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Juan C. Alonso- Rodriguez Jr

Professor Benns

English-101

7 February 2025

Echoes of Justice: Analyzing Auguries of Innocence Through Sight, Sense, and Sound

In William Blake's poem Auguries of Innocence, a theme of justice is built through

graphic imagery (sight), symbolic contrasts between cruelty and innocence (sense), and rhythmic

repetition that drives home its moral message (sound). The poem argues that all cruel acts, no

matter how insignificant, knock the world off kilter, crying out for cosmic justice. This idea is

also expressed in Slipknot's "Wait and Bleed," which conveys a feeling of inevitable revenge for

evil through aggressive sound, frenzied lyrics, and a raw emotional perspective. By analyzing

Blake's poem through sight, sense, and sound, we can see how he uses poetic devices to reinforce

the inevitability of justice.

Blake's use of vivid imagery makes the consequences of injustice undeniable. The poem

is replete with stark visual contrasts that underline suffering and its moral gravity. Perhaps the

most shocking example of this is, "A Robin Red breast in a Cage / Puts all Heaven in a Rage"

(Blake Poem 5-6). The image here illustrates that even the tiniest cruel act, like caging a bird, is

a disturbance of the natural order and evokes divine wrath. Similarly, he writes, "A Dog starved

at his Master's Gate / Predicts the ruin of the State" (Blake Poem 9-10). The sight of a starving

animal is turned into an omen of general social decline, with the implication that injustice on one

level has widespread repercussions. This mirrors the violent and chaotic imagery in Slipknot’s

“Wait and Bleed,” where the speaker describes being covered in blood, trapped in a cycle of pain
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and revenge: “I’ve felt the hate rise up in me / Kneel down and clear the stone of leaves”

(Slipknot). Both Blake and Slipknot emphasize the idea that cruelty cannot go unnoticed—it

accumulates, and eventually, justice will be served.

Blake also employs symbolic contrasts to bring out the moral implications of human

actions, strengthening the theme of justice through sense. In his poem, he creates a universe in

which every act of kindness or cruelty has significance. For instance, he says, "The Beggar's Dog

& Widow's Cat / Feed them & thou wilt grow fat" (Blake Poem 39-40). In this case, the feeding

of the hungry being is framed as an act of justice, with reward for the compassionate. In contrast,

he warns that violence to the weak will be punished: "He who shall hurt the little Wren / Shall

never be belov'd by Men" (Blake Poem 23-24). This causal link between morality and action

illustrates the interconnectedness of actions and consequences. Slipknot also uses this theme in

"Wait and Bleed" with the speaker's intense emotions of betrayal and revenge: "Get outta my

head 'cause I don't need this / Why didn't I see this? " (Slipknot). The song suggests that injustice

results in internal suffering, just as Blake's poem promises sure punishment for cruelty.

In both works, the sensual juxtaposition of pain and salvation serves to remind that

justice is always present, though not always visible. The sound of Auguries of Innocence is also

significant to its reaffirmation of message. Blake uses repetition of rhythm to emphasize his

warnings about justice. Most of his lines are in a pattern where he presents an act and then the

consequence of that act, i.e., "Every Night & every Morn / Some to Misery are Born" (Blake

Poem 99-100). This creates an impression of inevitability, as if justice is a natural law. The

refrain of "Some are Born to sweet delight / Some are Born to Endless Night" (Blake Poem 103-

104) helps to further reinforce the idea that justice, rewarding or penal, is a part of the nature of

things. Slipknot's "Wait and Bleed" does much the same with its pounding rhythm and repetitive
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refrains. The song's chorus—"Wait and bleed!"—is sung with great passion, recalling the

unstoppable nature of justice outlined by Blake. The driving instrumentation and shrieked vocals

intensify the sense of inescapability, making the theme of retribution immediate and crushing.

Both Blake's poem and Slipknot's song depict justice as an inexorable force that rebalances the

moral scales. Auguries of Innocence warns that every action has consequences, either overt or

covert, and "Wait and Bleed" communicates the emotional destruction of being visited by those

consequences. With vision, sense, and sound, both works convey a powerful message: justice is

inevitable, and every evil act receives a response.

By looking so closely at the imagery, symbolism, and rhythm of Blake's poem, we can

see how his work is comparable to the raw violence of Slipknot's lyrics. In the end, both works

of art remind us that justice is not some theoretical ideal—it is a power that governs the world,

determining the fate of those who choose to defend it or defy it.

Works Cited

Blake, William. Auguries of Innocence. Poetry Foundation.

Slipknot. "Wait and Bleed." Slipknot, Roadrunner Records, 1999.

Strachan, John, and Richard Terry. Poetry. Edinburgh University Press, 2011. ProQuest Ebook

Central, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/octech/detail.action?docID=1126580.