Song of Innocence Introduction

ao5 quotes on the illuminated manuscript

Brendan Cooper:

“overly developed muscularity”

“reflects the tradition of pastoral verse” (shows piper as shepherd to flock suggesting unity of innocence)

ao5 quotes

“nature is a kind of gateway to spirituality” - Cooper

“innocence is a sate of freedom… but darker shadows tend to hover over it” - Cooper

3 key Ao2 ideas

1. childhood as transcendent and biblical in its importance

2. importance of the poet - characterisation of the piper

3. setting is an idealised spiritual realm of nature

key context

• Rousseanuain views on childhood: Emile, children as innately innocent and are corrupted by experience

• Pied Piper - a sinister figure that lead children away to a presumed demise

• prometheus gifted humanity fire with a “hollow reed”

romantic conventions

• romantic views on childhood, inspired by Rousseau, childhood as close to god, they are symbols of the power of imagination

• setting - is an edenic prelapsarian edenic state of the ‘Golden Age’