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<rss xmlns:itunes="http://www.itunes.com/dtds/podcast-1.0.dtd" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:podcast="https://podcastindex.org/namespace/1.0" xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" version="2.0"><channel><title>Songs of Innocence and Experience</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/songs-of-innocence-and-experience--7125665</link><description><![CDATA[Explore the duality of human experience through the lens of innocence and maturity in this thoughtfully curated podcast. Each episode presents a new complete audiobook that delves into the complexities of childhood wonder and the stark realities of adulthood. Listeners are invited to reflect on the contrasts between the naive joys of youth and the profound lessons learned through life's trials. This rotating collection features a diverse array of narratives that illuminate the journey from innocence to experience, encouraging personal introspection and broader understanding. With every episode, discover a new book that resonates with the timeless themes of growth, loss, and the ever-evolving human spirit. Journey through these unique explorations that celebrate the richness of life’s contrasting phases, inviting you to embrace both the light and the shadow within us all.]]></description><atom:link href="https://www.spreaker.com/show/7125665/episodes/feed" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><language>en</language><category>Books</category><copyright>Copyright Politics Genre</copyright><image><url>https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/8257aa7e53a88db1bfc76300c774af50.jpg</url><title>Songs of Innocence and Experience</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/songs-of-innocence-and-experience--7125665</link></image><lastBuildDate>Wed, 09 Sep 2026 09:12:55 +0000</lastBuildDate><itunes:author>William Blake</itunes:author><itunes:owner><itunes:name>Politics Genre</itunes:name><itunes:email>spreaker75@podcastlibrary.org</itunes:email></itunes:owner><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/8257aa7e53a88db1bfc76300c774af50.jpg"/><itunes:subtitle>Explore the duality of human experience through the lens of innocence and maturity in this thoughtfully curated podcast. Each episode presents a new complete audiobook that delves into the complexities of childhood wonder and the stark realities of...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[Explore the duality of human experience through the lens of innocence and maturity in this thoughtfully curated podcast. Each episode presents a new complete audiobook that delves into the complexities of childhood wonder and the stark realities of adulthood. Listeners are invited to reflect on the contrasts between the naive joys of youth and the profound lessons learned through life's trials. This rotating collection features a diverse array of narratives that illuminate the journey from innocence to experience, encouraging personal introspection and broader understanding. With every episode, discover a new book that resonates with the timeless themes of growth, loss, and the ever-evolving human spirit. Journey through these unique explorations that celebrate the richness of life’s contrasting phases, inviting you to embrace both the light and the shadow within us all.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:category text="Arts"><itunes:category text="Books"/></itunes:category><itunes:category text="Kids &amp; Family"/><itunes:category text="Kids &amp; Family"><itunes:category text="Stories for Kids"/></itunes:category><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><podcast:guid>99d7ed7e-761a-5c0b-85bb-228f61c5d7fe</podcast:guid><itunes:type>episodic</itunes:type><item><title>Little Garland of Celtic Verse-Various</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/little-garland-of-celtic-verse-various--74403041</link><description><![CDATA[William Blake’s volume of poetry entitled Songs of Innocence and Experience is the embodiment of his belief that innocence and experience were “the two contrary states of the human soul,” and that true innocence was impossible without experience. Songs of Innocence contains poems either written from the perspective of children or written about them. Many of the poems appearing in Songs of Innocence have a counterpart in Songs of Experience, with quite a different perspective of the world.The disastrous end of the French Revolution caused Blake to lose faith in the goodness of mankind, explaining much of the despair found in Songs of Experience. Blake also believed that children lost their innocence through exploitation and from a religious community which put dogma before mercy. He did not, however, believe that children should be kept from becoming experienced entirely. In truth, he believed that children should indeed become experienced but through their own discoveries, which is reflected in a number of these poems. (Summary adapted from Wikipedia by Annie Coleman)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74403041</guid><pubDate>Wed, 09 Sep 2026 09:01:04 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74403041/little_garland_of_celtic_verse_various.mp3" length="22376028" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>William Blake</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>William Blake’s volume of poetry entitled Songs of Innocence and Experience is the embodiment of his belief that innocence and experience were “the two contrary states of the human soul,” and that true innocence was impossible without experience....</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[William Blake’s volume of poetry entitled Songs of Innocence and Experience is the embodiment of his belief that innocence and experience were “the two contrary states of the human soul,” and that true innocence was impossible without experience. Songs of Innocence contains poems either written from the perspective of children or written about them. Many of the poems appearing in Songs of Innocence have a counterpart in Songs of Experience, with quite a different perspective of the world.The disastrous end of the French Revolution caused Blake to lose faith in the goodness of mankind, explaining much of the despair found in Songs of Experience. Blake also believed that children lost their innocence through exploitation and from a religious community which put dogma before mercy. He did not, however, believe that children should be kept from becoming experienced entirely. In truth, he believed that children should indeed become experienced but through their own discoveries, which is reflected in a number of these poems. (Summary adapted from Wikipedia by Annie Coleman)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>2794</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/8257aa7e53a88db1bfc76300c774af50.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Poems and Songs-Henry Kendall</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/poems-and-songs-henry-kendall--74375628</link><description><![CDATA[William Blake’s volume of poetry entitled Songs of Innocence and Experience is the embodiment of his belief that innocence and experience were “the two contrary states of the human soul,” and that true innocence was impossible without experience. Songs of Innocence contains poems either written from the perspective of children or written about them. Many of the poems appearing in Songs of Innocence have a counterpart in Songs of Experience, with quite a different perspective of the world.The disastrous end of the French Revolution caused Blake to lose faith in the goodness of mankind, explaining much of the despair found in Songs of Experience. Blake also believed that children lost their innocence through exploitation and from a religious community which put dogma before mercy. He did not, however, believe that children should be kept from becoming experienced entirely. In truth, he believed that children should indeed become experienced but through their own discoveries, which is reflected in a number of these poems. (Summary adapted from Wikipedia by Annie Coleman)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74375628</guid><pubDate>Tue, 08 Sep 2026 09:01:14 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74375628/poems_and_songs_henry_kendall.mp3" length="71906483" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>William Blake</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>William Blake’s volume of poetry entitled Songs of Innocence and Experience is the embodiment of his belief that innocence and experience were “the two contrary states of the human soul,” and that true innocence was impossible without experience....</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[William Blake’s volume of poetry entitled Songs of Innocence and Experience is the embodiment of his belief that innocence and experience were “the two contrary states of the human soul,” and that true innocence was impossible without experience. Songs of Innocence contains poems either written from the perspective of children or written about them. Many of the poems appearing in Songs of Innocence have a counterpart in Songs of Experience, with quite a different perspective of the world.The disastrous end of the French Revolution caused Blake to lose faith in the goodness of mankind, explaining much of the despair found in Songs of Experience. Blake also believed that children lost their innocence through exploitation and from a religious community which put dogma before mercy. He did not, however, believe that children should be kept from becoming experienced entirely. In truth, he believed that children should indeed become experienced but through their own discoveries, which is reflected in a number of these poems. (Summary adapted from Wikipedia by Annie Coleman)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>8979</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/8257aa7e53a88db1bfc76300c774af50.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Three Sunsets and Other Poems-Lewis Carroll</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/three-sunsets-and-other-poems-lewis-carroll--74353385</link><description><![CDATA[William Blake’s volume of poetry entitled Songs of Innocence and Experience is the embodiment of his belief that innocence and experience were “the two contrary states of the human soul,” and that true innocence was impossible without experience. Songs of Innocence contains poems either written from the perspective of children or written about them. Many of the poems appearing in Songs of Innocence have a counterpart in Songs of Experience, with quite a different perspective of the world.The disastrous end of the French Revolution caused Blake to lose faith in the goodness of mankind, explaining much of the despair found in Songs of Experience. Blake also believed that children lost their innocence through exploitation and from a religious community which put dogma before mercy. He did not, however, believe that children should be kept from becoming experienced entirely. In truth, he believed that children should indeed become experienced but through their own discoveries, which is reflected in a number of these poems. (Summary adapted from Wikipedia by Annie Coleman)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74353385</guid><pubDate>Mon, 07 Sep 2026 09:01:09 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74353385/three_sunsets_and_other_poems_lewis_carroll.mp3" length="26810075" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>William Blake</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>William Blake’s volume of poetry entitled Songs of Innocence and Experience is the embodiment of his belief that innocence and experience were “the two contrary states of the human soul,” and that true innocence was impossible without experience....