Q. Critically evaluate the poem Auguries of Innocence by William Blake.
The title Auguries of Innocence reflects William Blake’s central message about the fate of innocence in the world. The word auguries means signs or omens, suggesting that the poem reveals warnings about the treatment of innocence.
Innocence refers to purity, childlike wonder, and moral goodness. It is often symbolized by animals, nature, and the powerless in society. Blake believes that how the world treats the innocent is a prophecy about human morality and justice.
The poem describes small injustices, like caging a bird or harming an animal, and connects them to significant consequences, implying that cruelty disrupts the natural and moral order.
It suggests that signs of this imbalance exist everywhere, but people must recognize them. Blake warns that when innocence is lost or mistreated, society suffers.
The title emphasizes his belief that the world constantly provides signs about the consequences of human actions, and ignoring them leads to disorder and suffering.
Explanation of Auguries of Innocence
Lines 1-4
To see a World in a Grain of Sand
And a Heaven in a Wild Flower
Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand
And Eternity in an hour
These lines from William Blake’s Auguries of Innocence express the idea that the infinite and the eternal exist in the smallest details of the world. Blake suggests that if we look closely and with imagination, we can find the entire universe in something as tiny as a grain of sand.
This means that everything in nature is connected, and even the smallest things hold deep meaning. Similarly, a simple wildflower can reveal the beauty and wonder of heaven.
Blake believes that nature is not just physical but also spiritual, and those who are open to seeing it can experience the divine in everyday life.
The lines also reflect the idea that time and space are not fixed. Holding infinity in your hand suggests that the vastness of existence is within reach if we change our perspective.
Likewise, eternity can be felt in a single hour, meaning that time is not just about minutes and seconds but about how deeply we experience it. Blake challenges the way we usually see the world, encouraging us to find wonder in the ordinary.
His vision is both mystical and philosophical, showing that reality is much greater than what we perceive with our physical senses.
Lines 5-8
A Robin Red breast in a Cage
Puts all Heaven in a Rage
A Dove house filld with Doves & Pigeons
Shudders Hell thr’ all its regions
In Auguries of Innocence, Blake connects freedom and confinement to cosmic consequences. The robin redbreast, meant to fly in heaven, angers heaven when caged, symbolizing that oppression disturbs divine order.
Similarly, a dove house overcrowded with doves and pigeons—symbols of peace—shakes Hell, showing that even forced harmony leads to suffering. Both images illustrate how nature’s balance must remain undisturbed.
Freedom is sacred, and any attempt to restrict or control it creates spiritual unrest. Blake suggests that even small acts of oppression affect not just individuals but the universe’s entire moral and cosmic structure.
Lines 9-12
A dog starvd at his Masters Gate
Predicts the ruin of the State
A Horse misusd upon the Road
Calls to Heaven for Human blood
In Auguries of Innocence, Blake connects the mistreatment of animals to the downfall of human society. A starving dog at its master’s gate represents neglect and cruelty. When people fail to show kindness and responsibility, it signals the collapse of justice and order.
A society that ignores suffering, even of a dog, is destined to fail. Similarly, a mistreated horse, suffering from overwork or abuse, cries out to heaven for justice.
This shows that cruelty toward animals is a serious moral wrong, and divine punishment will follow. Mistreating the weak—whether animals or people—leads to destruction and bloodshed.
Lines 13-16
Each outcry of the hunted Hare
A fibre from the Brain does tear
A Skylark wounded in the wing
A Cherubim does cease to sing
In Blake’s lines, the hunted hare is trapped by a device created by the human brain. The human brain invented the trap. As the hare suffers, it tears at the fiber of the brain.
In a biological context, fibers are long, thin structures found in tissues, such as muscle or nerve fibers. They comprise cells or proteins and are responsible for various functions, such as contracting muscles or transmitting nerve signals.
Similarly, the wounded skylark causes a cherubim to stop singing. This suggests that violence toward nature disrupts the divine order. It affects both the human conscience and the spiritual world.
