NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English Poetry Chapter 3 Poems by Blake
NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English Poetry Chapter 3 Poems by Blake
NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English Chapter Poems by Blake
This worksheet provides NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English Chapter Poems by Blake from the book Kaleidoscope. This chapter explores important ideas about human nature, innocence, experience, and moral values through the poetry of William Blake. The poems discussed in this chapter encourage students to think about how human virtues and behaviour change depending on social conditions and personal experiences. Understanding these poems helps students develop deeper literary interpretation skills and improves their appreciation of poetry and symbolism. This worksheet provides complete and accurate NCERT Solutions that follow the structure and learning objectives of the chapter to support clear understanding and effective revision.
Chapter summary: stories, poems & themes
This chapter focuses on poems that explore human nature, morality, and contrasting states of innocence and experience. The poems present ideas about virtues such as Mercy, Pity, Peace, and Love, and how these qualities appear differently in different human situations. The chapter encourages students to reflect on how society influences behaviour and how goodness and corruption can both exist in human life. Through poetic examples and explanations, students learn how poets use symbolism and contrasts to present complex ideas about humanity and moral values.
What this NCERT chapter covers?
• Understanding the themes of innocence and experience in poetry
• Interpretation of poetic ideas about human virtues and behaviour
• Development of literary analysis and comprehension skills
• Understanding symbolism and contrasting ideas in poetry
• Learning about rhythm, syllable patterns, and poetic structure
How to use these NCERT solutions?
Students should first read the poem carefully and attempt the questions independently before checking the answers in this worksheet. After attempting the questions, students can compare their responses with the NCERT Solutions provided here to understand the correct explanations and interpretations. Parents and teachers can use these solutions to guide discussions about the poem and help students understand the deeper meanings presented in the chapter. The answers follow the same order and structure as the NCERT questions, which makes revision simple and organised.
Student tips & learning tricks
• Read each poem slowly and try to understand the meaning of important words and ideas.
• Pay attention to contrasts such as innocence and experience that appear in the poems.
• Look at how poetic symbols represent deeper ideas about society and human behaviour.
• Avoid writing very short answers for explanation-based questions.
• Focus on explaining the ideas of the poem clearly and logically as expected in NCERT answers.
Why NCERT solutions are important?
NCERT Solutions help students understand the correct interpretation of poems and literary concepts presented in the chapter. When students follow NCERT-aligned answers, they develop a stronger understanding of themes, poetic devices, and critical thinking skills. These solutions also help students prepare effectively for school assessments and examinations. By practising with accurate NCERT Solutions, students gain confidence in explaining literary ideas and improve their overall performance in Class 12 English.
Complete answer key – NCERT solutions
SECTION: Understanding the Poem
1. In the poem “The Human Abstract,” William Blake explains that virtues like Mercy, Pity, Peace, and Love become distorted because of the way human society creates inequality, fear, and selfishness. Blake suggests that these virtues do not naturally exist in a perfectly just world. For example, Pity exists only when someone is poor or suffering, and Mercy exists because someone needs forgiveness or help. If everyone were happy and equal, there would be no need for these virtues in the same way.
2. The two poems are related because they present opposite views of human nature. In The Divine Image (Song of Innocence), the human being is depicted as kind, compassionate and godlike. Humans possess the virtues of Mercy, Pity, Peace and Love, which reflect the divine nature of God. In The Human Abstract (Song of Experience), the human being is depicted as selfish and corrupt. These virtues become distorted because of fear, cruelty, deceit and selfishness. Yes, both aspects exist in an average human being. A person may show kindness and compassion, but also selfishness and cruelty depending on circumstances.
3. These lines mean that the virtues of Mercy, Pity, Love and Peace are expressed through human qualities. Mercy is shown through a compassionate human heart. Pity is expressed through the sympathetic human face. Love represents the divine nature present in human beings. Peace is reflected in the gentle and calm behaviour of a person. Thus, these virtues make human beings resemble the divine form.
SECTION: Language Work
1. Words such as Mercy, Pity, Peace, Love, Cruelty, Mystery, Humility and Deceit are capitalised because Blake treats them as personified qualities. Capitalisation gives them importance and presents them as powerful moral forces representing human virtues and vices.
2. Blake shows that human beings were once pure, happy and harmonious. In The Divine Image, people possess divine virtues like Mercy, Pity, Peace and Love which reflect God’s presence in humanity. In The Human Abstract, Blake shows how human society has fallen into corruption and tyranny. Fear, cruelty and deceit dominate human behaviour. Through these poems Blake expresses that humanity has fallen from its original state of innocence and must recover its lost harmony and goodness.
3. Blake further shows that fear among people creates a false kind of peace. People may appear peaceful because they are afraid of one another, not because they truly care about each other. As selfish desires grow, people begin to exploit others, which leads to cruelty and oppression. Blake symbolically describes this corruption as the growth of a “Tree of Mystery” in the human brain. This tree represents the development of evil thoughts and deceptive behaviour within the human mind. From this tree grow negative qualities such as deceit, hypocrisy, and moral corruption. Eventually, these evils become deeply rooted in society and human thinking. Thus, Blake shows that Mercy, Pity, Peace, and Love become distorted when human beings create conditions of inequality, fear, and selfishness, causing these virtues to lose their true meaning and become connected with suffering and injustice.
SECTION: Try this Out Explanation
1. Contrast between ‘The Chimney Sweeper’ in Songs of Innocence and ‘The Chimney Sweeper’ in Songs of Experience
The poem ‘The Chimney Sweeper’ in Songs of Innocence presents the world through the eyes of a young chimney sweeper who remains hopeful despite his suffering. The child believes that if he works hard and behaves well, God will reward him. The tone of the poem is innocent, optimistic and trusting.
In contrast, ‘The Chimney Sweeper’ in Songs of Experience presents a darker and more critical view of society. The child is aware of the injustice done to him by his parents and society. The poem criticises religious and social institutions that ignore the suffering of children while pretending to be moral. The tone is bitter, questioning and critical.
Contrast between ‘The Lamb’ and ‘The Tiger’
In The Lamb, Blake celebrates innocence, gentleness and purity. The lamb symbolises innocence and is associated with the goodness of creation and the kindness of God. The tone of the poem is soft, peaceful and joyful.
In The Tiger, Blake presents a powerful and mysterious aspect of creation. The tiger symbolises strength, terror and destructive energy. The poem raises questions about how the same creator could make both the gentle lamb and the fearful tiger.
Together, the two poems show Blake’s idea that the world contains both innocence and experience, gentleness and power, goodness and danger.
2. Yes, there is a pattern in the syllables of The Divine Image. The lines follow an alternating syllable pattern:
First line – 8 syllables
Second line – 6 syllables
Third line – 8 syllables
Fourth line – 6 syllables
This creates a rhythmic poetic structure based on alternating eight- and six-syllable lines.
Get expert help with NCERT Solutions for Class 12 English and strengthen your understanding of poetry and literature concepts through guided learning support.