</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[William Blake’s volume of poetry entitled Songs of Innocence and Experience is the embodiment of his belief that innocence and experience were “the two contrary states of the human soul,” and that true innocence was impossible without experience. Songs of Innocence contains poems either written from the perspective of children or written about them. Many of the poems appearing in Songs of Innocence have a counterpart in Songs of Experience, with quite a different perspective of the world.The disastrous end of the French Revolution caused Blake to lose faith in the goodness of mankind, explaining much of the despair found in Songs of Experience. Blake also believed that children lost their innocence through exploitation and from a religious community which put dogma before mercy. He did not, however, believe that children should be kept from becoming experienced entirely. In truth, he believed that children should indeed become experienced but through their own discoveries, which is reflected in a number of these poems. (Summary adapted from Wikipedia by Annie Coleman)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>3348</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/8257aa7e53a88db1bfc76300c774af50.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Songs of Cheer-John Kendrick Bangs</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/songs-of-cheer-john-kendrick-bangs--74333057</link><description><![CDATA[William Blake’s volume of poetry entitled Songs of Innocence and Experience is the embodiment of his belief that innocence and experience were “the two contrary states of the human soul,” and that true innocence was impossible without experience. Songs of Innocence contains poems either written from the perspective of children or written about them. Many of the poems appearing in Songs of Innocence have a counterpart in Songs of Experience, with quite a different perspective of the world.The disastrous end of the French Revolution caused Blake to lose faith in the goodness of mankind, explaining much of the despair found in Songs of Experience. Blake also believed that children lost their innocence through exploitation and from a religious community which put dogma before mercy. He did not, however, believe that children should be kept from becoming experienced entirely. In truth, he believed that children should indeed become experienced but through their own discoveries, which is reflected in a number of these poems. (Summary adapted from Wikipedia by Annie Coleman)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74333057</guid><pubDate>Sun, 06 Sep 2026 09:00:49 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74333057/songs_of_cheer_john_kendrick_bangs.mp3" length="27041544" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>William Blake</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>William Blake’s volume of poetry entitled Songs of Innocence and Experience is the embodiment of his belief that innocence and experience were “the two contrary states of the human soul,” and that true innocence was impossible without experience....</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[William Blake’s volume of poetry entitled Songs of Innocence and Experience is the embodiment of his belief that innocence and experience were “the two contrary states of the human soul,” and that true innocence was impossible without experience. Songs of Innocence contains poems either written from the perspective of children or written about them. Many of the poems appearing in Songs of Innocence have a counterpart in Songs of Experience, with quite a different perspective of the world.The disastrous end of the French Revolution caused Blake to lose faith in the goodness of mankind, explaining much of the despair found in Songs of Experience. Blake also believed that children lost their innocence through exploitation and from a religious community which put dogma before mercy. He did not, however, believe that children should be kept from becoming experienced entirely. In truth, he believed that children should indeed become experienced but through their own discoveries, which is reflected in a number of these poems. (Summary adapted from Wikipedia by Annie Coleman)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>3377</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/8257aa7e53a88db1bfc76300c774af50.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Poems and Ballads-Heinrich Heine</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/poems-and-ballads-heinrich-heine--74309896</link><description><![CDATA[William Blake’s volume of poetry entitled Songs of Innocence and Experience is the embodiment of his belief that innocence and experience were “the two contrary states of the human soul,” and that true innocence was impossible without experience. Songs of Innocence contains poems either written from the perspective of children or written about them. Many of the poems appearing in Songs of Innocence have a counterpart in Songs of Experience, with quite a different perspective of the world.The disastrous end of the French Revolution caused Blake to lose faith in the goodness of mankind, explaining much of the despair found in Songs of Experience. Blake also believed that children lost their innocence through exploitation and from a religious community which put dogma before mercy. He did not, however, believe that children should be kept from becoming experienced entirely. In truth, he believed that children should indeed become experienced but through their own discoveries, which is reflected in a number of these poems. (Summary adapted from Wikipedia by Annie Coleman)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74309896</guid><pubDate>Sat, 05 Sep 2026 09:00:44 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74309896/poems_and_ballads_heinrich_heine.mp3" length="106422290" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>William Blake</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>William Blake’s volume of poetry entitled Songs of Innocence and Experience is the embodiment of his belief that innocence and experience were “the two contrary states of the human soul,” and that true innocence was impossible without experience....</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[William Blake’s volume of poetry entitled Songs of Innocence and Experience is the embodiment of his belief that innocence and experience were “the two contrary states of the human soul,” and that true innocence was impossible without experience. Songs of Innocence contains poems either written from the perspective of children or written about them. Many of the poems appearing in Songs of Innocence have a counterpart in Songs of Experience, with quite a different perspective of the world.The disastrous end of the French Revolution caused Blake to lose faith in the goodness of mankind, explaining much of the despair found in Songs of Experience. Blake also believed that children lost their innocence through exploitation and from a religious community which put dogma before mercy. He did not, however, believe that children should be kept from becoming experienced entirely. In truth, he believed that children should indeed become experienced but through their own discoveries, which is reflected in a number of these poems. (Summary adapted from Wikipedia by Annie Coleman)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>13290</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/8257aa7e53a88db1bfc76300c774af50.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Selected Poems-Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Christina Rossetti</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/selected-poems-dante-gabriel-rossetti-christina-rossetti--74292830</link><description><![CDATA[William Blake’s volume of poetry entitled Songs of Innocence and Experience is the embodiment of his belief that innocence and experience were “the two contrary states of the human soul,” and that true innocence was impossible without experience. Songs of Innocence contains poems either written from the perspective of children or written about them. Many of the poems appearing in Songs of Innocence have a counterpart in Songs of Experience, with quite a different perspective of the world.The disastrous end of the French Revolution caused Blake to lose faith in the goodness of mankind, explaining much of the despair found in Songs of Experience. Blake also believed that children lost their innocence through exploitation and from a religious community which put dogma before mercy. He did not, however, believe that children should be kept from becoming experienced entirely. In truth, he believed that children should indeed become experienced but through their own discoveries, which is reflected in a number of these poems. (Summary adapted from Wikipedia by Annie Coleman)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74292830</guid><pubDate>Fri, 04 Sep 2026 09:00:44 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74292830/selected_poems_dante_gabriel_rossetti_christina_rossetti.mp3" length="52221137" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>William Blake</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>William Blake’s volume of poetry entitled Songs of Innocence and Experience is the embodiment of his belief that innocence and experience were “the two contrary states of the human soul,” and that true innocence was impossible without experience....</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[William Blake’s volume of poetry entitled Songs of Innocence and Experience is the embodiment of his belief that innocence and experience were “the two contrary states of the human soul,” and that true innocence was impossible without experience. Songs of Innocence contains poems either written from the perspective of children or written about them. Many of the poems appearing in Songs of Innocence have a counterpart in Songs of Experience, with quite a different perspective of the world.The disastrous end of the French Revolution caused Blake to lose faith in the goodness of mankind, explaining much of the despair found in Songs of Experience. Blake also believed that children lost their innocence through exploitation and from a religious community which put dogma before mercy. He did not, however, believe that children should be kept from becoming experienced entirely. In truth, he believed that children should indeed become experienced but through their own discoveries, which is reflected in a number of these poems. (Summary adapted from Wikipedia by Annie Coleman)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>6521</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/8257aa7e53a88db1bfc76300c774af50.