SONGS OF INNOCENCE AND OF EXPERIENCE

Probably the most politically radical collection of poetry in the English language. In 'Songs of Innocence' Blake portrays humanity in an idyllic pastoral setting, full of naturalness and simplicity, but not immune from exploitation. In 'Songs of Experience' Blake portrays the world as it really is - full of social, economic, religious and sexual repression, managed by the institutions of the Church, the State, the monarchy and the rich. This edition re-prints the original final stanza of 'London' - which appears in Blake's notebook but which was left out of the original edition, because of its clear revolutionary meaning. If you enjoy this book, you might also be interested in Blake's 'Auguries of Innocence and Other Lyric Poems'