Infant Sorrow is a poem by

William Blake William Blake (28 November 1757 – 12 August 1827) was an English poet, painter, and printmaker. Largely unrecognised during his life, Blake is now considered a seminal figure in the history of the poetry and visual art of the Romantic Age. ...

from ''

Songs of Experience ''Songs of Innocence and of Experience'' is a collection of illustrated poems by William Blake. It appeared in two phases: a few first copies were printed and illuminated by Blake himself in 1789; five years later, he bound these poems with a ...

''.

Background

This poem belongs to the ''Songs of Experience'' by William Blake. It is the counter poem of "

Infant Joy "Infant Joy" is a poem written by the English poet William Blake. It was first published as part of his collection ''Songs of Innocence'' in 1789 and is the counterpart to " Infant Sorrow", which was published at a later date in ''Songs of Experi ...

". The poem suggests that

childbirth Childbirth, also known as labour and delivery, is the ending of pregnancy where one or more babies exits the internal environment of the mother via vaginal delivery or caesarean section. In 2019, there were about 140.11 million births globall ...

is not always joyful and happy but can bring sorrow and pain. The response of the child itself may be different from that of the child in "Infant Joy" because of the behavior of the parents. In this poem the parents seem depressed by this unwanted birth, and this may be reflecting on the child itself. This poem could be considered as a work of societal

allusion Allusion is a figure of speech, in which an object or circumstance from unrelated context is referred to covertly or indirectly. It is left to the audience to make the direct connection. Where the connection is directly and explicitly stated (as ...

. It is well known that William Blake was strongly opposed to the

industrial revolution The Industrial Revolution was the transition to new manufacturing processes in Great Britain, continental Europe, and the United States, that occurred during the period from around 1760 to about 1820–1840. This transition included going f ...

; similarly, he was opposed to the mistreatment of children by rich factory owners. When the infant is being brought helpless and naked to the "dangerous world", this world could refer to the industrial revolution. Blake utilizes this as a symbol of temporary security. While the child is young, it will be nurtured and protected by its parents. But once the child matures, it will find a life devoid of any joy or pleasure, such as working in the factories with no security. The child decides to "sulk" upon the breast of the child's mother, almost in a manner that allows the child to enjoy what little comfort it has left. This poem is powerful in the sense that it outlines the sometimes desperate, sorrowful situation facing children as they grow.

Poem

References

{{William Blake, lit 1794 poems Songs of Innocence and of Experience