Knowt
Parents in Blake's Songs of Innocence and Experience
Parents
Blake is clear that parents have a responsibility over their children, but some misuse this. Parents should protect their children and their innocence, however this is difficult when living in a corrupt society. For example, in poems like London, the mistreatment nod suffering is a cycle of endless pain, children crying from birth. However Blake does suggest a solution to the difficulties in protecting one’s child, in The Little Girl Found, with a connection to nature reuniting the parents with their child, where they are then happy.
SOI: The Shepard
For he hears the lamb’s innocent call, And he hears the ewe’s tender reply.
mother of lamb - tender
Tenderness protects innocence of the lamb, her child. Lamb is said to represent Jesus, so the ewe would represent Mary. Associated good parenting and safeguarding with religion.
SOI: The Chimney-Sweeper
He’d have God for his father
Craving of a parental figure
Mother dead, father sold him, “angel” says that is he obeys and follows orders God will be his father. Again connects religion to parental imagery, but this time in a manipulative way, with industrialised society using it to force child-labour.
SOI: The Little Girl Lost
Do father, mother weep? Where can Luca sleep? Lost in the desert wild Is your little child. How can Lyca sleep, If her mother weep?
adults crying
Adults are still children in a way as sexuality is oppressed.
Inversed roles of fear of shame forcing her to adopt adult role of responsibility.
repetition of question
Children forced into sexual ignorance by parents.
SOI: The Little Girl Found
And saw their sleeping child, Among tigers wild. To this day they dwell In a lonely dell Nor fear the wolffish howl, nor the lion’s growl.
sleeping child amongst previously frightening nature
They transform their relationship with nature and live in solitude to be with their child, a positive, freeing experience.
Metaphorical reference to them loosing her to sexual liberation, and choosing to remove themselves from society’s sexual oppression to remain loving their daughter?
SOE: London
How the youthful harlot’s curse Blasts the new-born infant’s tear
young women are parents, cursing at their suffering, children crying.
Overwhelming image of suffering and injustice, young children trapped with babies as a result of their circumstances, crying and cursing at their suffering.
Infants entrapped in the endless cycle of suffering.
SOE: The Chimney-Sweeper
They are both gone up to the church to pray
faith and religion
Becomes a justification for abuse and neglect - link to Holy Thursday
reversal of roles
Parents free to pray whilst child suffers in unfair labour. Parental figures are demonised but as a consequence of the church’s influence.
SOE: A Little Girl Lost
To thy father speak. Oh the trembling fear! Oh the dismal care, That shakes the blossoms of my hoary hair!
daughter terrified of father
Loss of joy and love upon re-entering society, is the world experience
Extremity of sexual oppression
Suggestion that this father figure is God earlier in the poem, could be Blake criticising the manipulation of religion to shame people for sex, something he believed to be natural and pure.
