Church and Religion in the Songs of Innocence and Experience Essay

Church and Religion in the Songs of Innocence and ExperienceThroughout Innocence and Experience, many another(prenominal) poems incorporatereligious views and imagery. Blake presents many contradicting viewson the Church and godliness, the note being particularly clearbetween Innocence and Experience.Within the Songs of Innocence a child-like portrayal of Church andreligion is portrayed. Throughout Innocence there atomic number 18 manyreferences to The Lamb representing Jesus Christ who was theSacrificial Lamb, as shown in the poem The Lamb. Another commonimage of religion used by Blake is that of religion as the Shepherd,the Shepherd is watchful and ever so watching over his sheep,protecting them, Blake is showing religion as being ever-present andconstantly present. This is a actually child-like and partial view ofChrist. Religion is portrayed in a child like manner, as is Christ inthe poem On Anothers Sorrow, Christ is portrayed as giving hisjoy to all as he is embodied both within an infant small and menof woe. Also in On Anothers Sorrow, religion is seen as immanent,as immortal gives to us his joy. A simple view is portrayed one that Godis ever present and is there within everyone. Images of the Church andreligion ar juxtaposed to images of joy, fun and laughter, showingthe simple view of religion portrayed. This view is extended in TheDivine Image in which the balanced structure continues the child-likeview of religion. The image that God is present within everyone isalso shown in The Divine Image is that God is ever-present withineveryone. In The Chimney Sweeper, religion is used to help thechimney sweeps get through their arduous days, and the vision ofChrist helped h... ...are shown as walk around inblack gowns and binding briars with his joys and desires thorns,representing the Church and religion, were restricting his life, andjoy was prohibited. Within The Human Abstract religion is referredto as the dismal shade of mystery, and the priest s are the ravenswhich have made their nests in the thickest shade. A negativeimage of the Church is explored, as the Church is shading people fromthe light.The theme of religion is one primeval to both The Songs of Innocenceand the Songs of Experience as a result of this, Blake could be seenas primarily a religious poet. Although the theme is ongoing, withinExperience many other themes are also explored, showing that Blake,although concentrating primarily on religion, did explore other themesrelevant to everyday and the current state of living.