Holy Thursday (Innocence): Plot

Holy Thursday (Innocence): Plot

“Holy Thursday (Innocence): Structure & Language Techniques”

• The poem comprises of three quatrains, reflecting a simple, hymn-like structure consistent with the innocence theme.
• Blake uses anaphora – the repetition of words or phrases at the beginnings of lines – to emphasise themes. Notably, the repetition of “And” in the second stanza.
• The rhyme scheme, ababcc, maintains a simplistic, child-like tone throughout.

“Holy Thursday (Innocence): Themes & Linking Poems”

• A major theme of this poem is institutionalised charity. The innocent children are being paraded in a display of false benevolence. This is echoed in “The Chimney Sweeper” from Songs of Innocence.
• Blake raises questions about the treatment of children and their loss of innocence in a corrupted society, not dissimilar to themes explored in “London” from Songs of Experience.

“Holy Thursday (Innocence): Key Quotes”

• “like Thames’ waters flow” – Blake uses simile here to represent the children as an impersonal, controlled mass, much like a river guided by its banks.
• “radiance all their own” – Despite the sadness of their situation, Blake illuminates the innocence and inherent value of the children.

“Holy Thursday (Innocence): Poet & Context”

• Blake was an ardent critic of the Church and State, institutions he believed were restricting human imagination and maintaining power through fear.
• “Holy Thursday” was likely inspired by the real annual march of the orphaned children from London’s charity schools to St. Paul’s Cathedral.
• The poem reflects Blake’s revolutionary spirit and his desire to challenge societal norms and conventions of the late 18th century.