Parents

"The Lamb" and "The Tyger" by William Blake (1789)

To better understand the recurring themes of innocence and experience, there are many poems to look at. However, Blake’s Songs of Innocence and Experience is the primary Romantic collection covering the theme. Blake’s legacy as a Romantic poet and visionary is unmatched, and “The Lamb” and “The Tyger” are two well-known companion poems with which to start. While the poems are much more religious in nature than “Parents,” they provide strong examples of the contrasting nature of innocence and experience that is present in Meredith’s poem.

"Stages" by William Meredith (1980)

Published around the same time as “Parents,” this poem also tracks a progression over time from childhood to adulthood. The poem is more indicative of Meredith’s reliance on form, though, than “Parents.” The poem is written in sections to mirror the stages of life being described, and the poem relies more heavily on things like repetition and set rhythm. The poem provides a good example of Meredith’s focus on innocence and experience when looking at childhood and adulthood.

"For His Father" by William Meredith (1962)

Written almost two decades before “Parents,” this is a quintessential Meredith poem.