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Rainbow Gold Poems Old and New Selected for Boys and Girls-Various</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/rainbow-gold-poems-old-and-new-selected-for-boys-and-girls-various--74272632</link><description><![CDATA[William Blake’s volume of poetry entitled Songs of Innocence and Experience is the embodiment of his belief that innocence and experience were “the two contrary states of the human soul,” and that true innocence was impossible without experience. Songs of Innocence contains poems either written from the perspective of children or written about them. Many of the poems appearing in Songs of Innocence have a counterpart in Songs of Experience, with quite a different perspective of the world.The disastrous end of the French Revolution caused Blake to lose faith in the goodness of mankind, explaining much of the despair found in Songs of Experience. Blake also believed that children lost their innocence through exploitation and from a religious community which put dogma before mercy. He did not, however, believe that children should be kept from becoming experienced entirely. In truth, he believed that children should indeed become experienced but through their own discoveries, which is reflected in a number of these poems. (Summary adapted from Wikipedia by Annie Coleman)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74272632</guid><pubDate>Thu, 03 Sep 2026 09:00:45 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74272632/rainbow_gold_poems_old_and_new_selected_for_boys_and_girls_various.mp3" length="99460541" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>William Blake</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>William Blake’s volume of poetry entitled Songs of Innocence and Experience is the embodiment of his belief that innocence and experience were “the two contrary states of the human soul,” and that true innocence was impossible without experience....</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[William Blake’s volume of poetry entitled Songs of Innocence and Experience is the embodiment of his belief that innocence and experience were “the two contrary states of the human soul,” and that true innocence was impossible without experience. Songs of Innocence contains poems either written from the perspective of children or written about them. Many of the poems appearing in Songs of Innocence have a counterpart in Songs of Experience, with quite a different perspective of the world.The disastrous end of the French Revolution caused Blake to lose faith in the goodness of mankind, explaining much of the despair found in Songs of Experience. Blake also believed that children lost their innocence through exploitation and from a religious community which put dogma before mercy. He did not, however, believe that children should be kept from becoming experienced entirely. In truth, he believed that children should indeed become experienced but through their own discoveries, which is reflected in a number of these poems. (Summary adapted from Wikipedia by Annie Coleman)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>12420</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/8257aa7e53a88db1bfc76300c774af50.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Fairy Changeling and Other Poems-Dora Sigerson Shorter</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/fairy-changeling-and-other-poems-dora-sigerson-shorter--74257122</link><description><![CDATA[William Blake’s volume of poetry entitled Songs of Innocence and Experience is the embodiment of his belief that innocence and experience were “the two contrary states of the human soul,” and that true innocence was impossible without experience. Songs of Innocence contains poems either written from the perspective of children or written about them. Many of the poems appearing in Songs of Innocence have a counterpart in Songs of Experience, with quite a different perspective of the world.The disastrous end of the French Revolution caused Blake to lose faith in the goodness of mankind, explaining much of the despair found in Songs of Experience. Blake also believed that children lost their innocence through exploitation and from a religious community which put dogma before mercy. He did not, however, believe that children should be kept from becoming experienced entirely. In truth, he believed that children should indeed become experienced but through their own discoveries, which is reflected in a number of these poems. (Summary adapted from Wikipedia by Annie Coleman)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74257122</guid><pubDate>Wed, 02 Sep 2026 09:00:56 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74257122/fairy_changeling_and_other_poems_dora_sigerson_shorter.mp3" length="47025313" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>William Blake</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>William Blake’s volume of poetry entitled Songs of Innocence and Experience is the embodiment of his belief that innocence and experience were “the two contrary states of the human soul,” and that true innocence was impossible without experience....</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[William Blake’s volume of poetry entitled Songs of Innocence and Experience is the embodiment of his belief that innocence and experience were “the two contrary states of the human soul,” and that true innocence was impossible without experience. Songs of Innocence contains poems either written from the perspective of children or written about them. Many of the poems appearing in Songs of Innocence have a counterpart in Songs of Experience, with quite a different perspective of the world.The disastrous end of the French Revolution caused Blake to lose faith in the goodness of mankind, explaining much of the despair found in Songs of Experience. Blake also believed that children lost their innocence through exploitation and from a religious community which put dogma before mercy. He did not, however, believe that children should be kept from becoming experienced entirely. In truth, he believed that children should indeed become experienced but through their own discoveries, which is reflected in a number of these poems. (Summary adapted from Wikipedia by Annie Coleman)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>5873</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/8257aa7e53a88db1bfc76300c774af50.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Divine Enchantment-John Neihardt</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/divine-enchantment-john-neihardt--74241633</link><description><![CDATA[William Blake’s volume of poetry entitled Songs of Innocence and Experience is the embodiment of his belief that innocence and experience were “the two contrary states of the human soul,” and that true innocence was impossible without experience. Songs of Innocence contains poems either written from the perspective of children or written about them. Many of the poems appearing in Songs of Innocence have a counterpart in Songs of Experience, with quite a different perspective of the world.The disastrous end of the French Revolution caused Blake to lose faith in the goodness of mankind, explaining much of the despair found in Songs of Experience. Blake also believed that children lost their innocence through exploitation and from a religious community which put dogma before mercy. He did not, however, believe that children should be kept from becoming experienced entirely. In truth, he believed that children should indeed become experienced but through their own discoveries, which is reflected in a number of these poems. (Summary adapted from Wikipedia by Annie Coleman)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74241633</guid><pubDate>Tue, 01 Sep 2026 09:00:50 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74241633/divine_enchantment_john_neihardt.mp3" length="44253952" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>William Blake</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>William Blake’s volume of poetry entitled Songs of Innocence and Experience is the embodiment of his belief that innocence and experience were “the two contrary states of the human soul,” and that true innocence was impossible without experience....</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[William Blake’s volume of poetry entitled Songs of Innocence and Experience is the embodiment of his belief that innocence and experience were “the two contrary states of the human soul,” and that true innocence was impossible without experience. Songs of Innocence contains poems either written from the perspective of children or written about them. Many of the poems appearing in Songs of Innocence have a counterpart in Songs of Experience, with quite a different perspective of the world.The disastrous end of the French Revolution caused Blake to lose faith in the goodness of mankind, explaining much of the despair found in Songs of Experience. Blake also believed that children lost their innocence through exploitation and from a religious community which put dogma before mercy. He did not, however, believe that children should be kept from becoming experienced entirely. In truth, he believed that children should indeed become experienced but through their own discoveries, which is reflected in a number of these poems. (Summary adapted from Wikipedia by Annie Coleman)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>5526</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/8257aa7e53a88db1bfc76300c774af50.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Mother's Dream, and Other Poems-Hannah Flagg Gould</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/mother-s-dream-and-other-poems-hannah-flagg-gould--74227959</link><description><![CDATA[William Blake’s volume of poetry entitled Songs of Innocence and Experience is the embodiment of his belief that innocence and experience were “the two contrary states of the human soul,” and that true innocence was impossible without experience. Songs of Innocence contains poems either written from the perspective of children or written about them. Many of the poems appearing in Songs of Innocence have a counterpart in Songs of Experience, with quite a different perspective of the world.The disastrous end of the French Revolution caused Blake to lose faith in the goodness of mankind, explaining much of the despair found in Songs of Experience. Blake also believed that children lost their innocence through exploitation and from a religious community which put dogma before mercy. He did not, however, believe that children should be kept from becoming experienced entirely. In truth, he believed that children should indeed become experienced but through their own discoveries, which is reflected in a number of these poems. (Summary adapted from Wikipedia by Annie Coleman)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74227959</guid><pubDate>Mon, 31 Aug 2026 09:00:55 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74227959/mother_s_dream_and_other_poems_hannah_flagg_gould.mp3" length="147335202" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>William Blake</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>William Blake’s volume of poetry entitled Songs of Innocence and Experience is the embodiment of his belief that innocence and experience were “the two contrary states of the human soul,” and that true innocence was impossible without experience....