Songs of Innocence and of Experience

From the moment Don McLean’s song “American Pie” entered the public’s collective consciousness, it became an instant classic. The complexity of the lyrics has been the subject of debate and discussion for more than four decades and remains an integral part of American history and culture. In “American Pie,” McLean’s continuous use of metaphor, change in time period after each chorus, and recurring symbol equating music to happiness create a song indicative of the societal and political conflicts…

The name Myop represents myopia which means nearsightedness. The innocence of a child causes them to see only what is in front of them. As an innocent young girl, growing up in the south, Myop did not have a care or worry as most ten year olds do not. Her innocence is demonstrated as the story states as she skipped lightly. With her stick she worked out the beat of a song on the fence around the pigpen. Nothing existing but her song shows how carefree and happy-go-lucky Myop is (“Flowers”).…

through the use of psychological manipulation and physical control whilst Blake’s society relies on impossible promises of a Utopias after a life of misery. Blake’s religious apocalypse involves a progression from ‘Chimney Sweep’ in songs of innocence and of experience and an acceptance of the two contrary states if the human soul. An antithesis between death and life, coldness and warmth, darkness and light. Blake attacks the religious authorities in the line “If…

quickly through them. The longer we dwell on our misfortunes, the greater is their power to harm us.”(Book 6, Voltaire) An experience that can improve human life, where disappointment is the important passage from innocence to experience, which is the experience of our own self being. The innocence represents childhood, the period of naivety, honesty and honor. Whereas, the experience qualifies through the journey of the human spirit, the disappointment that comes from it, the harsh reality of…

Comparing Essay “The Stolen Child” by William Butler Yeats and “Cat's in the Cradle” by Harry Chapin both explore the concept of loss of childhood innocence. Yeats’ poem explain the story of a feary tempting a child to escape the “weeping” of his human world while chapines song recount the experience of the distant relationship between a father and son. Both work share moments in life of a child that is important to not miss out on family moment. Both pieces conduct an…

ENGL 221 19 Apr. 2017 The Unromantic Side of Innocence According to Merriam Webster Dictionary, the word “innocence” is defined in three different ways: “freedom from guilt or sin through being unacquainted with evil,” “lack of knowledge,” and “lack of worldly experience or sophistication” (“Innocence”). These three definitions apply to the persona of William Blake’s poem “The Chimney Sweeper,” which was featured in his poem collection Songs of Innocence. The chimney sweeper is guiltless, both…

paper is to dissect the aspect of innocence and experience. The theme is found in many pieces of literature such as: movies, songs, poems, and plays. Innocence and experience is compared often and how it is applied in real life applications from childhood to adulthood. Random quotes are used to show that innocence and experience is usual. To properly analyze the theme, the album, Trilogy by The Weeknd is used as an example to display innocence and how experience changed the narrator and the…

In the article “The Language of Speakers in Songs of Innocence and of Experience” by Harriet Kramer Linkin, the author states that William Blake uses idiolects that demonstrate how characters organize their way of thinking. He believes that Blake’s use of linguistic patterns were interrupted by verbal differences that made up an ironic tension that inspires us to look at the bigger picture and reality of it all. In “The Chimney Sweeper” (of innocence), Blake uses imagery to represent biblical…

What makes us who we are? That is the question. At times we wonder what makes a person be who they are. Primarily, several factors affect who we they are and the way people turn out in life. Such as family,culture, and life experiences. With an understanding of these factors we are able to answer the question, what makes us who we are?. Family, is one of the many factors that go into making us who we are. In the novel The Outsiders by S.E Hinton Ponyboy’s gang is like his family and they affect…

Holden Caulfield, a sixteen year old boy, has an intense fear of change as well as growing up; however, after this experience he is more open and understanding of the necessity it is for development. In the novel Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, the pivotal moment in the psychological development of Holden Caulfield is watching Phoebe on the carousel, because it reveals the author’s message that growing up is a necessity. Throughout the majority of the novel, Holden searched for answers…