Study Questions
Discuss Blake's use of auditory imagery in the poems, and cite one example.
Comment on Blake as a social critic.
What were (and are) the effects of Blake's mode of publishing his poems with
handcrafted colored engravings?
Comment on Blake's use of the ballad form.
What are Blake's favorite images of innocence, and how does he use them?
Discuss Blake's use of simple sentence structure and diction in these poems.
What is the overall effect of this stylistic decision? What keeps the poems
themselves from being simple?
How does Blake portray nature? How does the conception of nature differ in the
Songs of Innocence and the Songs of Experience?
Are Blake's poems symbolic? Explain your answer.
How does Blake use repetition in the Songs of Innocence and Experience?
How does Blake portray childhood?
What can you discern from these poems about Blake's views on religion?