</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[William Blake’s volume of poetry entitled Songs of Innocence and Experience is the embodiment of his belief that innocence and experience were “the two contrary states of the human soul,” and that true innocence was impossible without experience. Songs of Innocence contains poems either written from the perspective of children or written about them. Many of the poems appearing in Songs of Innocence have a counterpart in Songs of Experience, with quite a different perspective of the world.The disastrous end of the French Revolution caused Blake to lose faith in the goodness of mankind, explaining much of the despair found in Songs of Experience. Blake also believed that children lost their innocence through exploitation and from a religious community which put dogma before mercy. He did not, however, believe that children should be kept from becoming experienced entirely. In truth, he believed that children should indeed become experienced but through their own discoveries, which is reflected in a number of these poems. (Summary adapted from Wikipedia by Annie Coleman)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>18399</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/8257aa7e53a88db1bfc76300c774af50.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Selection from The Temple-George Herbert</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/selection-from-the-temple-george-herbert--74210370</link><description><![CDATA[William Blake’s volume of poetry entitled Songs of Innocence and Experience is the embodiment of his belief that innocence and experience were “the two contrary states of the human soul,” and that true innocence was impossible without experience. Songs of Innocence contains poems either written from the perspective of children or written about them. Many of the poems appearing in Songs of Innocence have a counterpart in Songs of Experience, with quite a different perspective of the world.The disastrous end of the French Revolution caused Blake to lose faith in the goodness of mankind, explaining much of the despair found in Songs of Experience. Blake also believed that children lost their innocence through exploitation and from a religious community which put dogma before mercy. He did not, however, believe that children should be kept from becoming experienced entirely. In truth, he believed that children should indeed become experienced but through their own discoveries, which is reflected in a number of these poems. (Summary adapted from Wikipedia by Annie Coleman)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74210370</guid><pubDate>Sun, 30 Aug 2026 09:00:46 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74210370/selection_from_the_temple_george_herbert.mp3" length="17129398" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>William Blake</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>William Blake’s volume of poetry entitled Songs of Innocence and Experience is the embodiment of his belief that innocence and experience were “the two contrary states of the human soul,” and that true innocence was impossible without experience....</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[William Blake’s volume of poetry entitled Songs of Innocence and Experience is the embodiment of his belief that innocence and experience were “the two contrary states of the human soul,” and that true innocence was impossible without experience. Songs of Innocence contains poems either written from the perspective of children or written about them. Many of the poems appearing in Songs of Innocence have a counterpart in Songs of Experience, with quite a different perspective of the world.The disastrous end of the French Revolution caused Blake to lose faith in the goodness of mankind, explaining much of the despair found in Songs of Experience. Blake also believed that children lost their innocence through exploitation and from a religious community which put dogma before mercy. He did not, however, believe that children should be kept from becoming experienced entirely. In truth, he believed that children should indeed become experienced but through their own discoveries, which is reflected in a number of these poems. (Summary adapted from Wikipedia by Annie Coleman)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>2139</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/8257aa7e53a88db1bfc76300c774af50.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Andromeda, and Other Poems-Charles Kingsley</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/andromeda-and-other-poems-charles-kingsley--74183856</link><description><![CDATA[William Blake’s volume of poetry entitled Songs of Innocence and Experience is the embodiment of his belief that innocence and experience were “the two contrary states of the human soul,” and that true innocence was impossible without experience. Songs of Innocence contains poems either written from the perspective of children or written about them. Many of the poems appearing in Songs of Innocence have a counterpart in Songs of Experience, with quite a different perspective of the world.The disastrous end of the French Revolution caused Blake to lose faith in the goodness of mankind, explaining much of the despair found in Songs of Experience. Blake also believed that children lost their innocence through exploitation and from a religious community which put dogma before mercy. He did not, however, believe that children should be kept from becoming experienced entirely. In truth, he believed that children should indeed become experienced but through their own discoveries, which is reflected in a number of these poems. (Summary adapted from Wikipedia by Annie Coleman)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74183856</guid><pubDate>Sat, 29 Aug 2026 09:00:47 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74183856/andromeda_and_other_poems_charles_kingsley.mp3" length="106001165" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>William Blake</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>William Blake’s volume of poetry entitled Songs of Innocence and Experience is the embodiment of his belief that innocence and experience were “the two contrary states of the human soul,” and that true innocence was impossible without experience....</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[William Blake’s volume of poetry entitled Songs of Innocence and Experience is the embodiment of his belief that innocence and experience were “the two contrary states of the human soul,” and that true innocence was impossible without experience. Songs of Innocence contains poems either written from the perspective of children or written about them. Many of the poems appearing in Songs of Innocence have a counterpart in Songs of Experience, with quite a different perspective of the world.The disastrous end of the French Revolution caused Blake to lose faith in the goodness of mankind, explaining much of the despair found in Songs of Experience. Blake also believed that children lost their innocence through exploitation and from a religious community which put dogma before mercy. He did not, however, believe that children should be kept from becoming experienced entirely. In truth, he believed that children should indeed become experienced but through their own discoveries, which is reflected in a number of these poems. (Summary adapted from Wikipedia by Annie Coleman)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>13237</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/8257aa7e53a88db1bfc76300c774af50.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Little Freckled Person A Book of Child Verse-Mary Carolyn Davies</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/little-freckled-person-a-book-of-child-verse-mary-carolyn-davies--74158362</link><description><![CDATA[William Blake’s volume of poetry entitled Songs of Innocence and Experience is the embodiment of his belief that innocence and experience were “the two contrary states of the human soul,” and that true innocence was impossible without experience. Songs of Innocence contains poems either written from the perspective of children or written about them. Many of the poems appearing in Songs of Innocence have a counterpart in Songs of Experience, with quite a different perspective of the world.The disastrous end of the French Revolution caused Blake to lose faith in the goodness of mankind, explaining much of the despair found in Songs of Experience. Blake also believed that children lost their innocence through exploitation and from a religious community which put dogma before mercy. He did not, however, believe that children should be kept from becoming experienced entirely. In truth, he believed that children should indeed become experienced but through their own discoveries, which is reflected in a number of these poems. (Summary adapted from Wikipedia by Annie Coleman)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74158362</guid><pubDate>Fri, 28 Aug 2026 09:00:50 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74158362/little_freckled_person_a_book_of_child_verse_mary_carolyn_davies.mp3" length="21618392" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>William Blake</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>William Blake’s volume of poetry entitled Songs of Innocence and Experience is the embodiment of his belief that innocence and experience were “the two contrary states of the human soul,” and that true innocence was impossible without experience....</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[William Blake’s volume of poetry entitled Songs of Innocence and Experience is the embodiment of his belief that innocence and experience were “the two contrary states of the human soul,” and that true innocence was impossible without experience. Songs of Innocence contains poems either written from the perspective of children or written about them. Many of the poems appearing in Songs of Innocence have a counterpart in Songs of Experience, with quite a different perspective of the world.The disastrous end of the French Revolution caused Blake to lose faith in the goodness of mankind, explaining much of the despair found in Songs of Experience. Blake also believed that children lost their innocence through exploitation and from a religious community which put dogma before mercy. He did not, however, believe that children should be kept from becoming experienced entirely. In truth, he believed that children should indeed become experienced but through their own discoveries, which is reflected in a number of these poems. (Summary adapted from Wikipedia by Annie Coleman)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>2700</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/8257aa7e53a88db1bfc76300c774af50.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>One Hundred Verses from Old Japan-Teika no Fujiwara</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/one-hundred-verses-from-old-japan-teika-no-fujiwara--74131830</link><description><![CDATA[William Blake’s volume of poetry entitled Songs of Innocence and Experience is the embodiment of his belief that innocence and experience were “the two contrary states of the human soul,” and that true innocence was impossible without experience. Songs of Innocence contains poems either written from the perspective of children or written about them. Many of the poems appearing in Songs of Innocence have a counterpart in Songs of Experience, with quite a different perspective of the world.The disastrous end of the French Revolution caused Blake to lose faith in the goodness of mankind, explaining much of the despair found in Songs of Experience. Blake also believed that children lost their innocence through exploitation and from a religious community which put dogma before mercy. He did not, however, believe that children should be kept from becoming experienced entirely. In truth, he believed that children should indeed become experienced but through their own discoveries, which is reflected in a number of these poems. (Summary adapted from Wikipedia by Annie Coleman)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74131830</guid><pubDate>Thu, 27 Aug 2026 09:00:53 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74131830/one_hundred_verses_from_old_japan_teika_no_fujiwara.mp3" length="23617623" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>William Blake</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>William Blake’s volume of poetry entitled Songs of Innocence and Experience is the embodiment of his belief that innocence and experience were “the two contrary states of the human soul,” and that true innocence was impossible without experience....