Childhood

1.1. Explain the legal status and principles of the relevant early years framework/s, and how

In his essay, “The Gospel of Wealth,” Andrew Carnegie argues that the imbalance of economic wealth is essential to the advancement of society. In days past, there was little difference between the quality of life between a ruler and his subject. Alluding to a time when Carnegie visited the chief of an indigenous American tribe, he observed that the Chief of the Indians ', who lived in a state of antiquity, tent was no different from even the poorest among the tribe. Returning back to this stage of civilization would be detrimental to both the ruler and subject. Is it better for all of us to live in poverty than for a few of us to have riches? Shouldn 't those who prove themselves masters in art and literature and those of higher intelligence have more than those with no talent? This is the way society is progressing. Whether or not one actually believes that doesn 't matter, as changing the destiny of civilization is beyond one 's power. (Carnegie, 28-29)

As a forerunner to the free-love movement, late eighteenth century poet, engraver, and artist, William Blake (1757-1827), has clear sexual overtones in many of his poems, and he layers his work with sexual double entendres and symbolism. Within the discussion of sexuality in his work Songs of Innocence and of Experience, Blake seems to take a complicated view of women. His speakers use constructs of contraries, specifically innocence/ experience and male/female. Of the latter sex, he experiments with the passive (dependent, docile, virtuous) and active (independent, evil, a threat to the masculine) female subjects. Blake’s use of personification specifically of nature and botany suggest the use of nature to discuss human society. In Songs

In his poem “On Turning Ten”, Billy Collins uses the voice of a young boy to show the moment when a child loses his innocence and is faced with the inevitability of growing up and, eventually, death. This young man, barely ten years old, is suddenly bereft of the magic of his youth, and realizes that he is not immortal, as he previously felt. He describes growing up as a sickness, and yearns for the days when he could become anything he wanted to, just by imagining it. With the increase of age, the wonder and mystery of the world begins to dim, and through this boy’s eyes the reader can see how everyone struggles with the cruel reality of death.

Mount Vesuvius is located in Italy more specifically on Italy’s west coast. It overlooks the City of Naples and sits in the crator of an ancient volcano named Somma . Vesuvius is most famous for its 79 AD eruption that destroyed several roman cities’ most famous of which was Pompeii. The city of Pompeii had volcanic ash and pumice rain down on it at a rate of six inches per hour until the city was completely buried within twenty four hours. People who tried to escape the impending doom from the eruption were hit with Pyroclastic flow, searing hot ash and gas, that travelled down the flanks of the mountain. The city remained entombed in ash and pumice for nearly 17 centuries.

William Blake was a painter, engraver and poet of the Romantic era, who lived and worked in London. Many of Blake’s famous poems reside in his published collection of poems titled Songs of Innocence and of Experience. This collection portrays the two different states of the human soul, good and evil. Many poems in the Songs of Innocence have a counterpart poem in the Songs of Experience. The poem “A Poison Tree” is found in the Songs of Experience and it delves into the mind of man tainted with sin and corruption that comes with experience. In a simple and creative style, the religious theology of the Fall of Man is brought to life. The poem tells the story of how man fell from a state of innocence to impurity, focusing on the harmful repercussions of suppressed anger. Blake utilities many literary devices to successfully characterizes anger as an antagonist with taunting power.

Blake also airs his issues with the church’s policy on the spiritual status of “unsaved” people who die, children and adults alike. He addresses the “spiritual status of babies” in several of his poems (Dilworth, 43). The child in “A Cradle Song” is depicted as an “Angel mild” in whose face the

For example, in “Infant Joy,” Blake demonstrates the child’s eye and sense of wonder that we find in the incorruptibility of infants. Blake presents a truly pure creature in the first stanza:

William Blake was deeply aware of the great political and social issues during his time focusing his writing on the injustices going on in the world around him. He juxtaposed the state of human existence through his works Songs of Innocence (1789) and Songs of Experience (1794), showing differentiating sides of humanity. The contrast between Songs of

The earliest experience society has with authority and leadership is within their own family. Often times the running of households is compared to the running of one’s country in the sense of each individual’s self reliance, hard work, and personal responsibility. The driving force behind political differences and beliefs can be dictated back to the way one was brought up. The question of how people can analyze the same issue and draw polar opposite conclusions is often the basis for all theories and methods researchers have proposed. The unbridgeable divide between the Republican and Democratic parties in the recent presidential election support the hypothesis of hidden assumptions and frames that dictate how every individual thinks about politics, all being shaped by personal values. The metaphor of America being one big family is drawn into the fact that many consider families to be governing bodies and governing bodies to play the role of parents within a household, thus drawing the conclusion that governing institutions are families in the greater scheme of things. Researchers have discovered two main family dynamic

Blake’s two poems are both told from a child’s point of view, which is different from many works and forces adult readers to realize the fault in society’s standards through the bleak eyes of the many unfortunate children.

These figures are the characters in many of his works. The role of Religion as a strong influence in Blake’s life was probably formed by the events he experienced during his upbringing. Blake came from a poor family and among other hardships witnessed the death of his older brother Robert at the relatively young age of 20. Robert’s death had a profound impact on Blake and after witnessing it he said that he saw his brother's soul "ascend heavenward clapping its hands for joy". The inspiration that William received from his brother death is an underlying theme in many of his works and most likely in his view of life as well. Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience are two of Blake’s collections that emphasize his ideas. Many of the things that affected Blake’s life as a child: poverty, struggle, loss, confusion, and faith can be seen in these works.

Wordsworth stood on the cliff 'not only with the sense of 'present pleasure'; (63) but he joyfully anticipated the moments 'for future years'; (65). He came back to reality and began to analyze the situation after his reminiscing. Wordsworth realized that he had lost some guidance and was searching for the presence of nature when returning to the Wye. He remembered when he used to wander and roam as free as a roe but as he matured he felt content with tapping into his memories of his youth because as Wordsworth stated, 'That time is past? other gifts have allowed; for such loss, I would believe, abundant recompense'; (83-88). He realized that he was involved with more mature things in life because he had become more intelligent through the years and saw nature in the light of his intelligence. Yet, he insisted that he was 'still a lover of the meadows and the woods, and the mountains; and of all that we behold from this green earth'; (102-105) but indeed, in a more composed way.

The two authors have very different ways of expressing their own views on London. While Blake may use crude language to describe his experience, Wordsworth makes the city appear so pleasant and warm. When Wordsworth writes about London, he describes it as a beautiful, charming place that is clear and peaceful; Like when he writes “All bright and glittering in the smokeless air” (8) he describes the air as a bright place that isn’t polluted with the factories and mess. Unlike Wordsworth, Blake describes London as a dark dirty place filled with desperation and fear. For example, when Blake writes “In every cry of every man” (5) he tells the reader about the people of London who are crying for help in the painful, tear-jerking city of London; due to the fact that this was written in a time of the industrial revolution when children were forced into labor, and families were torn apart with work and couldn’t provide. The world in which Blake was experiencing was a sad and desperate time, unlike Wordsworth. Despite the constant contrast of language and descriptives, they are both still talking about the same city.

The works of William Blake cannot be entirely discussed, so my project particularly focuses on 'Songs of Innocence and Experience'.