Infant Joy by William Blake

A newborn baby hasn't been given a name yet, so the speaker asks what to call it — and the baby responds: "Joy." This sweet moment captures a tiny, joyful interaction between a parent (or caregiver) and their two-day-old child, celebrating the pure happiness that comes with new life. Blake intentionally keeps it simple: a new life brims with potential, making "Joy" the perfect name.

The tone is gentle, uplifting, and joyous—almost like a song. Blake's use of short lines and straightforward language gives it a lullaby or nursery rhyme quality. There’s no darkness, no irony present. This poem radiates the brightness found in Blake's *Songs of Innocence*, capturing a pure joy in the mere fact of a new life.

Blake published "Infant Joy" in *Songs of Innocence* in 1789, coinciding with the start of the French Revolution. This collection offered a glimpse of the world through the eyes of children and innocent figures, radiating warmth and a sense of protection. In 1794, he paired it with *Songs of Experience*, which included a darker counterpart titled "Infant Sorrow," where a newborn enters the world crying and struggling. Reading both poems together highlights Blake's broader vision: he saw innocence and experience as two contrasting, yet equally valid perspectives on life. "Infant Joy" isn't naive — Blake was aware of suffering — but it captures a pure, untainted moment before the harshness of experience takes hold. The poem also echoes the 18th-century fascination with childhood as a significant and distinct phase of life, drawing from the ideas of thinkers like Jean-Jacques Rousseau.