So, why did Blake write "The School Boy"?
It's likely he wrote it to:
* Explore the themes of childhood innocence and the constraints of education. The poem depicts a young boy who longs for freedom and sees school as a restrictive place that stifles his imagination.
* Critique the rigid and often harsh educational system of his time. Blake believed that education should nurture a child's natural creativity and imagination, rather than simply force them to memorize facts and follow rules.
* Express his own personal experiences with education. Although Blake was a self-taught artist, he did receive some formal schooling, and he may have drawn on those experiences in writing "The School Boy".
Overall, "The School Boy" is a powerful and poignant poem that speaks to the universal experience of childhood longing and the tension between the need for freedom and the demands of societal expectations. It's also a reminder of Blake's commitment to advocating for the rights of children and promoting a more humane and liberating education system.