Holy Thursday (Experience): Plot

Introduction to the Poem

“Holy Thursday” from Songs of Experience is a companion poem to “Holy Thursday” from Songs of Innocence.
It acts as a critical reply to the original “Holy Thursday”, probing the superficial charity depicted in its innocence counterpart.

The poem opens with a rhetorical question, “Is this a holy thing to see…“, which challenges the reader to consider the condition of society and specifically the plight of the poor.
The first stanza sets up a dichotomous image of the country’s power and wealth alongside its neglect of the impoverished children.
In the second stanza, Blake uses strong language to castigate society’s treatment of children. He refers to a country “rich and fruitful”, yet there are children who lack their basic needs.
The last stanza concludes with an indictment of the country as a whole, describing it as an “aged man, a thing for us to fear”, suggesting that England’s future is threatened by its refusal to care for its most vulnerable citizens.

Social criticism: The poem provides a harsh critique of the flaws and hypocrisy in society, which neglects its most vulnerable members.
Exploitation of innocence: In this poem, the innocence of the children is exploited by the society that should be protecting and nurturing them. This reflects Blake’s wider theme across Songs of Experience where innocence is exposed to the corruption and harsh realities of life.
Religion: As in much of Blake’s work, Christian iconography and values are used to highlight the discrepancy between what society preaches and its actual actions.

Rhetorical Questions: These are used strategically to challenge the reader and draw attention to the social injustices in the poem.
Metaphorical Language: Blake uses metaphor, especially in his description of England as an “aged man…for us to fear” to communicate the societal decay and impending downfall caused by neglect and exploitation of the youth.
Contrasting Imagery: The image of “a rich and fruitful land” starkly contrasts the “babes reduced to misery”, further emphasizing the societal neglect and hypocrisy.