</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[William Blake’s volume of poetry entitled Songs of Innocence and Experience is the embodiment of his belief that innocence and experience were “the two contrary states of the human soul,” and that true innocence was impossible without experience. Songs of Innocence contains poems either written from the perspective of children or written about them. Many of the poems appearing in Songs of Innocence have a counterpart in Songs of Experience, with quite a different perspective of the world.The disastrous end of the French Revolution caused Blake to lose faith in the goodness of mankind, explaining much of the despair found in Songs of Experience. Blake also believed that children lost their innocence through exploitation and from a religious community which put dogma before mercy. He did not, however, believe that children should be kept from becoming experienced entirely. In truth, he believed that children should indeed become experienced but through their own discoveries, which is reflected in a number of these poems. (Summary adapted from Wikipedia by Annie Coleman)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>2949</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/8257aa7e53a88db1bfc76300c774af50.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Katydid's Poems-Kate Slaughter McKinney</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/katydid-s-poems-kate-slaughter-mckinney--74082602</link><description><![CDATA[William Blake’s volume of poetry entitled Songs of Innocence and Experience is the embodiment of his belief that innocence and experience were “the two contrary states of the human soul,” and that true innocence was impossible without experience. Songs of Innocence contains poems either written from the perspective of children or written about them. Many of the poems appearing in Songs of Innocence have a counterpart in Songs of Experience, with quite a different perspective of the world.The disastrous end of the French Revolution caused Blake to lose faith in the goodness of mankind, explaining much of the despair found in Songs of Experience. Blake also believed that children lost their innocence through exploitation and from a religious community which put dogma before mercy. He did not, however, believe that children should be kept from becoming experienced entirely. In truth, he believed that children should indeed become experienced but through their own discoveries, which is reflected in a number of these poems. (Summary adapted from Wikipedia by Annie Coleman)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74082602</guid><pubDate>Wed, 26 Aug 2026 09:01:00 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74082602/katydid_s_poems_kate_slaughter_mckinney.mp3" length="90519173" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>William Blake</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>William Blake’s volume of poetry entitled Songs of Innocence and Experience is the embodiment of his belief that innocence and experience were “the two contrary states of the human soul,” and that true innocence was impossible without experience....</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[William Blake’s volume of poetry entitled Songs of Innocence and Experience is the embodiment of his belief that innocence and experience were “the two contrary states of the human soul,” and that true innocence was impossible without experience. Songs of Innocence contains poems either written from the perspective of children or written about them. Many of the poems appearing in Songs of Innocence have a counterpart in Songs of Experience, with quite a different perspective of the world.The disastrous end of the French Revolution caused Blake to lose faith in the goodness of mankind, explaining much of the despair found in Songs of Experience. Blake also believed that children lost their innocence through exploitation and from a religious community which put dogma before mercy. He did not, however, believe that children should be kept from becoming experienced entirely. In truth, he believed that children should indeed become experienced but through their own discoveries, which is reflected in a number of these poems. (Summary adapted from Wikipedia by Annie Coleman)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>11304</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/8257aa7e53a88db1bfc76300c774af50.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Joyous Days Then and Now-Harry Lee Marriner</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/joyous-days-then-and-now-harry-lee-marriner--74060531</link><description><![CDATA[William Blake’s volume of poetry entitled Songs of Innocence and Experience is the embodiment of his belief that innocence and experience were “the two contrary states of the human soul,” and that true innocence was impossible without experience. Songs of Innocence contains poems either written from the perspective of children or written about them. Many of the poems appearing in Songs of Innocence have a counterpart in Songs of Experience, with quite a different perspective of the world.The disastrous end of the French Revolution caused Blake to lose faith in the goodness of mankind, explaining much of the despair found in Songs of Experience. Blake also believed that children lost their innocence through exploitation and from a religious community which put dogma before mercy. He did not, however, believe that children should be kept from becoming experienced entirely. In truth, he believed that children should indeed become experienced but through their own discoveries, which is reflected in a number of these poems. (Summary adapted from Wikipedia by Annie Coleman)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74060531</guid><pubDate>Tue, 25 Aug 2026 09:00:38 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74060531/joyous_days_then_and_now_harry_lee_marriner.mp3" length="38393296" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>William Blake</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>William Blake’s volume of poetry entitled Songs of Innocence and Experience is the embodiment of his belief that innocence and experience were “the two contrary states of the human soul,” and that true innocence was impossible without experience....</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[William Blake’s volume of poetry entitled Songs of Innocence and Experience is the embodiment of his belief that innocence and experience were “the two contrary states of the human soul,” and that true innocence was impossible without experience. Songs of Innocence contains poems either written from the perspective of children or written about them. Many of the poems appearing in Songs of Innocence have a counterpart in Songs of Experience, with quite a different perspective of the world.The disastrous end of the French Revolution caused Blake to lose faith in the goodness of mankind, explaining much of the despair found in Songs of Experience. Blake also believed that children lost their innocence through exploitation and from a religious community which put dogma before mercy. He did not, however, believe that children should be kept from becoming experienced entirely. In truth, he believed that children should indeed become experienced but through their own discoveries, which is reflected in a number of these poems. (Summary adapted from Wikipedia by Annie Coleman)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>4795</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/8257aa7e53a88db1bfc76300c774af50.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Child Songs of Cheer-Evaleen Stein</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/child-songs-of-cheer-evaleen-stein--74038371</link><description><![CDATA[William Blake’s volume of poetry entitled Songs of Innocence and Experience is the embodiment of his belief that innocence and experience were “the two contrary states of the human soul,” and that true innocence was impossible without experience. Songs of Innocence contains poems either written from the perspective of children or written about them. Many of the poems appearing in Songs of Innocence have a counterpart in Songs of Experience, with quite a different perspective of the world.The disastrous end of the French Revolution caused Blake to lose faith in the goodness of mankind, explaining much of the despair found in Songs of Experience. Blake also believed that children lost their innocence through exploitation and from a religious community which put dogma before mercy. He did not, however, believe that children should be kept from becoming experienced entirely. In truth, he believed that children should indeed become experienced but through their own discoveries, which is reflected in a number of these poems. (Summary adapted from Wikipedia by Annie Coleman)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74038371</guid><pubDate>Mon, 24 Aug 2026 09:02:07 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74038371/child_songs_of_cheer_evaleen_stein.mp3" length="33610939" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>William Blake</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>William Blake’s volume of poetry entitled Songs of Innocence and Experience is the embodiment of his belief that innocence and experience were “the two contrary states of the human soul,” and that true innocence was impossible without experience....</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[William Blake’s volume of poetry entitled Songs of Innocence and Experience is the embodiment of his belief that innocence and experience were “the two contrary states of the human soul,” and that true innocence was impossible without experience. Songs of Innocence contains poems either written from the perspective of children or written about them. Many of the poems appearing in Songs of Innocence have a counterpart in Songs of Experience, with quite a different perspective of the world.The disastrous end of the French Revolution caused Blake to lose faith in the goodness of mankind, explaining much of the despair found in Songs of Experience. Blake also believed that children lost their innocence through exploitation and from a religious community which put dogma before mercy. He did not, however, believe that children should be kept from becoming experienced entirely. In truth, he believed that children should indeed become experienced but through their own discoveries, which is reflected in a number of these poems. (Summary adapted from Wikipedia by Annie Coleman)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>4197</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/8257aa7e53a88db1bfc76300c774af50.