Original Sin in Songs of Innocence

William Blake's Songs of Innocence is a collection of short poems. Most of the works involve pastoral images, young children, nature, and god. There is a beautiful simplicity in the way that he depicts nature in poems like "The Echoing Green" and "The Blossom". There are some very apparent references to God, christ, and the naive innocence of god's children. "The Little Black Boy" discusses the unconditional love of god as a potent source of power over things like race. The poem "Infant Joy" is one of the poems that truly captures the innocence and simplicity of this collections of poems. The first line, "I have no name" coveys the purity and newness of the Infant. The only emotions the child feels or exudes are "sweet joy" and "pretty joy". This untainted purity and joy are a reflection of the child's newness to the world. They haven't even been named, let alone had the chance to commit sin or gain experiences. Many of Blake's poems set up a point of contrast or possess correlating poems to his Songs of Experience.