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''Nurse's Song'' is the name of two related poems by 
The poem in ''Songs of Innocence'' tells the tale of a nurse who, we are to assume, is looking over some children playing in a field. When she tries to call them in, they protest, claiming that it is still light and therefore there is still time to play. The poem fits in with the theme of innocence, as it makes no mention of the negative aspects of playing outside; the children are oblivious of the dangers of playing outside late at night that would be considered in a modern society. The language uses various images associated with children's playing and imagination. The nurse is of a jovial and warm-hearted nature, as she allows the children to continue with their games, with no thought for the wider consequences. In his commentary, Sir Geoffrey Keynes wrote that one critic said that "few besides Blake could have written such a successful poem on the delight of being allowed to play a little longer until dusk".William Blake: Songs of Innocence and of Experience, with Introduction and Commentary by Sir Geoffrey Keynes, 1967/87, Oxford University Press, , p. 140.
The poem in ''Songs of Experience'' portrays the nurse in a different light: she is bitter, and fears the consequences of her actions. For critical interpretations of the poems, se
here
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 Romantic poetry, poetry and visual art of t ...
, published in ''Songs of Innocence
''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 ...
'' in 1789 and '' Songs of Experience'' in 1794.
The poem in ''Songs of Innocence'' tells the tale of a nurse who, we are to assume, is looking over some children playing in a field. When she tries to call them in, they protest, claiming that it is still light and therefore there is still time to play. The poem fits in with the theme of innocence, as it makes no mention of the negative aspects of playing outside; the children are oblivious of the dangers of playing outside late at night that would be considered in a modern society. The language uses various images associated with children's playing and imagination. The nurse is of a jovial and warm-hearted nature, as she allows the children to continue with their games, with no thought for the wider consequences. In his commentary, Sir Geoffrey Keynes wrote that one critic said that "few besides Blake could have written such a successful poem on the delight of being allowed to play a little longer until dusk".William Blake: Songs of Innocence and of Experience, with Introduction and Commentary by Sir Geoffrey Keynes, 1967/87, Oxford University Press, , p. 140.
The poem in ''Songs of Experience'' portrays the nurse in a different light: she is bitter, and fears the consequences of her actions. For critical interpretations of the poems, sehere
Notes
External links
{{William Blake, lit 1789 poems 1794 poems Songs of Innocence and of Experience