

SONGS OF INNOCENCE and OF EXPERIENCE - BY WILLIAM BLAKE
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
THE SHEPHERD
THE ECHOING GREEN
THE LAMB
THE LITTLE BLACK BOY
THE BLOSSOM
THE CHIMNEY-SWEEPER
A timeless collection unfolds in two contrasting halves, inviting listeners to wander through the bright fields of youthful wonder before stepping into the shadowed valleys of deeper awareness. The first part celebrates simple joys—shepherds guiding flocks, children playing on an echoing green, and a gentle lamb that whispers a quiet reverence for creation. Its verses are bright and rhythmic, offering a lyrical window onto innocence, hope, and the pure delight of everyday miracles.
The second half turns the same keen eye toward the harsher edges of life, questioning comfort and confronting loss, yet always with Blake’s vivid imagination and striking visual language. Poems such as “The Little Black Boy” and “The Chimney‑Sweeper” begin to probe identity, suffering, and social injustice, while retaining the musical cadence that makes each line memorable. Listeners will find a seamless blend of pastoral beauty and thoughtful critique, a journey that feels both comforting and provocatively fresh.
Language
en
Duration
~35 minutes (33K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Release date
1999-10-01
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1757–1827
A visionary poet, painter, and printmaker whose work blends childlike lyric beauty with bold spiritual and political imagination. Once little understood in his own lifetime, he is now seen as one of the defining voices of English Romanticism.
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