William Peskett

Sonnets of Innocence and Experience William Peskett

In this collection of 36 new sonnets, William Peskett contrasts the 'innocence' of pre-industrial man, living in balance with nature, with the 'experience' of our modern condition. Now, the author makes clear, we have over-populated our little Earth, pushing other species to the margins or to extinction, misusing resources and polluting the planet with our waste. Without a radical change in direction, the future looks bleak for mankind. The inspiration comes from 'Songs of Innocence and Experience' by poet and illustrator William Blake (1757-1827). Though Blake's concept of 'the Fall of Man' was more spiritual than practical, in keeping with the perspective of his age, the contrast is not as stark as you might expect. Despite his visionary insights, Blake had no conception of how far we would fall 200 years after his death, taking mankind to the brink not only of spiritual, but existential, disaster.