Lines 13-16
The Game Cock clipd & armd for fight
Does the Rising Sun affright
Every Wolfs & Lions howl
Raises from Hell a Human Soul
The game cock represents aggression and violence. It is clipped and armed, showing how humans force animals into fights. This makes the cock a symbol of danger and artificial conflict.
The rising sun, usually a symbol of truth, contrasts with the violence. It suggests that cockfighting disrupts the natural order, making it feel unnatural and cruel.
The howling of wolves and lions shows how nature reacts to chaos and violence. Their cries symbolize the disturbance caused by human cruelty.
The line “raises from hell a human soul” suggests spiritual consequences. It means violence affects not just the physical world but also the human spirit.
Lines 17-20
The wild deer, wandring here & there
Keeps the Human Soul from Care
The Lamb misusd breeds Public Strife
And yet forgives the Butchers knife
The wild deer, roaming freely, symbolizes harmony, innocence, and balance in nature. Its presence calms the human soul, showing that undisturbed nature brings peace.
Blake connects animal freedom to spiritual peace, suggesting that living in harmony with nature leads to inner tranquility.
In contrast, the misuse of the lamb leads to conflict and unrest. The lamb, a symbol of innocence and purity, suffers due to human cruelty but forgives the butcher’s knife.
This reflects Christian imagery—the lamb represents sacrifice and divine grace, showing forgiveness despite suffering.
Lines 21-24
The Bat that flits at close of Eve
Has left the Brain that wont Believe
The Owl that calls upon the Night
Speaks the Unbelievers fright
The bat, a creature of the night, is associated with mystery, darkness, and the unseen. It flits at dusk, a time of transition between light and darkness, symbolizing the shift between belief and doubt.
Blake suggests that the bat has left the brain that won’t believe, meaning that a skeptical or overly rational mind loses touch with mystery and deeper truths.
Those who reject belief, whether in spirituality, intuition, or the unseen, no longer perceive what exists beyond reason.
Lines 25-28
He who shall hurt the little Wren
Shall never be belovd by Men
He who the Ox to wrath has movd
Shall never be by Woman lovd
Blake connects cruelty toward animals with human relationships and moral consequences. He suggests that harming innocent creatures leads to social rejection and spiritual isolation.
The wren, a small and delicate bird, represents innocence and gentleness. Hurting the wren is an act of needless cruelty. Blake warns that someone who does this will never be loved.
This shows that kindness toward the weak is important for gaining love and respect. It also suggests that compassion for nature reflects a person’s moral character.
The ox, a symbol of hard work and patience, represents strength and endurance. Blake says that a person who does this “shall never be by woman loved.” This suggests that cruelty and aggression make someone unworthy of love.
Lines 26-29
The wanton Boy that kills the Fly
Shall feel the Spiders enmity
He who torments the Chafers Sprite
Weaves a Bower in endless Night
The wanton boy represents thoughtless cruelty, killing a fly for amusement. Blake warns that actions have consequences.
The boy may feel powerful, but the spider will turn against him. Just as he torments the fly, he will face retribution. This shows that cruelty invites punishment, often from unexpected sources.
A chafer, a harmless beetle, is part of nature’s balance. Tormenting its sprite is needless cruelty. Blake warns that someone who does this “weaves a bower in endless night.”
A bower is a peaceful place often associated with rest and beauty. But “endless night” suggests darkness and suffering.
Lines 30-33
The Catterpiller on the Leaf
Repeats to thee thy Mothers grief
Kill not the Moth nor Butterfly
For the Last Judgment draweth nigh
Blake connects the caterpillar on the leaf to a mother’s grief. The caterpillar depends on the leaf just as a baby depends on its mother in the womb.
A mother not only carries, protects, and nourishes her child but also feels pain and worry. The caterpillar’s slow and fragile life reflects a mother’s silent struggles in caring for her child.
Blake warns against killing the moth or butterfly because their lives are also part of nature’s order. Taking their lives would mean disrupting what nature has given and cared for.
He connects this to the Last Judgment, reminding that every action, even harming small creatures, will be judged. If one takes life without reason, it means ignoring the value of existence. This act will not go unnoticed, as everything done on earth will be accounted for in the end.
