There is a poem by William Blake called "Auguries of Innocence". It starts with a quatrain (whose relation to the rest of the poem is not immediately apparent to me) describing a powerful kind of vision/imagination which transcends normal ability. The poem then has a series of couplets which broadly seem to say, "evil acts done to innocent things will have bad consequences". For e.g. "A Skylark wounded in the wing / A Cherubim does cease to sing."

My question: What does the title "Auguries of Innocence" mean (in itself and in relation to the two parts of the poem (the quatrain and the couplets))?

Is it either:

i. omens seen by an "innocent" mind (which is presumably the kind of mind capable of the transcendent vision of the first quatrain) --- In which case, innocence means something completely different here from Blake's Songs of Innocence, where it means a childlike, optimistic joy, and not necessarily a powerful imagination.

ii. omens to do with innocent things --- If this is it, then what does the quatrain mean?!

Does it mean something entirely different? Any insights would be much appreciated!

William Blake's "Auguries of Innocence" starts with a quatrain whose relation to the rest of the poem is not immediately apparent to me, describing a powerful kind of vision/imagination which transcends normal ability:

To see a World in a Grain of Sand
And a Heaven in a Wild Flower
Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand
And Eternity in an hour

The poem then has a series of couplets which broadly seem to say, "evil acts done to innocent things will have bad consequences". E.g.:

A Skylark wounded in the wing
A Cherubim does cease to sing."

What does the title "Auguries of Innocence" mean, in itself and in relation to the two parts of the poem (the quatrain and the couplets)?

Is it either:

1. omens seen by an "innocent" mind (which is presumably the kind of mind capable of the transcendent vision of the first quatrain)—In which case, innocence means something completely different here from Blake's Songs of Innocence, where it means a childlike, optimistic joy, and not necessarily a powerful imagination.
2. omens to do with innocent things—If this is it, then what does the quatrain mean?!

Does it mean something entirely different? Any insights would be much appreciated!

There is a poem by William Blake called "Auguries of Innocence". It starts with a quatrain (whose relation to the rest of the poem is not immediately apparent to me) describing a powerful kind of vision/imagination which transcends normal ability. The poem then has a series of couplets which broadly seem to say, "evil act done to innocent thing will have a bad consequence". For e.g. "A Skylark wounded in the wing / A Cherubim does cease to sing."

My question: What does the title "Auguries of Innocence" mean (in itself and in relation to the two parts of the poem (the quatrain and the couplets))?

Is it either:

i. omens seen by an "innocent" mind (which is presumably the kind of mind capable of the transcendent vision of the first quatrain) --- In which case, innocence means something completely different here from Blake's Songs of Innocence, where it means a childlike, optimistic joy, and not necessarily a powerful imagination.

ii. omens to do with innocent things --- If this is it, then what does the quatrain mean?!

There is a poem by William Blake called "Auguries of Innocence". It starts with a quatrain (whose relation to the rest of the poem is not immediately apparent to me) describing a powerful kind of vision/imagination which transcends normal ability. The poem then has a series of couplets which broadly seem to say, "evil acts done to innocent things will have bad consequences". For e.g. "A Skylark wounded in the wing / A Cherubim does cease to sing."

My question: What does the title "Auguries of Innocence" mean (in itself and in relation to the two parts of the poem (the quatrain and the couplets))?

Is it either:

i. omens seen by an "innocent" mind (which is presumably the kind of mind capable of the transcendent vision of the first quatrain) --- In which case, innocence means something completely different here from Blake's Songs of Innocence, where it means a childlike, optimistic joy, and not necessarily a powerful imagination.

ii. omens to do with innocent things --- If this is it, then what does the quatrain mean?!

Does it mean something entirely different? Any insights would be much appreciated!