Found Texts

Innocence Is Affirmation Verification Of Light (Poem)

Terence George Craddock

Innocence is not an absence of legal guilt
Innocence is not freedom from specific wrongs
Innocence is a quality state of freedom from sins guilt

loss of innocence no integral part
of maturity necessary coming of age
awareness of world pain suffering evil

Innocence is not absence of normative experience
Innocence is not ignorance not knowing evil
Innocence is affirmation a naked sinless nature
Innocence is choice verification of brilliant divinity light 

Analysis: The significance of this poem is on the clear point that it makes, that innocence is not else other than being sinless.  This is very interesting because of the many different definitions and ideas associated with it classically.  I think that this poem represent not a full view of innocence, but one specific case: a spiritual one.  To the author, his, or anyone innocence is not one that can be persuaded by physical contexts, but only by s a spiritual one in which there is a "verification of brilliant divinity."

The End of Innocence (Song)

Don Henley

Remember when the days were long 
And rolled beneath a deep blue sky 
Didn't have a care in the world 
With mommy and daddy standin' by 
But "happily ever after" fails 
And we've been poisoned by these fairy tales 
The lawyers dwell on small details 
Since daddy had to fly 

But I know a place where we can go 
That's still untouched by men 
We'll sit and watch the clouds roll by 
And the tall grass wave in the wind 
You can lay your head back on the ground 
And let your hair fall all around me 
Offer up your best defense 
But this is the end 
This is the end of the innocence 
[ Lyrics from: http://www.lyricsfreak.com/d/don+henley/the+e
O' beautiful, for spacious skies 
But now those skies are threatening 
They're beating plowshares into swords 
For this tired old man that we elected king 
Armchair warriors often fail 
And we've been poisoned by these fairy tales 
The lawyers clean up all details 
Since daddy had to lie 

But I know a place where we can go 
And wash away this sin 
We'll sit and watch the clouds toll by 
And the tall grass wave in the wind 
Just lay your head back on the ground 
And let your hair spill all around me 
Offer up your best defense 
But this is the end 
This is the end of the innocence 

Who knows how long this will last 
Now we've come so far, so fast 
But, somewhere back there in the dust 
That same small town in each of us 
I need to remember this 
So baby give me just one kiss 
And let me take a long last look 
Before we say goodbye 

Just lay your head back on the ground 
And let your hair fall all around me 
Offer up your best defense 
But this is the end 
This is the end of the innocence

Analysis:  This song is very interesting because it offers up a duality within innocence, using it for different purposes within the same context.  I think that this shows us a deep insight into what innocence means: on one hand a physical innocence to guilt, while on the other hand an innocence of the body and mind.  The beginning of the song talks about innocence and trivial details.  This innocence is talking about a father's guilt, and how his innocence is taken by trivial details that make him a criminal.  However, later in the song, Henley  speaks of a different innocence, of the mind and body: an innocence of love.

Field Of Innocence (Song)

Evanescence

I still remember the world

From the eyes of a child

Slowly those feelings

Were clouded by what I know now

Where has my heart gone

An uneven trade for the real world

Oh I... I want to go back to

Believing in everything and knowing nothing at all

I still remember the sun

Always warm on my back

Somehow it seems colder now

Where has my heart gone

Trapped in the eyes of a stranger

Oh I... I want to go back to

Believing in everything

[Latin hymn:]

Iesu, Rex admirabilis

Et triumphator nobilis,

Dulcedo ineffabilis,

Totus desiderabilis.

Where has my heart gone

An uneven trade for the real world

Oh I... I want to go back to

Believing in everything

Oh, Where

Where has my heart gone

Trapped in the eyes of a stranger

Oh I... I want to go back to

Believing in everything

I still remember.

Analysis:  This song clearly represents several primary ideas associated with innocence, however upon deeper analysis, there are certain subtleties that allow for an even deeper view of innocence to been seen.  First of all, there is the apparent lines about the revelation of youth and naivete, and these, of course, are central themes of innocence (understanding the world around us and not being blind to it.)  However, as we dissect farther into the lines it reveals another aspect of innocence: being changed in a physical sense, when nothing physical has actually happened.  This appears in the line "trapped in the eyes of a stranger," where it references changing views about what people look like, and what they are because of that.  It seems to say that just because a stranger thought something other than innocence, that the author's innocence is gone.  

Innocence (Song)

Avril Lavigne

Waking up I see that everything is OK
The first time in my life and now it's so great
Slowing down I look around and I am so amazed
I think about the little things that make life great

I wouldn't change a thing about it
This is the best feeling

[Chorus]
This innocence is brilliant
I hope that it will stay
This moment is perfect
Please don't go away
I need you now
And I'll hold on to it
Don't you let it pass you by

I found a place so safe, not a single tear
The first time in my life and now it's so clear
Feel calm, I belong, I'm so happy here
It's so strong and now I let myself be sincere

I wouldn't change a thing about it
This is the best feeling

[Chorus]

It's a state of bliss, you think you're dreaming
It's the happiness inside that you're feeling
It's so beautiful it makes you wanna cry
It's a state of bliss, you think you're dreaming
It's the happiness inside that you're feeling
It's so beautiful it makes you wanna cry