Lines 34-37
He who shall train the Horse to War
Shall never pass the Polar Bar
The Beggars Dog & Widows Cat
Feed them & thou wilt grow fat
Blake warns that training a horse for war has consequences. A horse is meant for work and travel, but forcing it into battle becomes a tool for violence.
Because of this, the one who does so “shall never pass the Polar Bar.” This suggests that they will be denied entry into a place of purity or peace, possibly an afterlife or spiritual realm. Their actions in promoting war block them from salvation.
In contrast, Blake speaks of kindness toward animals. A beggar’s dog and a widow’s cat are often hungry and neglected.
Feeding them not only helps them survive but also brings blessings and caring for the weak nourishes both the body and soul, while cruelty brings spiritual loss.
Lines 38-41
The Gnat that sings his Summers Song
Poison gets from Slanders tongue
The poison of the Snake & Newt
Is the sweat of Envys Foot
Blake describes how the gnat sings its summer song and becomes poisonous. However, the gnat does not produce its own poison—it gets poisoned by slanderous speech.
This means that the small and harmless gnat becomes harmful because of the poison it absorbs from slander. Just as slander spreads falsehood and destruction, the poisoned gnat becomes an agent of harm, even though it was initially innocent.
In the next lines, Blake explains that the poison of snakes and newts is actually the sweat of Envy’s foot. This means that envy naturally produces poison, just as sweat comes from movement.
A snake or newt does not choose to be poisonous—it simply is. Likewise, envy naturally creates harm wherever it exists.
This suggests that jealousy and resentment always cause destruction, just as a venomous creature always leaves behind poison.
Lines 42-45
The poison of the Honey Bee
Is the Artists Jealousy
The Princes Robes & Beggars Rags
Are Toadstools on the Misers Bags
Blake compares the poison of the honeybee to the jealousy of an artist. A honeybee produces honey, which is sweet and nourishing, but it also has a sting. This means that both its gift and its poison exist together.
Similarly, an artist creates beauty through painting, music, or poetry, but at the same time, jealousy exists within them. However, just as a bee’s poison is a natural part of its existence, an artist’s jealousy is also natural. It is not entirely negative.
Jealousy drives artists to improve their skills, push their limits, and create even greater works. The presence of jealousy, like the bee’s sting, is a necessary part of artistic passion.
Blake describes a prince’s robes and a beggar’s rags. They are like toadstools on the miser’s bags of gold. A toadstool is a fungus that grows on decaying material.
Blake suggests that wealth and poverty are meaningless for the one who hoarded money. The prince’s royal clothes and the beggar’s torn rags seem entirely different.
However, to a miser who hoards wealth instead of using it, both are equally worthless. The gold sits unused, and wealth rots like a toadstool on a forgotten pile of riches instead of creating prosperity.
Lines 46-49
A Truth thats told with bad intent
Beats all the Lies you can invent
It is right it should be so
Man was made for Joy & Woe
Blake warns that a truth told with bad intent is worse than any lie. While speaking the truth is usually seen as good, when it is used to harm, manipulate, or deceive, it becomes even more dangerous than a lie.
A lie is an intentional falsehood, but a truth spoken with malicious intent can cause deeper wounds. This suggests that truth should be used wisely and with good purpose, not as a tool for destruction.
He then states that this is how it should be because man was created to experience both joy and sorrow. Human life is a balance of happiness and suffering, and both are necessary for understanding the full depth of existence. When people truly understand this, they gain wisdom and acceptance of life’s dual nature.
Lines 50-54
Thro the World we safely go
Joy & Woe are woven fine
A Clothing for the soul divine
Under every grief & pine
Runs a joy with silken twine
Blake explains that people can move safely through life when they understand the balance of joy and sorrow. He says that joy and woe are woven together, meaning that both are part of what it means to be human. One cannot exist without the other.
He compares them to clothing for the soul. This suggests that both happiness and suffering shape and protect a person. Even when someone feels grief or sadness, something is always deeper beneath it.
In this context, pine means suffering, longing, or deep sorrow. Blake suggests that something meaningful exists underneath, even in moments of grief and sadness.