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Among the Trees Again-Evaleen Stein</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/among-the-trees-again-evaleen-stein--74018607</link><description><![CDATA[William Blake’s volume of poetry entitled Songs of Innocence and Experience is the embodiment of his belief that innocence and experience were “the two contrary states of the human soul,” and that true innocence was impossible without experience. Songs of Innocence contains poems either written from the perspective of children or written about them. Many of the poems appearing in Songs of Innocence have a counterpart in Songs of Experience, with quite a different perspective of the world.The disastrous end of the French Revolution caused Blake to lose faith in the goodness of mankind, explaining much of the despair found in Songs of Experience. Blake also believed that children lost their innocence through exploitation and from a religious community which put dogma before mercy. He did not, however, believe that children should be kept from becoming experienced entirely. In truth, he believed that children should indeed become experienced but through their own discoveries, which is reflected in a number of these poems. (Summary adapted from Wikipedia by Annie Coleman)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74018607</guid><pubDate>Sun, 23 Aug 2026 09:02:09 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74018607/among_the_trees_again_evaleen_stein.mp3" length="44603124" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>William Blake</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>William Blake’s volume of poetry entitled Songs of Innocence and Experience is the embodiment of his belief that innocence and experience were “the two contrary states of the human soul,” and that true innocence was impossible without experience....</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[William Blake’s volume of poetry entitled Songs of Innocence and Experience is the embodiment of his belief that innocence and experience were “the two contrary states of the human soul,” and that true innocence was impossible without experience. Songs of Innocence contains poems either written from the perspective of children or written about them. Many of the poems appearing in Songs of Innocence have a counterpart in Songs of Experience, with quite a different perspective of the world.The disastrous end of the French Revolution caused Blake to lose faith in the goodness of mankind, explaining much of the despair found in Songs of Experience. Blake also believed that children lost their innocence through exploitation and from a religious community which put dogma before mercy. He did not, however, believe that children should be kept from becoming experienced entirely. In truth, he believed that children should indeed become experienced but through their own discoveries, which is reflected in a number of these poems. (Summary adapted from Wikipedia by Annie Coleman)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>5570</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/8257aa7e53a88db1bfc76300c774af50.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Afternoon Songs-Julia Caroline Dorr</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/afternoon-songs-julia-caroline-dorr--73997185</link><description><![CDATA[William Blake’s volume of poetry entitled Songs of Innocence and Experience is the embodiment of his belief that innocence and experience were “the two contrary states of the human soul,” and that true innocence was impossible without experience. Songs of Innocence contains poems either written from the perspective of children or written about them. Many of the poems appearing in Songs of Innocence have a counterpart in Songs of Experience, with quite a different perspective of the world.The disastrous end of the French Revolution caused Blake to lose faith in the goodness of mankind, explaining much of the despair found in Songs of Experience. Blake also believed that children lost their innocence through exploitation and from a religious community which put dogma before mercy. He did not, however, believe that children should be kept from becoming experienced entirely. In truth, he believed that children should indeed become experienced but through their own discoveries, which is reflected in a number of these poems. (Summary adapted from Wikipedia by Annie Coleman)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73997185</guid><pubDate>Sat, 22 Aug 2026 09:01:46 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/73997185/afternoon_songs_julia_caroline_dorr.mp3" length="61346139" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>William Blake</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>William Blake’s volume of poetry entitled Songs of Innocence and Experience is the embodiment of his belief that innocence and experience were “the two contrary states of the human soul,” and that true innocence was impossible without experience....</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[William Blake’s volume of poetry entitled Songs of Innocence and Experience is the embodiment of his belief that innocence and experience were “the two contrary states of the human soul,” and that true innocence was impossible without experience. Songs of Innocence contains poems either written from the perspective of children or written about them. Many of the poems appearing in Songs of Innocence have a counterpart in Songs of Experience, with quite a different perspective of the world.The disastrous end of the French Revolution caused Blake to lose faith in the goodness of mankind, explaining much of the despair found in Songs of Experience. Blake also believed that children lost their innocence through exploitation and from a religious community which put dogma before mercy. He did not, however, believe that children should be kept from becoming experienced entirely. In truth, he believed that children should indeed become experienced but through their own discoveries, which is reflected in a number of these poems. (Summary adapted from Wikipedia by Annie Coleman)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>7661</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/8257aa7e53a88db1bfc76300c774af50.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Life and Adventures of Chanticleer, the Intelligent Rooster. An interesting story in verse for children-Unknown (14036)</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/life-and-adventures-of-chanticleer-the-intelligent-rooster-an-interesting-story-in-verse-for-children-unknown-14036--73976423</link><description><![CDATA[William Blake’s volume of poetry entitled Songs of Innocence and Experience is the embodiment of his belief that innocence and experience were “the two contrary states of the human soul,” and that true innocence was impossible without experience. Songs of Innocence contains poems either written from the perspective of children or written about them. Many of the poems appearing in Songs of Innocence have a counterpart in Songs of Experience, with quite a different perspective of the world.The disastrous end of the French Revolution caused Blake to lose faith in the goodness of mankind, explaining much of the despair found in Songs of Experience. Blake also believed that children lost their innocence through exploitation and from a religious community which put dogma before mercy. He did not, however, believe that children should be kept from becoming experienced entirely. In truth, he believed that children should indeed become experienced but through their own discoveries, which is reflected in a number of these poems. (Summary adapted from Wikipedia by Annie Coleman)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73976423</guid><pubDate>Fri, 21 Aug 2026 09:02:09 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/73976423/life_and_adventures_of_chanticleer_the_intelligent_rooster_an_interesting_story_in_verse_for_children_unknown_14036.mp3" length="41519535" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>William Blake</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>William Blake’s volume of poetry entitled Songs of Innocence and Experience is the embodiment of his belief that innocence and experience were “the two contrary states of the human soul,” and that true innocence was impossible without experience....</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[William Blake’s volume of poetry entitled Songs of Innocence and Experience is the embodiment of his belief that innocence and experience were “the two contrary states of the human soul,” and that true innocence was impossible without experience. Songs of Innocence contains poems either written from the perspective of children or written about them. Many of the poems appearing in Songs of Innocence have a counterpart in Songs of Experience, with quite a different perspective of the world.The disastrous end of the French Revolution caused Blake to lose faith in the goodness of mankind, explaining much of the despair found in Songs of Experience. Blake also believed that children lost their innocence through exploitation and from a religious community which put dogma before mercy. He did not, however, believe that children should be kept from becoming experienced entirely. In truth, he believed that children should indeed become experienced but through their own discoveries, which is reflected in a number of these poems. (Summary adapted from Wikipedia by Annie Coleman)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>5185</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/8257aa7e53a88db1bfc76300c774af50.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Spook Ballads-William Theodore Parkes</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/spook-ballads-william-theodore-parkes--73955462</link><description><![CDATA[William Blake’s volume of poetry entitled Songs of Innocence and Experience is the embodiment of his belief that innocence and experience were “the two contrary states of the human soul,” and that true innocence was impossible without experience. Songs of Innocence contains poems either written from the perspective of children or written about them. Many of the poems appearing in Songs of Innocence have a counterpart in Songs of Experience, with quite a different perspective of the world.The disastrous end of the French Revolution caused Blake to lose faith in the goodness of mankind, explaining much of the despair found in Songs of Experience. Blake also believed that children lost their innocence through exploitation and from a religious community which put dogma before mercy. He did not, however, believe that children should be kept from becoming experienced entirely. In truth, he believed that children should indeed become experienced but through their own discoveries, which is reflected in a number of these poems. (Summary adapted from Wikipedia by Annie Coleman)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73955462</guid><pubDate>Thu, 20 Aug 2026 09:02:26 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/73955462/spook_ballads_william_theodore_parkes.mp3" length="136181823" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>William Blake</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>William Blake’s volume of poetry entitled Songs of Innocence and Experience is the embodiment of his belief that innocence and experience were “the two contrary states of the human soul,” and that true innocence was impossible without experience....