William Blake, artist and poet, wrote about the dark and bright sides of society. Growing up, Blake thought he had seen God at the age of four. That said, his parents wanted to nurture his gift. His father, a very poor man, sent him to an art school. Believe it or not, William Blake was a rebel. After studying at the Royal Academy, Blake dropped out and opened his own printing shop. At the age of thirty-two, Blake published more poems in two lyric series, Song of Innocence and Songs of Experience. Therefore, the difference between these two sets of lyrics was that Song of Experience explored more of the dark side of society; however, Songs of Innocence explored more of the innocent side of human society. Both of these texts were a criticism of human society. In the texts The Lamb, The Tiger, The Chimney Sweep and The Child's Sorrow criticize society with innocence and experience, child labor and finally the rebels of society. First of all, between the texts The Lamb and The Tiger both criticize society with innocence and experience. This meaning of innocence (being lambs) and experience (being tigers) represent God's creations in society. There are two kinds of people in this world, lambs and tigers. They are a representation of the balance between societies as a whole, almost like the Chinese symbol of yin-yang. That being said, Blake states in the text The Lamb, “Little Lamb that made you / You know who made you…” (Prentice Hall Literature [page 748 lines 1-2]). These lines represent the questioning of who created the lamb (a symbol of Jesus Christ); in the following text Blake states in the text The Tyger: “Did he smile when he saw his work? / Did he who made the Lamb create you?” (Prentice Hall Literature [page 749 lines 19-2...... middle of paper ...... and tigers. Child labor certainly had a negative impact on children in the Romantic period. And finally, it is thought that once a baby is born there is a distinct possibility that he resents his parents or loves them dearly. All three great poems, William Blake wrote on both sides of the argument. Be it The Lamb or The Tyger , there is no Indefinite Choice. A Romantic poet himself dominated poetry in Blake's time. That said, Blake not only rebelled against his parents' views, but dropped out of one of the best universities he could have ever attended. to writing. career in poetry. The lamb, the tiger, the chimney sweep, and finally childhood pain all criticize society, innocently or expertly, child labor, and finally rebellion in the early childhood years. Works Cited Prentice Hall Literature Volume Two.