Songs of Innocence and Experience

This celebrated collection of poetry by Blake himself is notable for shaping many romantic notions of innocence and its corruption by experience. Echoing Milton s cerebral treatment of Paradise and the Fall as states of mind, The Songs of Innocence and of Experience explores the existential dimensions of childhood naïveté and adult wisdom. Notable for criticizing the corruptions of the church, the state, and the aristocracy, these poems remain thoughtful reflections on youth, perception, and the iniquities of society.