"Nurse's Song" appears in visionary poet William Blake's 1789 collection Songs of Innocence. The poem depicts a joyful scene, in which a nurse (something like a modern-day nanny) watches the children in her care as they play outside. Through the nurse's gentleness and warmth, the poem depicts a world that cherishes and prioritizes the innocence, curiosity, and freedom of childhood. "Nurse's Song" is one of seven poem titles to appear in both Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience (which were published together in 1794). Its mirror poem in Songs of Experience is far bleaker, its speaker describing children's play as a "waste[]" of time.
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The Full Text of “Nurse's Song (Songs of Innocence)”
1When the voices of children are heard on the green
2And laughing is heard on the hill,
3My heart is at rest within my breast
4And everything else is still
5"Then come home my children the sun is gone down
6And the dews of night arise
7Come, come, leave off play, and let us away
8Till the morning appears in the skies."
9"No, no, let us play, for it is yet day
10And we cannot go to sleep;
11Besides, in the sky the little birds fly
12And the hills are all covered with sheep."
13"Well, well, go and play till the light fades away
14And then go home to bed."
15The little ones leaped & shouted and laugh'd
16And all the hills echoed.
The Full Text of “Nurse's Song (Songs of Innocence)”
1When the voices of children are heard on the green
2And laughing is heard on the hill,
3My heart is at rest within my breast
4And everything else is still
5"Then come home my children the sun is gone down
6And the dews of night arise
7Come, come, leave off play, and let us away
8Till the morning appears in the skies."
9"No, no, let us play, for it is yet day
10And we cannot go to sleep;
11Besides, in the sky the little birds fly
12And the hills are all covered with sheep."
13"Well, well, go and play till the light fades away
14And then go home to bed."
15The little ones leaped & shouted and laugh'd
16And all the hills echoed.
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“Nurse's Song (Songs of Innocence)” Summary
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“Nurse's Song (Songs of Innocence)” Themes
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The Innocence and Joy of Childhood
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Line-by-Line Explanation & Analysis of “Nurse's Song (Songs of Innocence)”
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Lines 1-4
When the voices of children are heard on the green
And laughing is heard on the hill,
My heart is at rest within my breast
And everything else is still -
Lines 5-8
"Then come home my children the sun is gone down
And the dews of night arise
Come, come, leave off play, and let us away
Till the morning appears in the skies." -
Lines 9-12
"No, no, let us play, for it is yet day
And we cannot go to sleep;
Besides, in the sky the little birds fly
And the hills are all covered with sheep." -
Lines 13-16
"Well, well, go and play till the light fades away
And then go home to bed."
The little ones leaped & shouted and laugh'd
And all the hills echoed.
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“Nurse's Song (Songs of Innocence)” Symbols
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The Birds and Sheep
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“Nurse's Song (Songs of Innocence)” Poetic Devices & Figurative Language
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Alliteration
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Assonance
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Repetition
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“Nurse's Song (Songs of Innocence)” Vocabulary
Select any word below to get its definition in the context of the poem. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem.
- Green
- Dews
- Arise
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Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme of “Nurse's Song (Songs of Innocence)”
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Form
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Meter
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Rhyme Scheme
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“Nurse's Song (Songs of Innocence)” Speaker
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“Nurse's Song (Songs of Innocence)” Setting
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Literary and Historical Context of “Nurse's Song (Songs of Innocence)”
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More “Nurse's Song (Songs of Innocence)” Resources
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External Resources
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Blake's Visions — Watch an excerpt from a documentary in which writer Iain Sinclair discusses Blake's religious visions.
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A Blake Documentary — Listen to Blake scholars discussing the poet's life and work.
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Blake's Biography — Learn more about Blake's life and work at the website of the British Library.
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Songs of Innocence and Experience — Check out the full book as Blake originally published it, including his beautiful artwork that accompanies the poems.
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LitCharts on Other Poems by William Blake
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