Lines 55-58
The Babe is more than swadling Bands
Throughout all these Human Lands
Tools were made & Born were hands
Every Farmer Understands
Blake states that a baby is more than just the cloth wrapped around it. This means that external things like clothing or social status do not define a child.
A baby has potential, a soul, and a purpose beyond material coverings. Every human being is more than what they wear or how they appear from birth.
He then connects this idea to work and purpose. Tools were made, and hands were born, meaning that humans were created with the ability to use tools and shape the world.
Tools exist to perform tasks, and human hands exist to work, create, and build. This suggests that humans are naturally meant for labor, skill, and productivity.
Blake adds that every farmer understands this truth. A farmer knows that work and effort bring results, just as a baby grows into someone who contributes to the world. This shows that human life is meant for action, learning, and purpose, not just passive existence.
Lines 59-62
Every Tear from Every Eye
Becomes a Babe in Eternity
This is caught by Females bright
And returnd to its own delight
Blake suggests that every tear shed by every person is not lost but takes on new meaning in eternity. Each tear, representing sorrow, pain, or deep emotion, transforms into a child in the eternal world.
He describes each tear as becoming a “babe in eternity,” meaning that suffering gives birth to something new and pure in the eternal realm.
This implies that human suffering is not meaningless—it is recognized and has a place beyond this life.
He then states that these tears are caught by “females bright.” This suggests that divine, nurturing, or angelic beings carefully gather these tears. They do not let suffering go to waste.
Instead, they return it to its own delight, meaning pain transforms into joy or renewal in the eternal world. Blake presents a vision where sorrow is not forgotten but turned into something meaningful and beautiful.
Lines 63-66
The Bleat the Bark Bellow & Roar
Are Waves that Beat on Heavens Shore
The Babe that weeps the Rod beneath
Writes Revenge in realms of Death
Blake connects the sounds of animals and human suffering to the spiritual consequences of pain and cruelty. He describes the bleat, bark, bellow, and roar—the cries of different animals—as waves that beat on Heaven’s shore. This suggests that all voice
s of pain and suffering, even from animals, reach Heaven. Their cries do not go unheard. Instead, they continuously strike against Heaven, like waves crashing on a shore, demanding recognition and justice.
In the next lines, Blake shifts to human suffering. He describes a baby crying under the rod, which refers to a child being beaten or punished. Instead of learning discipline, the baby’s pain takes revenge in the realms of death.
This means that cruelty and harsh punishment plant the seeds of revenge, which do not disappear but remain in the spiritual world. The suffering endured in life does not simply vanish—it carries consequences beyond death.
Lines 67-70
The Beggars Rags fluttering in Air
Does to Rags the Heavens tear
The Soldier armd with Sword & Gun
Palsied strikes the Summers Sun
Blake connects human suffering and violence to spiritual consequences. The beggar’s rags fluttering in the air symbolize extreme poverty and misery. This suffering is so great that it tears Heaven into rags, showing that injustice affects the divine world.
He then describes a soldier armed with a sword and gun. Instead of strength, war brings weakness and destruction. The soldier’s strike shakes the summer sun, meaning that violence harms life itself.
Blake’s message is clear. Poverty destroys the soul, and war weakens the world.
Lines 71-74
The poor Mans Farthing is worth more
Than all the Gold on Africs Shore
One Mite wrung from the Labrers hands
Shall buy & sell the Misers Lands
Blake compares the value of a poor man’s small coin to great wealth. He states that a farthing, which is a very small amount of money, is worth more than all the gold on Africa’s shores.
This means that honest earnings, no matter how little, have greater value than vast riches gained without purpose or fairness.
He then explains that one mite (a tiny coin) taken unfairly from a labourer holds great power. It is strong enough to buy and sell the lands of a miser, meaning that wealth gained through hard work is more valuable than wealth hoarded without use.
Blake’s message is that true value lies in honest labour, not in hoarded riches.
Lines 75-78
Or if protected from on high
Does that whole Nation sell & buy
He who mocks the Infants Faith
Shall be mockd in Age & Death
Blake states that a nation protected by a higher power gains great influence. Such a nation can sell and buy freely. It means it enjoys prosperity and control over trade and wealth. This suggests that divine favour brings strength and success to an entire country.
