William Blake's poem "Holy Thursday- Songs of Innocence" is concerned with the abusive public display of children for their benefactor's glory on Holy Thursday. The poem follows Blake, an observer, as he expresses his mixed emotions towards the occasion and the parties involved. By using techniques such as allusion and by establishing a variety of tones Blake's poem becomes an outspoken protest regarding the misuse and ill-treatment of children resulting from industrialization.
The composers protesting stance is evident in the first stanza through the use of the words "innocent faces clea…