It's so beautiful it makes you wanna cry
This innocence is brilliant
Makes you wanna cry
This innocence is brilliance
Please don't go away
Cause I need you now
And I'll hold on to it
Don't you let it pass you by

[Chorus]

Analysis: This song offers a differing viewpoint of innocence, once again.  This particular song talks about bliss.  This can be taken in several different directions, but the one that I would like to focus on would be that this sense of innocence, though it seems just like the rest, actually is not.  This is primarily because it does not embody any firm definition of innocence completely: it isn't simplicity, it isn't lack of understanding, and it isn't harmlessness.  This is a new sense of the word, and a sort of melding of all other definitions: goodness.  Goodness is about as an ambiguous term as you can find, but I believe that it embodies this text well.  The author clearly has a deep understanding of the context of innocence: by leaving the meaning open ended it has allowed the song to take a different meaning to everyone, a different sort of "good" to everyone.  

The Lamb (Poem)

William Blake

Little Lamb who made thee 
Dost thou know who made thee 
Gave thee life & bid thee feed, 
By the stream & o'er the mead; 
Gave thee clothing of delight, 
Softest clothing wooly bright; 
Gave thee such a tender voice, 
Making all the vales rejoice; 
Little Lamb who made thee 
Dost thou know who made thee 

  
Little Lamb I'll tell thee, 
Little Lamb I'll tell thee; 
He is called by thy name, 
For he calls himself a Lamb: 
He is meek & he is mild, 
He became a little child: 
I a child & thou a lamb, 
We are called by his name. 
Little Lamb God bless thee. 
Little Lamb God bless thee.

Analysis: This poem centers around the idea of simplicity.  The lamb does not know what surrounds him, he does not question who made him, or what clothes him.  It does not wonder about it's life and what steam it will drink from.  In this sense, the lamb is innocent.  The lamb is innocent because it does not worry about the troubles in its life, but merely its troubles at the moment.  

Innocence (Example Essay)

Unnamed

The one thing that separates a child from an adult is innocence. Children are the virgins of life, having never known, heard, or seen evil. They haven’t faced heartbreak, rejection, and the other daily pressures of living in society. Some don’t quite understand the logic behind death. This is innocence, the beautiful and rare accessory piece that I had longed to hold on to in life. I soon lost that innocence.

It was a sunny afternoon when the students were released for recess. It was my first week of the second grade. It was also my first week in a new school. I was a stereotypical student; a poor child of an even poorer family, living in the ghetto. I began my education at an inner city school. Despite my straight, the school still seem to fail me in my parents’ eyes. So when St. Louis devised a desegregation program my parents hopped at the first opportunity to get me to a better school. A DESEG program was (what [us] blacks folks like to call) one of those charity programs. It was where urban black youth were given opportunities to attend some of the wealthiest and most prominent schools in high-class suburban neighborhoods. In exchange, these schools were able to meet their minority quota, which would be met yearly through this program. The only requirement for attendance was an entrance aptitude test. Not only did I successfully complete this test, but I tested 2-3 grades ahead of my class in every subject. My parents and I were overjoyed in my acceptance into the school. Little did I know, this joy would bring more of a burden than I was willing to face.

One of the complications of my elementary school was the demographics. To put things in lay terms, it was the white-kid’s-school. These kids never had to deal with poverty or African-Americans, much less poverty-stricken African-Americans. I didn’t see all of this at the time. To me, the school was just full of children and possible friends. In the distance I spotted a boy. He was white and skinny with dark hair and big brown eyes. He appeared lonely as he sat on top of the gigantic “ladder-like”structure that had been placed in the middle of the playground. I decided in my mind to go over to him and cheer him up. I had hoped that we would instantaneously become friends. So I climbed to the top of the sculpture and said, “Hey!” He didn’t respond , instead he remained in a daze. Feeling as though he didn’t hear me, I spoke louder, “I’m Jennifer, what’s your name.” He turned at me with this hateful stare and yelled, “I hate black people.” With that, he climbed down the sculpture and ran away. I sat up there alone, confused, and in tears. Up until then, I didn’t know there was a difference between us. Until then, I didn’t even know that there was something wrong with my skin. During my distress and in the days to follow, I was awakened to the differences in the students. There were masses of white kids on the playground, while the black kids were scarce. I was how all of the white kids played together in one part of the playground and the black kids played in another. I saw all of the things that I shouldn’t have seen not in the second grade.

As I look back on this incident I can’t imagine holding in hatred for the boy. This situation should be looked upon with shame. I realized that before the boy snatched my innocence, his was already ripped from him. I blame his parents for his upbringing and society for his ignorance. In the end it was society’s ignorance that destroyed an individual’s innocence.

Analysis: The beauty of this essay it its completely unbiased and simple approach to innocence.  I did not choose to showcase this essay because of its amazing writing and complex thought process, but because of its simplicity.  Speaking honestly, this was really just an example essay for an online paper writing service.  What this does speak volumes about, though, are the simple ideological themes surrounding innocence.  There was very little, if any, research done for this essay, as it was simply expository, but in this it shows what a typical view of innocence is.  This paper embodies the idea that innocence can take different forms, and to children this form can often present itself as lack of knowledge about certain aspects of society.  I think that this give very clear understanding of the typical "innocence" thought of in our modern culture.  

