. William Blake, in keeping with his position as a romantic and being both politically and ideologically libertarian, can be seen in his "Songs of Innocence" to express his views on the superlative value of the freedom of the human spirit, in presenting a Utopia where individuals are free from oppression, institutionalized religion and corrupt government authorities. Although Blake can be seen in his "Songs of Innocence" not only to present the importance of the freedom of the human spirit, but also for his ideas around innocence, humans' relationship with nature and to protest against child abuse, also as part of his conception of an idealized world. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essayBlake, much like other Romantic poets such as Wordsworth, held children in high esteem because of their innocence, their freedom of soul and their imagination: this representation of children is one of the ways in which Blake defends the freedom of the human spirit in his “Songs of Innocence”. By connecting the imagery of the natural world with that of children, Blake demonstrates his ideas about the freedom of the human spirit in children, consistent with his romantic values ​​of the sublime and freedom within the pastoral world. In "The Ecchoing Green", a harmony between children and nature can be seen when the children play "sport" "on the Ecchoing Green", with the symbolism of the color "green" alluding to nature as a whole rather than just one specific location, and to the setting of the poem set in "Spring" reflecting the youth of the children themselves, the positive lexical field throughout the poem, such as the use of the words "merry" and " happy,” giving the general feeling that Blake holds both children and the pastoral world in high esteem. Blake can be seen further comparing the freedom and innocence of children with that of nature in "Maundy Thursday" through the simile where the children can be seen entering St. Paul's Cathedral "like the waters of the Thames flow”, and also in “The Lamb”. where the child narrator says to a lamb "I, a child, and you, a lamb, / We are called by name", the use of the collective pronoun "we" establishing a comparison in the reader's mind between the lamb, often a religious symbol of innocence and purity, as well as of the child. As a text of social and political protest, throughout “Songs of Innocence,” Blake can be seen juxtaposing the freedom of the human spirit, especially that of children, with oppression and repression. faced by children in 18th century England, making these poems a form of criticism against child slavery and the corrupt education system of the time. Additionally, Blake frequently presents innocence as a form of freedom from constraints and self-awareness, leaving those who are innocent, such as children, full of trust in those around them, placing them in a state of fragility corruptible and depicting innocence as not entirely desirable. as such, the state leaves the individual ignorant of the realities of the postlapsarian world and the possibility of future betrayal and exploitation. The vulnerability of innocence can be seen in "The Lost Little Boy", as the boy is left alone and unprotected due to his father's obvious lack of interest in his care, as "no father was there" to guide the boy, the description of the setting being that "the night was dark", alluding to the boy's lack of experience and’.