He then warns against mocking an infant’s faith. A child’s belief is pure and innocent, and ridiculing it is cruel and arrogant.
Blake says that those who do this will be mocked in old age and death, meaning that disrespect toward innocence will ultimately lead to humiliation and regret.
Lines 79-72
He who shall teach the Child to Doubt
The rotting Grave shall never get out
He who respects the Infants faith
Triumphs over Hell & Death
Blake warns that teaching a child to doubt will have severe consequences. A child’s faith is pure and uncorrupted, and making them question it takes away their innocence.
He states that those who do this “shall never get out of the rotting grave,” meaning that they will suffer forever.
In contrast, one who respects a child’s faith will be rewarded. Blake says they will “triumph over Hell and Death,” meaning that honouring innocence and belief leads to eternal victory and salvation.
Faith brings freedom, while doubt forced upon a child brings destruction.
Lines 73-76
He who respects the Infants faith
Triumphs over Hell & Death
The Childs Toys & the Old Mans Reasons
Are the Fruits of the Two seasons
Blake states that respecting a child’s faith leads to victory over Hell and Death. A child’s belief is pure and unshaken, and those who honour it will find spiritual freedom and eternal peace. In contrast, those who destroy a child’s faith face suffering and ruin.
He then compares a child’s toys to an old man’s reasoning, saying they are the fruits of two different seasons. This means that both childhood and old age have their own unique qualities and values.
A child finds joy in play and imagination, while an old man values wisdom and logic. Each stage of life has its own purpose and meaning.
Lines 77-80
The Questioner who sits so sly
Shall never know how to Reply
He who replies to words of Doubt
Doth put the Light of Knowledge out
Blake warns about the dangers of excessive questioning and doubt. ‘The questioner who sits so sly’ is someone who asks questions not to seek truth but to confuse or challenge others.
Such a person will never know how to answer because their intent is not understanding but deception. Their endless questioning leads to uncertainty rather than wisdom.
He then states that those who respond to words of doubt risk extinguishing knowledge. Engaging with skepticism for the sake of argument does not bring clarity.
Instead, it dims the light of understanding. Blake suggests that some doubts should not be entertained, as they lead to confusion rather than truth.
Lines 81-84
The Strongest Poison ever known
Came from Caesars Laurel Crown
Nought can Deform the Human Race
Like to the Armours iron brace
Blake states that the most dangerous poison in history came from Caesar’s laurel crown. The laurel crown is a symbol of victory, power, and leadership, but Blake suggests that power itself is corrupting.
The greatest poison is not a physical substance but the ambition, tyranny, and bloodshed caused by rulers like Caesar. The desire for power leads to destruction, harming both the ruler and the people.
He then says that nothing deforms humanity more than the iron brace of armor. This means that war and violence distort human nature. Armor is meant to protect, but it also represents war and destruction.
Instead of bringing strength, it strips away compassion and humanity. Blake warns that both power and war poison society, changing people for the worse.
Lines 85-88
When Gold & Gems adorn the Plow
To peaceful Arts shall Envy Bow
A Riddle or the Crickets Cry
Is to Doubt a fit Reply
Blake states that when gold and gems decorate the plow, it means that hard work and agriculture are valued as much as wealth. In such a world, people respect labor and creation over greed.
Envy will bow to peaceful arts when this happens, meaning that jealousy and competition disappear when people appreciate honest work and creativity instead of chasing riches.
In the following lines, Blake says that a riddle or a cricket cry is the best answer to doubt. This suggests that doubt does not always deserve a logical response.
A riddle is mysterious, and a cricket’s cry is simple and natural. Both remind us that some things in life should not be questioned endlessly but accepted as they are.
Lines 89-92
The Emmets Inch & Eagles Mile
Make Lamé Philosophy to smile
He who Doubts from what he sees
Will neer Believe do what you Please
Blake compares an ant’s short journey to an eagle’s long flight to show how different perspectives exist in nature. This makes rigid philosophy seem weak, as it cannot fully explain such extremes.
