"The Voice of the Ancient Bard"

Youth of delight! come hither
And see the opening morn,
Image of Truth new-born.
Doubt is fled, and clouds of reason,
Dark disputes and artful teazing.
Folly is an endless maze;
Tangled roots perplex her ways;
How many have fallen there!
They stumble all night over bones of the dead;
And feel—they know not what but care;
And wish to lead others, when they should be led.

Folly- The trait of acting stupidly, foolishly, or rashly. Bard- A lyrical poet.

Analysis by Shawn:

"Youth of delight, come hither,

And see the opening morn,

Image of truth new born" = A young girl is being called forth to start her new beginning; a new beginning that is free of corruption and tarnish, a new life that is pure and at peace, not clouded and unjust.

"Doubt is fled, & clouds of reason,

Dark disputes & artful teasing" =  This statement means that within this new life there is no doubt, no miss guidance, or unjust actions; but in every life, comes temptation.  And temptation will always be around, finding new ways to unveil.

"Folly is an endless maze,

Tangled roots perplex her ways" = This phrase explains that a lack of understanding will bring forth a futile life of uncertainty, all the while blocking progression and life fulfillment.

"How many have fallen there!

They stumble all night over bones of the dead,

And feel they know not what but care,

And wish to lead others, when they should be led" = I think this phrase is saying that people who choose to live a life of uncertainty will walk this dead path of existence. And that these types of people should not lead others to follow their same paths, but should instead follow someone who is insightful and smart as well as a good leader and role model.

Analysis by Allie: 

This poem is very interesting because it uses descriptive language and personification to relate the complex theme of crossing the threshold as a young person from ignorance into maturity. The tone of the poem expresses the urgency of the message, shown in the way Blake places constant emphasis on key points every so often through the use of exclamation points. The first few lines reinforce the theme of maturity in the sense that only the "youth of delight" are called by the ancient bard to "come see the opening morn" and realize the "image of truth." The phrase, "the image of truth new born" is important because it supports the fact that a mature state of being allows one to live life according to real truths that contribute to a broad perspective of life rather than by one's own ignorant realm of innocence and ego. The two words "new born" make sense because, to most of the world's youth, maturity is a new concept that is still unexplored and undefined. This includes the new-found sense of individual identity one gains through maturity by realizing one's personal life truths. For this reason, the next few lines state that "doubt has fled" along with "cloudless reason, dark disputes, and artful teasing" which can be interpreted as the world's youth gaining a more in-depth perspective of their own strengths, weaknesses, and personal characteristics all of which suggests a more mature process of thought. 

William Blake then incorporates personification to portray how acts of "folly" can prevent an individual from ever moving forward in life, expressed when he says, "Tangled roots perplex her [folly's] ways." The line "How many have fallen there!" serves as a cry of warning to the youth being addressed throughout the poem, saying  that if as young adults they get stuck in or cling willingly to the realm of folly and ignorance, they will surely stay trapped there with ignorant tendencies throughout their entire lives. The last few lines that claim how such people "stumble over the bones of the dead...and wish to lead others, when they should be led" reinforces this notion. Blake implies through this line that just because an individual "grows up" doesn't mean they are mature or have truly found and embraced their own solid self-identity. Such adults only "stumble around in folly" and although "they know not what, but care," it is too late for them to find their way out of the maze. Overall, the poem urgently expresses how refusing maturity will only lead to hardship in life, and that as young people, we only have one chance to elevate ourselves into the realm of profound, enlightened thought.