Childhood and Innocence in Romantic Poetry

The Romantic Movement in English Literature set in 1798, emerged as a reaction to the Age of Enlightenment. Whereas the Enlightenment emphasized reason and rationally above emotion, the Romantics preferred subjective experience and personal feelings. Whereas the Enlightenment emphasized reason and rationally above emotion, the Romantics’ thoughts are the exact opposite. Romantic poets valued passion over logic and expressed the need to explore the human being as an individual, not humanity as a whole. Whereas in previous centuries poetry was about what people did, poetry in the Romantic era expressed how people felt. The truth seemed subjective and uncertain. Furthermore, the romantics argued that people should live to the fullest by pursuing sensation and emotional indulgence over others because life is limited. They wanted a life of the heart and spirit, not a life of the mind like the Enlightenment thinkers wanted.

Historically, the seeds of the Romantic movement were planted in Germany in the 1700s, with Wolfgang von Goethe's play Faust, which is based on Faust legends, it is about the dangers of drifting in life without accessing too much information and establishing an emotional connection with one's surroundings. The term Romantic as a designation for a school of literature opposed to the Classic was first used by the German critic Karl Wilhelm Friedrich at the beginning of the 19th century. Romantic as a term is first used by the romantic poets in France who depend on the imagination to create a new reality and not to escape from reality. The Romantic poets used their poetry as a medium to change people's attitude and to evoke their sympathy for the simple and the poor. They express their denial of social injustice. (Saleem)

Romantic poets explored and expanded on these ideas. Although William Blake was one of the first English poets to adopt these concepts, his contributions to poetry were appreciated after his death. He showed that poetry can be used to explore elusive emotional concepts, rather than simply presenting the narrative, as has been the case for centuries. William Blake was born in London and he never went outside of London. Unfortunately, he was exceedingly unrecognized during his lifetime. However, now he is considered a seminal figure in the history of poetry and visual art. He was training to become an engraver at the Royal Academy; however, he found the setting and teaching style too stifling for his art. Although he did not graduate, he started his own business as an engraver. He made a living from the orders he received and the work he did for printing houses; however, thanks to his talent, he brought his work to light by publishing a book. He also included his drawings in his books. Compounding the words and images in the same pages gave Blake's works an extra layer of meaning and purpose that other poets failed to provide. By influencing the individuality and humanism of romanticism, Blake represents the break with writers who preceded him, such as Alexander Pope and Edmund Spenser, who glorified England. Blake’s interest is not simply what it means to be British, but what it means to be alive. Blake wrote about individual emancipation, believed in equal rights for women, rejected the absolute authority of the Church of England, and even advocated extramarital sex. Even though he was a committed Christian, he was hostile to the Church of England. Indeed, he was against all forms of organized religion. According to him, these kinds of establishments such as churches and the education system affects people in a bad way. Most of his writings about it, we can see it clearly in his famous poetry book Song of Innocence. 

 Childhood is one of the important issues for the Romantics, they see childhood as a tool to be close to God and a force for good. Also nature is another element for the Romantics. They claim that the relationship between child and nature should be very close and not be lost. The child for them should be protected from the harsh realities of life. Spiritually, they place the child close to God and nature. (Saleem) They believe that childlike innocence, emotions and impressions are more important than logic and most importantly child’s purity and creativy must be protected.

Blake’s the Song of Innocence is about childhood too, in the book Blake looks at the world and life from a child's point of view, the world is pure and innocent, and readers cannot see any sign of iniquitousness. If there are any danger signs the father figure comes and saves the child. In the first poem of the book is The Lamb, in the poem the lamb figure symbolizes Jesus Christ and also the pureness of nature and the little child. These three figures; the lamb, Jesus and childhood are connected with innocence.

Little Lamb who made thee 
         Dost thou know who made thee 
Gave thee life & bid thee feed. 
By the stream & o'er the mead; 
Gave thee clothing of delight, 
Softest clothing wooly bright; 
Gave thee such a tender voice, 
Making all the vales rejoice! 
         Little Lamb who made thee   
Dost thou know who made thee.

However, Blake’s another poem book is Song of Experience, shows readers to adulthood. Unlike Song of Innocence, the child come across to bittersweet reality of adultness. These two poem books complement each other. It deals with the same themes from different angles; the contrary states of the human soul.

Another important romantic poet is William Wordsworth. He wrote Lyrical Ballads with Samuel Taylor Coleridge. His poems are about nature and the place of the individual within the world and memory: especially childhood memory. One of his most famous statement is ‘the child is father of the man’ which asserts that our childhood years are so formative that they determine the adult we become. In his poem The Rainbow, he regrets that he becomes an adult because this makes him lose many things. Also, he thinks childhood is a distany memory of a kind of paradise that is lost. In his Ode On Intimations of Immortality from Recollections of Early Childhood, he states “To me did seem /Appareled in celestial light.” The period of childhood is very valuable short time there is clarity no ambiguity. A child is like a glow stone when one touch it and polish it; in return the stone gives more and more lightness.

WORKS CITED:

Urgan, Mina. Ingiliz Edebiyati Tarihi. Yapı Kredi Yayınları, 2022.

“William Blake’s Treatment to Childhood in His ‘Songs of Innocence.’” Zone, www.notezone.xyz/2019/06/william-blakes-treatment-to-childhood.html?m=1.

Reynolds, Kimberley. “Perceptions of Childhood.” British Library, 14 May 2014, www.bl.uk/romantics-and-victorians/articles/perceptions-of-childhood.

Saleem, Shaima. The Conception of Childhood and Innocence in the Romantic Poetry.
https://iasj.net/iasj/download/5fc14143c79288dd