Blake 'Introduction': Structure & Language Techniques

Blake ‘Introduction’: Structure & Language Techniques

Structure

• Quatrain stanzas: Each of the four stanzas in the “Introduction” is a quatrain (a group of four lines), which follows the AABB rhyme scheme. This offers a form of simplicity in line with the theme of Innocence.

• Syllabic regularity: Blake employs a 7-6-7-6 syllable count per line consistently through the poem, giving the work a rhythmic and harmonious flow.

Repetition

• Repetition of ‘Piping’: The verb ‘piping’, repeated throughout the poem, represents the act of creating poetry, emphasising the poet’s role as a visionary or prophet.

Language Techniques

• Synaesthesia: The phrase ‘piping songs’ employs synaesthesia by crossing senses (sound with vision) to give a sense of the immersive, universal nature of the poet’s vision.

• Pastoral imagery: The images of woods, valleys and hills create a pastoral setting, which depicts nature as Innocence. This is congruent with the Romantic tradition which praised a return to Nature.

• Apostrophe: ‘Little Lamb…’ directly addresses a symbol of innocent creation, underlining the importance of communication and connection with all beings in the realm of Innocence.

• Semantic Field of Vision: Regardless of it being ‘seen’ or ‘heard’, the repeated emphasis on taking something in signifies the importance of open receptivity in the state of Innocence.