</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[William Blake’s volume of poetry entitled Songs of Innocence and Experience is the embodiment of his belief that innocence and experience were “the two contrary states of the human soul,” and that true innocence was impossible without experience. Songs of Innocence contains poems either written from the perspective of children or written about them. Many of the poems appearing in Songs of Innocence have a counterpart in Songs of Experience, with quite a different perspective of the world.The disastrous end of the French Revolution caused Blake to lose faith in the goodness of mankind, explaining much of the despair found in Songs of Experience. Blake also believed that children lost their innocence through exploitation and from a religious community which put dogma before mercy. He did not, however, believe that children should be kept from becoming experienced entirely. In truth, he believed that children should indeed become experienced but through their own discoveries, which is reflected in a number of these poems. (Summary adapted from Wikipedia by Annie Coleman)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>17006</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/8257aa7e53a88db1bfc76300c774af50.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Flower of Youth Poems in War Time-Katharine Tynan Hinkson</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/flower-of-youth-poems-in-war-time-katharine-tynan-hinkson--73934561</link><description><![CDATA[William Blake’s volume of poetry entitled Songs of Innocence and Experience is the embodiment of his belief that innocence and experience were “the two contrary states of the human soul,” and that true innocence was impossible without experience. Songs of Innocence contains poems either written from the perspective of children or written about them. Many of the poems appearing in Songs of Innocence have a counterpart in Songs of Experience, with quite a different perspective of the world.The disastrous end of the French Revolution caused Blake to lose faith in the goodness of mankind, explaining much of the despair found in Songs of Experience. Blake also believed that children lost their innocence through exploitation and from a religious community which put dogma before mercy. He did not, however, believe that children should be kept from becoming experienced entirely. In truth, he believed that children should indeed become experienced but through their own discoveries, which is reflected in a number of these poems. (Summary adapted from Wikipedia by Annie Coleman)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73934561</guid><pubDate>Wed, 19 Aug 2026 09:02:23 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/73934561/flower_of_youth_poems_in_war_time_katharine_tynan_hinkson.mp3" length="34848497" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>William Blake</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>William Blake’s volume of poetry entitled Songs of Innocence and Experience is the embodiment of his belief that innocence and experience were “the two contrary states of the human soul,” and that true innocence was impossible without experience....</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[William Blake’s volume of poetry entitled Songs of Innocence and Experience is the embodiment of his belief that innocence and experience were “the two contrary states of the human soul,” and that true innocence was impossible without experience. Songs of Innocence contains poems either written from the perspective of children or written about them. Many of the poems appearing in Songs of Innocence have a counterpart in Songs of Experience, with quite a different perspective of the world.The disastrous end of the French Revolution caused Blake to lose faith in the goodness of mankind, explaining much of the despair found in Songs of Experience. Blake also believed that children lost their innocence through exploitation and from a religious community which put dogma before mercy. He did not, however, believe that children should be kept from becoming experienced entirely. In truth, he believed that children should indeed become experienced but through their own discoveries, which is reflected in a number of these poems. (Summary adapted from Wikipedia by Annie Coleman)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>4352</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/8257aa7e53a88db1bfc76300c774af50.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Songs of Sea and Sail-Thomas Fleming Day</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/songs-of-sea-and-sail-thomas-fleming-day--73911400</link><description><![CDATA[William Blake’s volume of poetry entitled Songs of Innocence and Experience is the embodiment of his belief that innocence and experience were “the two contrary states of the human soul,” and that true innocence was impossible without experience. Songs of Innocence contains poems either written from the perspective of children or written about them. Many of the poems appearing in Songs of Innocence have a counterpart in Songs of Experience, with quite a different perspective of the world.The disastrous end of the French Revolution caused Blake to lose faith in the goodness of mankind, explaining much of the despair found in Songs of Experience. Blake also believed that children lost their innocence through exploitation and from a religious community which put dogma before mercy. He did not, however, believe that children should be kept from becoming experienced entirely. In truth, he believed that children should indeed become experienced but through their own discoveries, which is reflected in a number of these poems. (Summary adapted from Wikipedia by Annie Coleman)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73911400</guid><pubDate>Tue, 18 Aug 2026 09:03:04 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/73911400/songs_of_sea_and_sail_thomas_fleming_day.mp3" length="49014866" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>William Blake</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>William Blake’s volume of poetry entitled Songs of Innocence and Experience is the embodiment of his belief that innocence and experience were “the two contrary states of the human soul,” and that true innocence was impossible without experience....</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[William Blake’s volume of poetry entitled Songs of Innocence and Experience is the embodiment of his belief that innocence and experience were “the two contrary states of the human soul,” and that true innocence was impossible without experience. Songs of Innocence contains poems either written from the perspective of children or written about them. Many of the poems appearing in Songs of Innocence have a counterpart in Songs of Experience, with quite a different perspective of the world.The disastrous end of the French Revolution caused Blake to lose faith in the goodness of mankind, explaining much of the despair found in Songs of Experience. Blake also believed that children lost their innocence through exploitation and from a religious community which put dogma before mercy. He did not, however, believe that children should be kept from becoming experienced entirely. In truth, he believed that children should indeed become experienced but through their own discoveries, which is reflected in a number of these poems. (Summary adapted from Wikipedia by Annie Coleman)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>6121</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/8257aa7e53a88db1bfc76300c774af50.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Great Poems of the World War-Various</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/great-poems-of-the-world-war-various--73889822</link><description><![CDATA[William Blake’s volume of poetry entitled Songs of Innocence and Experience is the embodiment of his belief that innocence and experience were “the two contrary states of the human soul,” and that true innocence was impossible without experience. Songs of Innocence contains poems either written from the perspective of children or written about them. Many of the poems appearing in Songs of Innocence have a counterpart in Songs of Experience, with quite a different perspective of the world.The disastrous end of the French Revolution caused Blake to lose faith in the goodness of mankind, explaining much of the despair found in Songs of Experience. Blake also believed that children lost their innocence through exploitation and from a religious community which put dogma before mercy. He did not, however, believe that children should be kept from becoming experienced entirely. In truth, he believed that children should indeed become experienced but through their own discoveries, which is reflected in a number of these poems. (Summary adapted from Wikipedia by Annie Coleman)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73889822</guid><pubDate>Mon, 17 Aug 2026 09:03:20 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/73889822/great_poems_of_the_world_war_various.mp3" length="28280563" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>William Blake</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>William Blake’s volume of poetry entitled Songs of Innocence and Experience is the embodiment of his belief that innocence and experience were “the two contrary states of the human soul,” and that true innocence was impossible without experience....</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[William Blake’s volume of poetry entitled Songs of Innocence and Experience is the embodiment of his belief that innocence and experience were “the two contrary states of the human soul,” and that true innocence was impossible without experience. Songs of Innocence contains poems either written from the perspective of children or written about them. Many of the poems appearing in Songs of Innocence have a counterpart in Songs of Experience, with quite a different perspective of the world.The disastrous end of the French Revolution caused Blake to lose faith in the goodness of mankind, explaining much of the despair found in Songs of Experience. Blake also believed that children lost their innocence through exploitation and from a religious community which put dogma before mercy. He did not, however, believe that children should be kept from becoming experienced entirely. In truth, he believed that children should indeed become experienced but through their own discoveries, which is reflected in a number of these poems. (Summary adapted from Wikipedia by Annie Coleman)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>3532</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/8257aa7e53a88db1bfc76300c774af50.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Dark Ages, and Other Poems-L</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/dark-ages-and-other-poems-l--73868656</link><description><![CDATA[William Blake’s volume of poetry entitled Songs of Innocence and Experience is the embodiment of his belief that innocence and experience were “the two contrary states of the human soul,” and that true innocence was impossible without experience. Songs of Innocence contains poems either written from the perspective of children or written about them. Many of the poems appearing in Songs of Innocence have a counterpart in Songs of Experience, with quite a different perspective of the world.The disastrous end of the French Revolution caused Blake to lose faith in the goodness of mankind, explaining much of the despair found in Songs of Experience. Blake also believed that children lost their innocence through exploitation and from a religious community which put dogma before mercy. He did not, however, believe that children should be kept from becoming experienced entirely. In truth, he believed that children should indeed become experienced but through their own discoveries, which is reflected in a number of these poems. (Summary adapted from Wikipedia by Annie Coleman)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73868656</guid><pubDate>Sun, 16 Aug 2026 09:03:09 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/73868656/dark_ages_and_other_poems_l.mp3" length="40131197" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>William Blake</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>William Blake’s volume of poetry entitled Songs of Innocence and Experience is the embodiment of his belief that innocence and experience were “the two contrary states of the human soul,” and that true innocence was impossible without experience....