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< Return to William Blake Poems Holy Thursday Is this a holy thing to see In a rich and fruitful land,— Babes reduced to misery, Fed with cold and usurous hand? Is that trembling cry a song? Can it be a song of joy? And so many children poor? It is a land of poverty! […]

< Return to William Blake Poems Earth’s Answer Earth raised up her head From the darkness dread and drear, Her light fled, Stony, dread, And her locks covered with grey despair. ‘Prisoned on watery shore, Starry jealousy does keep my den Cold and hoar; Weeping o’er, I hear the father of the ancient men. ‘Selfish […]

< Return to William Blake Poems Introduction to Songs of Experience Hear the voice of the Bard, Who present, past, and future, sees; Whose ears have heard The Holy Word That walked among the ancient trees; Calling the lapséd soul, And weeping in the evening dew; That might control The starry pole, And fallen, fallen […]

< Return to William Blake Poems On Another’s Sorrow Can I see another’s woe, And not be in sorrow too? Can I see another’s grief, And not seek for kind relief? Can I see a falling tear, And not feel my sorrow’s share? Can a father see his child Weep, nor be with sorrow filled? […]

< Return to William Blake Poems A Dream Once a dream did weave a shade O’er my angel-guarded bed, That an emmet lost its way Where on grass methought I lay. Troubled, wildered, and forlorn, Dark, benighted, travel-worn, Over many a tangled spray, All heart-broke, I heard her say: ‘O my children! do they cry, […]

< Return to William Blake Poems Infant Joy ‘I have no name; I am but two days old.’ What shall I call thee? ‘I happy am, Joy is my name.’ Sweet joy befall thee! Pretty joy! Sweet joy, but two days old. Sweet joy I call thee: Thou dost smile, I sing the while; Sweet […]

< Return to William Blake Poems Nurse’s Song When voices of children are heard on the green, And laughing is heard on the hill, My heart is at rest within my breast, And everything else is still. ‘Then come home, my children, the sun is gone down, And the dews of night arise; Come, come, […]

< Return to William Blake Poems Spring Sound the flute! Now it’s mute! Birds delight, Day and night, Nightingale, In the dale, Lark in sky,— Merrily, Merrily, merrily to welcome in the year. Little boy, Full of joy; Little girl, Sweet and small; Cock does crow, So do you; Merry voice, Infant noise; Merrily, merrily […]

< Return to William Blake Poems Holy Thursday ’Twas on a holy Thursday, their innocent faces clean, The children walking two and two, in red, and blue, and green: Grey-headed beadles walked before, with wands as white as snow, Till into the high dome of Paul’s they like Thames waters flow. O what a multitude […]

Do Not Go Gentle into that Good Night “Do not go gentle into that good night, Old age should burn and rave at close of day; Rage, rage against the dying of the light…” —Dylan Thomas, excerpt of the poem   Listen to Video Readings of Do Not Go Gentle into that Good Night Shareable […]

Evelyn Hope I. Beautiful Evelyn Hope is dead! Sit and watch by her side an hour. That is her book-shelf, this her bed; She plucked that piece of geranium-flower, Beginning to die too, in the glass; Little has yet been changed, I think: The shutters are shut, no light may pass Save two long rays […]

< Return to William Blake Poems The Divine Image To Mercy, Pity, Peace, and Love, All pray in their distress, And to these virtues of delight Return their thankfulness. For Mercy, Pity, Peace, and Love, Is God our Father dear; And Mercy, Pity, Peace, and Love, Is man, His child and care. For Mercy has […]

< Return to William Blake Poems A Cradle Song Sweet dreams, form a shade O’er my lovely infant’s head! Sweet dreams of pleasant streams By happy, silent, moony beams! Sweet Sleep, with soft down Weave thy brows an infant crown! Sweet Sleep, angel mild, Hover o’er my happy child! Sweet smiles, in the night Hover […]