
has no hope and no future. Thus, the chimney sweeper itself serves as a
powerful symbol for thousands of poor children who have endured great hardship
and lack any prospects.
Blake frequently used religious symbols, but he also incorporated
social symbols at times. For example, the shepherd and the lamb are both
religious symbols, whereas the chimney sweeper serves as a social symbol.
In the poems of Songs of Innocence, many of the
symbols represent goodness, while in Songs of Experience, they tend
to symbolize evil.
In Songs of Innocence, Blake used many symbols from
the Bible, which is why we see more religious symbols. However, in the poems
of Songs of Experience, he uses his own imaginative symbols. As a
result, if we do not understand the background of the poems or the background
of William Blake, it becomes difficult to interpret these symbols.
Blake’s strong use of symbolism demonstrates his greatness as a
poet. Following him, the Romantic poets emerged, and this period is often
regarded as the golden age or the greatest age of English poetry. Blake was the
forerunner of this age, and his exceptional skill in using symbols explains why
he is often ranked among the Romantic poets.
