Poem Analysis - Infant Sorrow

A Traumatic Entrance: An Overview

William Blake's "Infant Sorrow" is a stark and unsettling portrayal of birth, depicting it not as a joyous occasion but as a violent and unwelcome intrusion into a harsh world. The poem's tone is immediately negative, filled with images of struggle and confinement. The speaker, an infant, expresses a sense of outrage and resentment at being thrust into existence. This is not a celebration of new life; it's a lament for lost innocence and the beginning of suffering. The mood, while consistently bleak, subtly shifts from outright rebellion to a weary resignation.

The Weight of the World: Innocence Versus Experience

One of the central themes explored in "Infant Sorrow" is the transition from innocence to experience. Blake often contrasted these states, and here, birth is presented as the abrupt end of a pre-natal paradise. The infant's immediate reaction is one of resistance: "Into the dangerous world I leapt." This suggests an awareness of the world's perils even at the moment of birth. The imagery of the "fiend hid in a cloud" further emphasizes this corrupted innocence, portraying the newborn as something monstrous and unwelcome, already tainted by the world's darkness. The poem compresses this journey into the space of just a few lines, highlighting the swift and brutal loss of the state of purity.

Confinement and Control: The Struggle for Autonomy

The theme of confinement and the struggle for autonomy is powerfully presented through the imagery of restrictions. The "swaddling bands" are not depicted as comforting but as oppressive restraints that the infant actively fights against. The lines "Struggling in my father's hands,/ Striving against my swaddling bands" show that the baby immediately sees the world as something that it has to contend with and push against. The "father's hands" symbolise a controlling force while the swaddling clothes can be seen as a representation of societal constraints.

The "Fiend in a Cloud": Unpacking a Disturbing Image

The most striking image in the poem is undoubtedly that of the infant as "a fiend hid in a cloud." This is a complex and disturbing symbol. The "cloud" traditionally represents innocence, purity, and a connection to the divine. Juxtaposed with the "fiend," it suggests that even at its most innocent, humanity carries the seeds of corruption. Perhaps Blake is suggesting that the potential for evil is inherent in human nature from the very beginning. Alternatively, the "fiend" could represent the infant's anger and resentment at being born into a world of suffering, a feeling so strong that it manifests as something monstrous. Is the baby a fiend or just feels like one as a result of its abrupt transition? This remains ambiguous and open to interpretation.

Resignation and Weariness: A Bitter Conclusion

The poem concludes with a sense of resignation rather than triumph. The lines "Bound and weary, I thought best/ To sulk upon my mother's breast" depict a defeated infant, no longer actively fighting but passively accepting its fate. The word "sulk" suggests a deep-seated dissatisfaction and resentment. While the mother's breast should offer comfort and nourishment, here it becomes a refuge from the pain of existence, a place to retreat and nurse one's grievances. The poem's significance lies in its unflinching portrayal of the darker aspects of human existence, suggesting that suffering and struggle are inherent to the human condition from the very start. It challenges the romanticized view of birth and instead presents a vision of the world as a hostile and unwelcoming place.