The Difference Between Innocence and Experience in Poetry

The Difference Between Innocence and Experience in Poetry

"The idyllic world of Innocence is exposed as naÃve and foolish by the

subversive cynicism of Experience." The world of Innocence is happy

and loving, and can be compared to Arcadia and the Garden of Eden, the

place of true innocence and lack of knowledge. However, Experience is

actual reality of what living in the real world is actually like,

where people have experienced the problems in the world. They are

aware of these problems due to experience. However, the world of

Innocence encompasses no such problems, and so Experience sees it as

"naÃve and foolish", as it is not prepared for life. Whereas Innocence

is all about the love of God, fertility and joy, Experience is about

jealousy, selfishness and general cold-heartedness.

Love, in Innocence, is portrayed as happiness and unity between humans

and with the divine and nature, with God coming alive with divine

love. Love is seen as something very special, with it being closely

linked to happiness and harmony.

As we heard from our previous presentation, in Exprerience love is not

credited at all.

The narrator refuses the offer of sex, however, his wife, represented

by the rose, turns her back on him, revealing the possessive jealous

love that destroys true love.

Unselfish love cannot survive in Experience and this is shown in The

Clod & the Pebble, in which unselfish love is trodden on by a material

world. Despite the true harmony shown in poems, such as The Echoing

Green, this is just passed off by Experience, which considers it to be

both naÃve and foolish, as stated.

The Ecchoing Green, a place metaph...

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... they "In our youth time

were seen, On the Ecchoing Green." The general harmony of people

together illustrates divine love and causes God to become alive, as is

shown in the quotation: "God becomes as we are, that we may be as he

is." The Ecchoing Green, a place metaphor for the unity of all and God

due to the harmony that is present, can be compared to The Divine

Image, which writes of the "virtues of delight" and happiness. These,

however, are discarded by Experience with poems, such as A Poison Tree

and Infant Sorrow, which introduce the themes of sadness and revenge.

Death is introduced only in Experience, as Innocence is not developed

enough to experience this. The cynical view of Experience wipes aside

Innocence in the view that it is far to simple, with little knowledge

of reality and that which truly happens.