He then says that someone who only believes what they see will never truly believe anything. No matter what proof is given, they will always doubt and question.
Blake suggests that belief requires more than just seeing—it needs understanding and trust.
Lines 93-96
If the Sun & Moon should Doubt
They’d immediately Go out
To be in a Passion you Good may Do
But no Good if a Passion is in you
Blake says that the sun and moon would immediately disappear if they started to doubt themselves. This means that certainty and confidence are necessary for existence and purpose.
Just as the sun and moon continue shining without hesitation, people should not let doubt weaken them. If everything questioned its own existence, nothing would function.
In the following lines, Blake explains that acting with passion can lead to good results, but when passion controls a person, it causes harm. This means that strong emotions are not bad, but allowing emotions to take over can lead to destructive actions.
Lines 97-100
The Whore & Gambler by the State
Licencd build that Nations Fate
The Harlots cry from Street to Street
Shall weave Old Englands winding Sheet
Blake criticizes a society where prostitution and gambling are legally accepted and controlled by the state. He suggests that when a government licenses such activities, it shapes the nation’s fate.
Instead of guiding the country toward moral or social progress, it allows corruption to influence its future.
He then warns that the cries of harlots (prostitutês) echoing through the streets will ultimately “weave Old England’s winding sheet.” A winding sheet is a burial cloth, meaning that this corruption will lead to the downfall or death of the nation.
Blake suggests that moral decay if ignored, will bring destruction, just as a body is prepared for burial when life ends.
Lines 101-104
The Winners Shout the Losers Curse
Dance before dead Englands Hearse
Every Night & every Morn
Some to Misery are Born
Blake says that winners celebrate while losers suffer. The winners shout with joy, but the losers curse in anger, showing that success for some comes at the cost of others’ pain.
He then warns that people dance while England dies, like a funeral where no one realizes the nation is in decline. A hearse carries the dead, meaning England is heading toward ruin, but people ignore the signs.
In the last lines, Blake says that some are born into misery every day and night. Suffering never stops; many people start life in hardship with no way out.
Lines 105-108
Every Morn and every Night
Some are Born to sweet delight
Some are Born to sweet delight
Some are Born to Endless Night
Blake contrasts happiness and suffering at birth, showing how life is unfair. He says that some people are born into joy and comfort every morning and night, meaning they experience love, wealth, and ease throughout life.
However, others are born into endless night, meaning they face hardship and suffering from the very beginning. These people live in darkness and poverty and struggle with little hope for change.
Blake highlights the inequality of human existence, where fate decides whether someone will live in delight or despair without their choice.
Lines 109-112
We are led to Believe a Lie
When we see not Thro the Eye
Which was Born in a Night to perish in a Night
When the Soul Slept in Beams of Light
Blake says that people are misled into believing falsehoods when they do not see with true understanding. He warns that blindly trusting appearances or relying only on physical sight leads to deception. True vision does not come from the eyes alone but from inner wisdom and awareness.
He then describes the eye as something born in a night and perishing in a night, meaning that physical sight is temporary and unreliable. The body and its senses fade, but deeper truth comes from spiritual perception.
Blake explains that this happens when the soul is asleep, even surrounded by light beams. This means that even when truth is present, a person who lacks awareness remains in ignorance. Accurate understanding comes not just from seeing but from knowing.
Lines 113-116
God Appears & God is Light
To those poor Souls who dwell in Night
But does a Human Form Display
To those who Dwell in Realms of day
Blake says that God appears as a light to those who live in darkness. This means that people who struggle, suffer, or feel lost see God as a guiding light that brings them hope and truth.
God’s presence feels like a bright light leading the way when someone is in spiritual darkness. God is a source of comfort and clarity for those who live in pain, ignorance, or hardship.
However, God takes a human form for those who already live in the light. This means that people who are spiritually aware and understand truth do not need God to appear as an abstract force.
Instead, they see Him in a form they can relate to, such as in human kindness, wisdom, and love.
Blake suggests that God reveals Himself differently depending on what a person needs. For those lost in darkness, He appears as a shining light to guide them.
For those who already live in awareness and truth, He takes a human form, making Him easier to understand and connect with.
