Innocence and Experience: The main symbolic idea in Blake’s poetry is the contrast between Innocence and Experience. Innocence is purity, joy, trust, and hope. Experience is suffering, cruelty, loss, and knowledge of evil. Blake uses symbols to show these two opposite states of the human soul. Through the contrast of innocence and experience, he presents a realistic picture of life. Life is not only beautiful. It is also painful.

The Lamb and The Tyger as Symbols: In the poem “The Lamb,” the lamb is a symbol of innocence, gentleness, and love. It also represents Christ and the pure soul of a child. The child speaker asks who made the lamb. The child also answers that God did. This symbol shows the innocent side of life.

On the other hand, “The Tyger” presents a frightening image. The tiger is a symbol of violence, power, and evil. It represents the darker side of life. Blake asks how the same God could create both the lamb and the tiger.

“Did he who made the Lamb make thee?”

Through the symbols of the lamb and tiger, Blake shows that human life contains both goodness and cruelty. This makes his Romantic vision realistic.

Symbolism in The Chimney Sweeper: In “The Chimney Sweeper,” Blake uses strong symbols to show child suffering. The “chimney” and “coffins of black” symbolize hard child labour, misery, and death. The soot-covered child represents the loss of innocence. In the Songs of Innocence version, the angel and heaven symbolize false hope given by religion. Blake exposed that children are taught to accept suffering quietly.

In the Songs of Experience version, the little chimney sweep is aware of society’s cruelty. He is covered in black soot. He cries in the snow. While he suffers, his parents pray in church. He says they have given him “clothes of death.”

“They clothed me in the clothes of death.”

Here, “clothes of death” symbolize suffering. Through these symbols, Blake shows the harsh reality of child labour.

Symbolism in Holy Thursday: In “Holy Thursday,” Blake uses children as symbols. In Songs of Innocence, children are compared to “flowers of London town.” They symbolize purity and beauty. However, in Songs of Experience, the same children symbolize poverty and neglect. Blake asks in a rich country like England, why so many children are hungry and poor.

“And so many children poor?”

Blake exposes cruelty and corruption hidden behind religious charity.

Symbolism in London: In “London,” Blake paints a picture of harsh and corrupted London. He uses powerful symbols to show us the real picture of the city. Blake says he sees that little boys are forced to work as chimney sweepers. Soldiers are forced to die in wars. He sees sadness in every person. In every face, he sees

“Marks of weakness, marks of woe.”

Blake uses two power symbols to show the corruption. The “black’ning Church” symbolizes religious hypocrisy. Because the Church should help the poor and the children. But it ignores their suffering. The “palace wall” is stained by the blood of the hapless soldiers. It symbolizes political oppression. These symbols clearly show Blake’s realism.

In conclusion, Blake’s use of symbolism makes him a realistic Romantic poet. His symbols are simple but powerful. They help him show both beauty and suffering. Blake does not escape reality. Instead, he uses symbols to change it.