Laughing Song

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"Laughing Song" is a poem by the English poet William Blake. This poem is one out of nineteen in Blake's collection Songs of Innocence.

History of the Author

William Blake was born one of seven children on November 28, 1747. He was born and raised in London during a time of social and political change, which made him want to bring out a change in both through his writing. Some of Blake's most famous poems were "The Tyger", "The Poison Tree" and "The Lamb" which are all a part of his collection Songs of Innocence and of Experience. Songs of Innocence also displayed not just him as a poet, but also displayed the great painter that he was; illustrating all of the poems that are in the collection.

Analysis of the Poem

This is the poem "Laughing Song" by William Blake from his collection of poems Songs of Innocence.

“Laughing Song” is a three-stanza lyric poem. Its rhyme scheme consists of abcc/aabb/abcc. The title of this poem and its rhyme scheme is very appropriate for the message that Blake is trying to convey. The title in itself states that this is a song about laughter, and the three stanzas give this impression, especially in these lines:

With their sweet round mouths sing "Ha, ha he!"
Then again in the third stanza,
To sing the sweet chorus of "Ha, ha, he!"

Using words like “sing” and “chorus” to emphasize it as well. Blake’s main goal is to lure readers to the happiness of the prelapsarian times, when things were unspoiled and innocent. Blake is inviting the readers to take part in the celebration after all nature and all the people have began to laugh and be merry, he wants all to come join in the song. In the idea of prelapsarian/postlapsarian times, he knows that this great joy won't last forever. This is why we starts the poem with the laughter and happiness of nature in the first stanza, personifying the wood, hills, and air. In the second stanza, Blake gradually goes on to the “grasshopper” and “Mary and Susan and Emily” the children who will also joins in the singing of the “Ha, ha, he!” The children and grasshopper also reiterates the idea of innocence and joy. Using repetition of the words "merry" and "laughs/laughing" also emphasises the overall tone of the poem.

Illustration

The illustration (on the right) will also gives a great visual of what Blake was trying to express. In the picture you can tell there was a gathering or celebartion of some sort. This celebration is outdoor, so all are on with nature and laugh with the trees as expressed in the poem. The colour in the image are vibrant and the border of birds adds a joyous touch.

References

Blake, William. "Songs of Innocence and of Experience, Copy B, 1789, 1794 (British Museum): Electronic Edition." Songs of Innocence and of Experience, Copy B, 1789, 1794 (British Museum): Electronic Edition. Morris Eaves, Robert N. Essick, and Joseph Viscomi, n.d. Web. 05 Dec. 2013.
"William Blake." : The Poetry Foundation. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Dec. 2013.
"Summary and Analysis of Laughing Song by William Blake." Beaming Notes. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Dec. 2013.

William Blake

Literary works

Early writings

Songs of Innocence
and of Experience

Songs of Innocence	Introduction The Shepherd The Ecchoing Green The Lamb The Little Black Boy The Blossom The Chimney Sweeper The Little Boy Lost The Little Boy Found Laughing Song A Cradle Song The Divine Image Holy Thursday Night Spring Nurse's Song Infant Joy A Dream On Another's Sorrow

Songs of Experience	Introduction Earth's Answer The Clod and the Pebble Holy Thursday The Little Girl Lost The Little Girl Found The Chimney Sweeper Nurse's Song The Sick Rose The Fly The Angel The Tyger My Pretty Rose Tree Ah! Sun-flower The Lily The Garden of Love The Little Vagabond London The Human Abstract Infant Sorrow A Poison Tree A Little Boy lost A Little Girl Lost To Tirzah The School Boy The Voice of the Ancient Bard "A Divine Image" (found only in Copy BB)

Prophetic
Books

The continental prophecies	America a Prophecy Europe a Prophecy The Song of Los

Other	Tiriel The Book of Thel The Marriage of Heaven and Hell The French Revolution Visions of the Daughters of Albion The Book of Urizen The Book of Ahania The Book of Los The Four Zoas Milton Jerusalem The Emanation of the Giant Albion

The Pickering
Manuscript

Auguries of Innocence
The Mental Traveller
The Crystal Cabinet
Mary
The Smile
The Golden Net
The Land of Dreams
The Grey Monk
Long John Brown and Little Mary Bell
William Bond

The Rossetti
Manuscript

Never seek to tell thy love

Mythology

Ahania Albion Bromion Enion Enitharmon Fuzon Grodna Har Leutha Los Luvah Orc Palamabron Spectre Tharmas Thiriel Tiriel Urizen Urthona Utha Vala

Art

Paintings and prints	Relief etching Engravings for Original Stories from Real Life The Ancient of Days The Night of Enitharmon's Joy Newton Nebuchadnezzar Illustrations for Night-Thoughts Illustrations of The Grave The Four and Twenty Elders Casting their Crowns before the Divine Throne Illustrations of Paradise Lost A Vision of the Last Judgment Descriptive Catalogue The Great Red Dragon Paintings Pity The Ghost of a Flea Agony in the Garden Illustrations of On the Morning of Christ's Nativity The Wood of the Self-Murderers: The Harpies and the Suicides Illustrations of the Book of Job Illustrations of The Divine Comedy

Sketches	Visionary Heads

The Ancients	Edward Calvert John Linnell Samuel Palmer George Richmond Arthur Tatham Frederick Tatham

Criticism and scholarship

Scholars and critics	Peter Ackroyd Donald Ault Harold Bloom Nancy Bogen Jacob Bronowski S. Foster Damon David V. Erdman Northrop Frye Alexander Gilchrist Geoffrey Keynes Alicia Ostriker Kathleen Raine E. P. Thompson W. B. Yeats

Scholarly works	Life of William Blake Fearful Symmetry A Blake Dictionary: The Ideas and Symbols of William Blake Blake: Prophet Against Empire Witness Against the Beast

Archives and Collections	William Blake Archive

Wikimedia

Commons Wikibooks Wikiquote Wikisource Wiktionary

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