Infant Sorrow MCQs and Summary

By: Prof. Dr. Fazal Rehman | Last updated: June 10, 2025

Summary:

Infant Sorrow is a contrasting companion poem to Infant Joy, appearing in Songs of Experience (1794). Instead of celebrating birth as a moment of happiness, this poem depicts birth as a struggle, filled with sorrow and pain.
  • The speaker is a newborn child who feels trapped and miserable upon entering the world.
  • The mother groans in pain during childbirth, while the father weeps, indicating that the birth is not a moment of joy but one of suffering.
  • The baby is helpless yet rebellious, struggling against the world, leaping, crying, and writhing in discomfort.
  • The final image of the baby sulking on the mother’s breast suggests a sense of defeat and quiet suffering.
  • This poem reflects Blake’s “Experience” perspective, where the world is harsh, restrictive, and full of suffering from the very moment of birth.
Unlike Infant Joy, which celebrates innocence and happiness, Infant Sorrow portrays birth as a harsh and sorrowful entry into an already difficult world
Infant Sorrow
Infant Sorrow
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1. : Who wrote Infant Sorrow?





2. : Which collection includes Infant Sorrow?





3. : How does the newborn feel in Infant Sorrow?





4. : What does the mother do in the poem?





5. : What does the father do in the poem?





6. : Which literary device is used in the phrase “Into the dangerous world I leapt”?





7. : How does Infant Sorrow contrast with Infant Joy?





8. : What is the baby’s reaction to being born?





9. : What is the theme of Infant Sorrow?





10. : Which of the following best describes the tone of Infant Sorrow?





 
Question Answer
Poem Name Infant Sorrow
Poet William Blake
Year Published 1794
Collection Songs of Experience
Main Themes Suffering, Struggle, Birth, Helplessness
Tone Dark, Painful, Rebellious
Structure Two short stanzas
Literary Devices Hyperbole, Symbolism, Contrast with Infant Joy

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