</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[William Blake’s volume of poetry entitled Songs of Innocence and Experience is the embodiment of his belief that innocence and experience were “the two contrary states of the human soul,” and that true innocence was impossible without experience. Songs of Innocence contains poems either written from the perspective of children or written about them. Many of the poems appearing in Songs of Innocence have a counterpart in Songs of Experience, with quite a different perspective of the world.The disastrous end of the French Revolution caused Blake to lose faith in the goodness of mankind, explaining much of the despair found in Songs of Experience. Blake also believed that children lost their innocence through exploitation and from a religious community which put dogma before mercy. He did not, however, believe that children should be kept from becoming experienced entirely. In truth, he believed that children should indeed become experienced but through their own discoveries, which is reflected in a number of these poems. (Summary adapted from Wikipedia by Annie Coleman)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>5012</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/8257aa7e53a88db1bfc76300c774af50.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>When We Were Very Young-A. A. Milne</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/when-we-were-very-young-a-a-milne--73849816</link><description><![CDATA[William Blake’s volume of poetry entitled Songs of Innocence and Experience is the embodiment of his belief that innocence and experience were “the two contrary states of the human soul,” and that true innocence was impossible without experience. Songs of Innocence contains poems either written from the perspective of children or written about them. Many of the poems appearing in Songs of Innocence have a counterpart in Songs of Experience, with quite a different perspective of the world.The disastrous end of the French Revolution caused Blake to lose faith in the goodness of mankind, explaining much of the despair found in Songs of Experience. Blake also believed that children lost their innocence through exploitation and from a religious community which put dogma before mercy. He did not, however, believe that children should be kept from becoming experienced entirely. In truth, he believed that children should indeed become experienced but through their own discoveries, which is reflected in a number of these poems. (Summary adapted from Wikipedia by Annie Coleman)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73849816</guid><pubDate>Sat, 15 Aug 2026 09:04:12 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/73849816/when_we_were_very_young_a_a_milne.mp3" length="31057583" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>William Blake</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>William Blake’s volume of poetry entitled Songs of Innocence and Experience is the embodiment of his belief that innocence and experience were “the two contrary states of the human soul,” and that true innocence was impossible without experience....</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[William Blake’s volume of poetry entitled Songs of Innocence and Experience is the embodiment of his belief that innocence and experience were “the two contrary states of the human soul,” and that true innocence was impossible without experience. Songs of Innocence contains poems either written from the perspective of children or written about them. Many of the poems appearing in Songs of Innocence have a counterpart in Songs of Experience, with quite a different perspective of the world.The disastrous end of the French Revolution caused Blake to lose faith in the goodness of mankind, explaining much of the despair found in Songs of Experience. Blake also believed that children lost their innocence through exploitation and from a religious community which put dogma before mercy. He did not, however, believe that children should be kept from becoming experienced entirely. In truth, he believed that children should indeed become experienced but through their own discoveries, which is reflected in a number of these poems. (Summary adapted from Wikipedia by Annie Coleman)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>3878</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/8257aa7e53a88db1bfc76300c774af50.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Songs of Innocence and Experience (version 3)-William Blake</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/songs-of-innocence-and-experience-version-3-william-blake--73380735</link><description><![CDATA["Songs of Innocence and Experience" by William Blake presents a profound exploration of the dualities of human existence, contrasting the purity of childhood with the complexities of adulthood. Through a series of poems, Blake delves into themes of innocence, experience, and the societal constraints that shape our lives. This collection remains timeless, inviting listeners to reflect on the innate struggles between joy and sorrow, freedom and oppression, which are as relevant today as they were in Blake's time. Engaging with this work offers a rich opportunity to ponder the enduring nature of these themes and their impact on our understanding of the human condition.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73380735</guid><pubDate>Mon, 03 Aug 2026 10:46:30 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/73380735/songs_of_innocence_and_experience_version_3_william_blake.mp3" length="21102743" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>William Blake</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>"Songs of Innocence and Experience" by William Blake presents a profound exploration of the dualities of human existence, contrasting the purity of childhood with the complexities of adulthood. Through a series of poems, Blake delves into themes of...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA["Songs of Innocence and Experience" by William Blake presents a profound exploration of the dualities of human existence, contrasting the purity of childhood with the complexities of adulthood. Through a series of poems, Blake delves into themes of innocence, experience, and the societal constraints that shape our lives. This collection remains timeless, inviting listeners to reflect on the innate struggles between joy and sorrow, freedom and oppression, which are as relevant today as they were in Blake's time. Engaging with this work offers a rich opportunity to ponder the enduring nature of these themes and their impact on our understanding of the human condition.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>2635</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/8257aa7e53a88db1bfc76300c774af50.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Songs of Innocence and Experience - William Blake</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/songs-of-innocence-and-experience-william-blake--72654924</link><description><![CDATA[William Blake’s volume of poetry entitled Songs of Innocence and Experience is the embodiment of his belief that innocence and experience were “the two contrary states of the human soul,” and that true innocence was impossible without experience. Songs of Innocence contains poems either written from the perspective of children or written about them. Many of the poems appearing in Songs of Innocence have a counterpart in Songs of Experience, with quite a different perspective of the world.The disastrous end of the French Revolution caused Blake to lose faith in the goodness of mankind, explaining much of the despair found in Songs of Experience. Blake also believed that children lost their innocence through exploitation and from a religious community which put dogma before mercy. He did not, however, believe that children should be kept from becoming experienced entirely. In truth, he believed that children should indeed become experienced but through their own discoveries, which is reflected in a number of these poems. (Summary adapted from Wikipedia by Annie Coleman)]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/72654924</guid><pubDate>Tue, 23 Jun 2026 18:10:13 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/72654924/songs_of_innocence_and_experience_william_blake.mp3" length="39492791" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/74eb0f33-b147-430e-8d77-2ff365754647/74eb0f33-b147-430e-8d77-2ff365754647.srt" type="application/x-subrip" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/74eb0f33-b147-430e-8d77-2ff365754647/74eb0f33-b147-430e-8d77-2ff365754647.txt" type="text/plain" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/74eb0f33-b147-430e-8d77-2ff365754647/74eb0f33-b147-430e-8d77-2ff365754647.vtt" type="text/vtt" language="en"/><itunes:author>William Blake</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>William Blake’s volume of poetry entitled Songs of Innocence and Experience is the embodiment of his belief that innocence and experience were “the two contrary states of the human soul,” and that true innocence was impossible without experience....</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[William Blake’s volume of poetry entitled Songs of Innocence and Experience is the embodiment of his belief that innocence and experience were “the two contrary states of the human soul,” and that true innocence was impossible without experience. Songs of Innocence contains poems either written from the perspective of children or written about them. Many of the poems appearing in Songs of Innocence have a counterpart in Songs of Experience, with quite a different perspective of the world.The disastrous end of the French Revolution caused Blake to lose faith in the goodness of mankind, explaining much of the despair found in Songs of Experience. Blake also believed that children lost their innocence through exploitation and from a religious community which put dogma before mercy. He did not, however, believe that children should be kept from becoming experienced entirely. In truth, he believed that children should indeed become experienced but through their own discoveries, which is reflected in a number of these poems. (Summary adapted from Wikipedia by Annie Coleman)]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>4937</itunes:duration><itunes:keywords>believed,blake,children,experience,experienced,innocence,perspective,poems,poetry,songs</itunes:keywords><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/8257aa7e53a88db1bfc76300c774af50.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item></channel></rss>