Innocence (Short Story)

Honore de Balzac

By the double crest of my fowl, and by the rose lining of my sweetheart's slipper! By all the horns of well-beloved cuckolds, and by the virtue of their blessed wives! the finest work of man is neither poetry, nor painted pictures, nor music, nor castles, nor statues, be they carved never so well, nor rowing, nor sailing galleys, but children.

Understand me, children up to the age of ten years, for after that they become men or women, and cutting their wisdom teeth, are not worth what they cost; the worst are the best. Watch them playing, prettily and innocently, with slippers; above all, cancellated ones, with the household utensils, leaving that which displeases them, crying after that which pleases them, munching the sweets and confectionery in the house, nibbling at the stores, and always laughing as soon as their teeth are cut, and you will agree with me that they are in every way lovable; besides which they are flower and fruit--the fruit of love, the flower of life. Before their minds have been unsettled by the disturbances of life, there is nothing in this world more blessed or more pleasant than their sayings, which are naive beyond description. This is as true as the double chewing machine of a cow. Do not expect a man to be innocent after the manner of children, because there is an, I know not what, ingredient of reason in the naivety of a man, while the naivety of children is candid, immaculate, and has all the finesse of the mother, which is plainly proved in this tale.

Queen Catherine was at that time Dauphine, and to make herself welcome to the king, her father-in-law, who at that time was very ill indeed, presented him, from time to time, with Italian pictures, knowing that he liked them much, being a friend of the Sieur Raphael d'Urbin and of the Sieurs Primatice and Leonardo da Vinci, to whom he sent large sums of money. She obtained from her family--who had the pick of these works, because at that time the Duke of the Medicis governed Tuscany-- a precious picture, painted by a Venetian named Titian (artist to the Emperor Charles, and in very high flavour), in which there were portraits of Adam and Eve at the moment when God left them to wander about the terrestrial Paradise, and were painted their full height, in the costume of the period, in which it is difficult to make a mistake, because they were attired in their ignorance, and caparisoned with the divine grace which enveloped them--a difficult thing to execute on account of the colour, but one in which the said Sieur Titian excelled. The picture was put into the room of the poor king, who was then ill with the disease of which he eventually died. It had a great success at the Court of France, where everyone wished to see it; but no one was able to until after the king's death, since at his desire it was allowed to remain in his room as long as he lived.

One day Madame Catherine took with her to the king's room her son Francis and little Margot, who began to talk at random, as children will. Now here, now there, these children had heard this picture of Adam and Eve spoken about, and had tormented their mother to take them there. Since the two little ones at times amused the old king, Madame the Dauphine consented to their request.

"You wished to see Adam and Eve, who were our first parents; there they are," said she.

Then she left them in great astonishment before Titian's picture, and seated herself by the bedside of the king, who delighted to watch the children.

"Which of the two is Adam?" said Francis, nudging his sister Margot's elbow.

"You silly!" replied she, "to know that, they would have to be dressed!"

This reply, which delighted the poor king and the mother, was mentioned in a letter written in Florence by Queen Catherine.

No writer having brought it to light, it will remain, like a sweet flower, in a corner of these Tales, although it is no way droll, and there is no other moral to be drawn from it except that to hear these pretty speeches of infancy one must beget the children.

Analysis:  As the closing piece of this section, I believe this lighthearted short story represents very well a child-like innocence.  This innocence is surrounded in the idea that once children reach a certain age they are spoiled by their knowledge, but before this time they are the very best of things.  The innocence portrayed in this story is not as expected, but for the time period, portrays very well the period of youth that can be best describe as "innocent."

Works Cited 

Craddock, Terence George. Innocence Is Affirmation Verification Of Light. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Sept. 2012. <http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/innocence-is-affirmation-verification-of-light/>.

"The End Of The Innocence Lyrics." - Don Henley. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Sept. 2012. <http://www.lyricsfreak.com/d/don henley/the end of the innocence_20042063.html>.

""Field Of Innocence" Lyrics." EVANESCENCE LYRICS. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Sept. 2012. <http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/evanescence/fieldofinnocence.html>.

"Innocence Lyrics." INNOCENCE LYRICS. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Sept. 2012. <http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/Innocence-lyrics-Avril-Lavigne/183A24E894E401C1482572AC000A2ECE>.

"The Lamb by William Blake 126 Poems by William BlakeEdit." The Lamb by William Blake Classic Famous Poet. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Sept. 2012. <http://allpoetry.com/poem/8438019-The_Lamb-by-William_Blake>.

"Expository Essay Example." Free Expository Essay Example. Sample Expository Essay. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Sept. 2012. <http://www.effectivepapers.com/blog/essays/expository-essay-example.html>.

"Innocence." Honore De Balzac's Short Story:. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Sept. 2012. <http://www.readbookonline.net/readOnLine/1311/>.