2019-06-09

Blake's "Infant Joy" and "Infant Sorrow"

Here's a small selection from Blake's collection (originally two collections) of verses, Songs of Innocence & of Experience Shewing the Two Contrary States of the Human Soul. Of course, contrary does not mean contradictory. The most famous of the contrastive poems are "Tyger! Tyger!" and "The Lamb", but the ones I think that best show the contrast are "Infant Joy" and "Infant Sorrow, thus:

"Infant Joy""Infant Sorrow"
‘I have no name:My mother groan'd! my father wept.
I am but two days old.’Into the dangerous world I leapt:
What shall I call thee?Helpless, naked, piping loud:
‘I happy am,Like a fiend hid in a cloud.
Joy is my name.’
Sweet joy befall thee!
Pretty joy!Struggling in my father’s hands,
Sweet joy, but two days old.Striving against my swadling bands,
Sweet joy I call thee:Bound and weary I thought best
Thou dost smile,To sulk upon my mother’s breast.
I sing the while,
Sweet joy befall thee!

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