Footnotes:

Introduction

“Lamb” — Often associated with innocence.
“lapsed” — fallen
“that might controll” — believed to be referring to the soul.
“the starry floor” — the starry sky; signifies rigid, rational order.
“the watry shore” — the ocean; signifies chaos.

The Chimney Sweeper

“‘Weep, ‘Weep!” — Young children trying to pronounce “Sweep.”
“sold me” — young children were sold by their parents to become chimney sweepers because they were small enough to fit down a chimney.
“coffins of black” — Breathing in the dust from cleaning chimneys was very unhealthy, and could lead to death.
“White hair” — white implies innocence. The soot will not take away or “spoil” the child’s innocence.

The Little Boy Lost

“mire”– a marsh, swampy ground
“Nought”- niether, none
“most holy Mystery” — God, the reason why the priest felt the boy was being blasphemous, as he gave God equal status as earthly things
“Alboin’s shore”– an Ancient synonym for Britain; also connected with mythical character, Albion, who discovered an island for his descendants (the Giants) to reside. ¹

Nurse’s Song

“with sheep”- sheep are a sign of innocence and youthfulness representing young children and new life.
“Well go and play until the light fades away”- this is showing the reminicense of the narrators youth and how they like all innocent children go out and play all day and night because they have no care for sense of time.
“The days of my youth rise fresh in my mind”-This narrator is saying how seeing the children run freely brings back the memories of when she did.
“wasted in play”- This narrator is saying that the innocence of children is fun but a waste of time rather than the first narrator who said it was what children are supposed to do.

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¹(see link)

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