🌿 NURSE’S SONG (INNOCENCE) — Q&A FLASHCARDS

What scene does the poem open with?

An idyllic image of children playing outdoors, whose joyful sounds create harmony in the speaker.

What happens when the sun goes down?

The nurse urges the children to come home, but they argue that nature is still awake so they should keep playing.

How does the nurse respond to the children’s protest?

She agrees to let them play longer until it is truly dark.

What does the poem celebrate?

Innocence and imagination, manifested in childhood and appreciated by the nurse.

How does the poem depict the relationship between innocence and experience?

Experience (the nurse) cares for and nurtures innocence (the children).

What harmony does the poem emphasise?

Harmony between humans and nature, and the natural cycles they follow.

What does the poem remind us about innocence and experience?

That they are interdependent — one cannot exist meaningfully without the other.

Who is the poem instructing?

Adults — it teaches how children ought to be treated: with freedom, empathy, and trust.

What is the focus of stanza 1?

The nurse listens to children playing and finds joy in their happiness.

How does Blake use auditory imagery in “voices of children… laughing on the hill”?

It fills the landscape with children’s joy, creating harmony between nature and play.

What is the effect of placing the children “on the hill”?

It elevates innocence physically and symbolically, celebrating childhood vitality.

What does “My heart is at rest within my breast” suggest about the nurse?

She is soothed by the children’s joy; their innocence brings her peace.

What does the stillness in “everything else is still” imply?

The children’s happiness suspends time, creating a moment of eternal innocence.

What does the imperative “Then come home” reveal?

An abrupt adult tone introducing duty, concern, and structure.

What does the possessive “my children” suggest?

A protective, nurturing sense of responsibility.

How does “the dews of night arise” function?

Pathetic fallacy signalling the ominous world of night — and foreshadowing the darker tone of Songs of Experience.

What does the inclusive pronoun “us” in “let us play” show?

The children exclude the nurse, asserting independence.

What does the natural imagery (birds, sky, hills) symbolise?

Freedom, ascension, and harmony with nature.

What does the symbol of “sheep” represent?

Safety and pastoral innocence — nature protects the children and allows them to play in peace.

What does the repetition in “Well, well” suggest?

A softening of tone; the nurse negotiates and adapts to the children’s desires.

How do the verbs “leaped, shouted, laugh’d” characterise the children?

They show instinctive, spontaneous joy.

What is the effect of “the hills echoed”?

Nature mirrors and amplifies the children’s happiness, reinforcing harmony.

What does Harold Bloom say about the poem?

“a paradise of intimate human connection and happiness.”

John Wesley on breaking a child’s will

Whatever pain it costs, break the will if you would not damn the child.

John Wesley on disciplining children

“Let a child be taught to fear the rod and to cry softly.”