Infant Sorrow Analysis

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Infant sorrow: Analysis I read and analysed the poem ‘songs of experience: Infant sorrow’. This is a very powerful poem in my opinion although it is very short (only 8 lines). The first line indicates instantly a negative feel for what is to come. “My mother groaned, my father wept”. Clearly here there is a problem that the reader will encounter. This is also emphasised in the second line, “into the dangerous world I leapt”. This could indicate the reader ‘leaping’ into shock as the poem progresses. The rule of three is used in the third line to describe something that the reader is unaware of. “Helpless, naked, piping loud”. The word ‘helpless’ indicates danger and ‘naked’ shows that whatever being described is underprivileged. Rhyming is used in the order AABB AABB. The poem suggests that there is a baby that has just been born into the world. Reiterating back to the first line, the parents are clearly shocked and worried. “Striving in my swaddling bands”. ‘Bands’ are what are used to wrap babies in when they are born. This line shows that the baby is trapped, either because it has been born into a cruel world or it is very ill. After reading the next line (7), it is clear that the baby is trapped when the word ‘bound’ is used. When the poem was written, most children were used in slavery; this could suggest that the baby is being born in a dangerous world. Reiterating, the words ‘helpless and naked’ show that the baby is unable to react and is being forced into a life of servitude. Enjambment is used on the last two lines. The mother is trying to protect the infant judging by the last line, but we all know there is nothing she can do. Overall it is a very depressing poem expressing how life if them times were strenuous and there being no
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