Holy Thursday (Innocence): Structure & Language Techniques

Use of Quatrains: This poem is structured in three quatrains. The concise stanzaic form may represent the prescribed order and discipline Blake critiques within the charity schools.
Alternating Rhyme Scheme: The poem has an ABAB rhyme scheme. This could be symbolic of the regimented and predictable routine forced upon the children.
Symbolic Imagery: Blake uses descriptive language to convey the innocent facet of the children, for example calling them ‘flowers of London town’. He further employs the colours ‘red’, ‘green’, and ‘blue’ to illustrate the vibrancy and vitality of the children against the dull backdrop of London.
Anaphora and Repetition: Blake uses these techniques to demonstrate the enforced unity and structure in the lives of the children, such as the repetition of ‘multitudes’ to exemplify the vast number of children subjected to this life.
Contrast of Tone: The tone changes from stanza to stanza, reflecting the underlying critique of societal attitudes towards the needy; seemingly blissful sentiment in the first stanza gives way to a more stern and critical tone in the third stanza.
Use of Personification: ‘beneath them sit the aged men’ - personifying the ‘aged men’ which indicates the rigid societal hierarchy and the position of the church in relation to the children, imposing authority.
Religious Language and References: The poem is laden with Biblical allusion suggestive of the institutional religion that Blake often critiqued in his work. This includes terms such as ‘lambs’, ‘beadles’, and ‘Holy Thursday’.

These structure and language techniques contribute significantly in enhancing the themes of ‘Holy Thursday (Innocence)’ and provide a more layered understanding of the poem.