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William BlakeA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Most readers are familiar with old adages like, “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” or “Things aren’t always as they seem.” Blake offers his audience a similar message veiled in the text of his poem. He presents a view of human nature which may initially appear pessimistic or disheartening. Humans aren’t innately good, he seems to say. Human nature is not always innocent. Blake, rather, teaches readers to be on their guard when dealing with others, lest they end up like the foe, prostrate on the ground at the base of the tree by the poem’s conclusion.
Blake effectively creates this message by creating a stark contrast between how the speaker of the poem outwardly presents and their internal motivations. Blake uses various words with inherent, positive connotations to convey the illusion of friendship and kindness the speaker is showing to his nemesis. “Sunned” and “smiles” in Line 7, “soft” in Line 8, “bright” in Line 10, and “shine” in Line 11 are all examples of the welcoming and warm facade the speaker wears. These terms directly contrast with the more sinister, darker intentions the positive terms conceal, such as “wrath” (Lines 2 & 4), “fears” (Line 5), “tears” (Line 6), and “deceitful wiles” (Line 8).
By William Blake
Auguries of Innocence
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London
London
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Night
Night
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Songs of Innocence and of Experience
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The Book of Thel
The Book of Thel
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The Chimney Sweeper
The Chimney Sweeper
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The Garden of Love
The Garden of Love
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The Lamb
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The Little Boy Found
The Little Boy Found
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The Marriage of Heaven and Hell
The Marriage of Heaven and Hell
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The Sick Rose
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The Tyger
The Tyger
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