Blake's Selected Poems Read online

  But when they find the frowning Babe

  Terror strikes thro the region wide

  They cry the Babe the Babe is Born

  And flee away on Every side

  For who dare touch the frowning form

  His arm is witherd to its root

  Lions Boars Wolves all howling flee

  And every Tree does shed its fruit

  And none can touch that frowning form

  Except it be a Woman Old

  She nails him down upon the Rock

  And all is done as I have told

  The Land of Dreams

  Awake awake my little Boy

  Thou wast thy Mothers only joy

  Why dost thou weep in thy gentle sleep

  Awake thy Father does thee keep

  O what Land is the Land of Dreams

  What are its Mountains & what are its Streams

  O Father I saw my Mother there

  Among the Lillies by waters fair

  Among the Lambs clothed in white

  She walkd with her Thomas in sweet delight

  I wept for joy like a dove I mourn

  O when shall I again return

  Dear Child I also by pleasant Streams

  Have wanderd all Night in the Land of Dreams

  But tho calm & warm the Waters wide

  I could not get to the other side

  Father O Father what do we here

  In this Land of unbelief & fear

  The Land of Dreams is better far

  Above the light of the Morning Star

  Mary

  Sweet Mary the first time she ever was there

  Came into the Ball room among the Fair

  The young Men & Maidens around her throng

  And these are the words upon every tongue

  An Angel is here from the heavenly Climes

  Or again does return the Golden times

  Her eyes outshine every brilliant ray

  She opens her lips tis the Month of May

  Mary moves in soft beauty & conscious delight

  To augment with sweet smiles all the joys of the Night

  Nor once blushes to own to the rest of the Fair

  That sweet Love & Beauty are worthy our care

  In the Morning the Villagers rose with delight

  And repeated with pleasure the joys of the night

  And Mary arose among Friends to be free

  But no Friend from henceforward thou Mary shalt see

  Some said she was proud some calld her a whore

  And some when she passed by shut to the door

  A damp cold came oer her her blushes all fled

  Her lillies & roses are blighted & shed

  O why was I born with a different Face

  Why was I not born like this Envious Race

  Why did Heaven adorn me with bountiful hand

  And then set me down in an envious Land

  To be weak as a Lamb & smooth as a Dove

  And not to raise Envy is calld Christian Love

  But if you raise Envy your Merits to blame

  For planting such spite in the weak & the tame

  I will humble my Beauty I will not dress fine

  I will keep from the Ball & my Eyes shall not shine

  And if any Girls Lover forsakes her for me

  I’ll refuse him my hand & from Envy be free

  She went out in Morning attird plain & neat

  Proud Marys gone Mad said the Child in the Street

  She went out in Morning in plain neat attire

  And came home in Evening bespatterd with mire

  She trembled & wept sitting on the Bed side

  She forgot it was Night & she trembled & cried

  She forgot it was Night she forgot it was Morn

  Her soft Memory imprinted with Faces of Scorn

  With Faces of Scorn & with Eyes of disdain

  Like foul Fiends inhabiting Marys mild Brain

  She remembers no Face like the Human Divine

  All Faces have Envy sweet Mary but thine

  And thine is a Face of sweet Love in Despair

  And thine is a Face of mild sorrow & care

  And thine is a Face of wild terror & fear

  That shall never be quiet till laid on its bier

  The Crystal Cabinet

  The Maiden caught me in the Wild

  Where I was dancing merrily

  She put me into her Cabinet

  And Lockd me up with a golden Key

  This Cabinet is formd of Gold

  And Pearl & Crystal shining bright

  And within it opens into a World

  And a little lovely Moony Night

  Another England there I saw

  Another London with its Tower

  Another Thames & other Hills

  And another pleasant Surrey Bower

  Another Maiden like herself

  Translucent lovely shining clear

  Threefold each in the other closd

  O what a pleasant trembling fear

  O what a smile a threefold Smile

  Filld me that like a flame I burnd

  I bent to Kiss the lovely Maid

  And found a Threefold Kiss returnd

  I strove to sieze the inmost Form

  With ardor fierce & hands of flame

  But burst the Crystal Cabinet

  And like a Weeping Babe became

  A weeping Babe upon the wild

  And Weeping Woman pale reclind

  And in the outward Air again

  I filld with woes the passing Wind

  The Grey Monk

  I die I die the Mother said

  My Children die for lack of Bread

  What more has the merciless Tyrant said

  The Monk sat down on the Stony Bed

  The blood red ran from the Grey Monks side

  His hands & feet were wounded wide

  His Body bent his arms & knees

  Like to the roots of ancient trees

  His eye was dry no tear could flow

  A hollow groan first spoke his woe

  He trembled & shudderd upon the Bed

  At length with a feeble cry he said

  When God commanded this hand to write

  In the studious hours of deep midnight

  He told me the writing I wrote should prove

  The Bane of all that on Earth I lovd

  My Brother starvd between two Walls

  His Childrens Cry my Soul appalls

  I mockd at the wrack & griding chain

  My bent body mocks their torturing pain

  Thy Father drew his sword in the North

  With his thousands strong he marched forth

  Thy Brother has armd himself in Steel

  To avenge the wrongs thy Children feel

  But vain the Sword & vain the Bow

  They never can work Wars overthrow

  The Hermits Prayer & the Widows tear

  Alone can free the World from fear

  For a Tear is an Intellectual Thing

  And a Sigh is the Sword of an Angel King

  And the bitter groan of the Martyrs woe

  Is an Arrow from the Almighties Bow

  The hand of Vengeance found the Bed

  To which the Purple Tyrant fled

  The iron hand crushd the Tyrants head

  And became a Tyrant in his stead

  Auguries of Innocence

  [AN EDITORIAL ARRANGEMENT]5

  To see a World in a Grain of Sand

  And a Heaven in a Wild Flower

  Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand

  And Eternity in an hour

  A Robin Red breast in a Cage

  Puts all Heaven in a Rage

  A Dove house filld with Doves & Pigeons

  Shudders Hell thro all its regions

  A dog starvd at his Masters Gate

  Predicts the ruin of the State

  A Horse misusd upon the Road

  Calls to Heaven for H
uman blood

  Each outcry of the hunted Hare

  A fibre from the Brain does tear

  A Skylark wounded in the wing

  A Cherubim does cease to sing

  The Game Cock clipd & armd for fight

  Does the Rising Sun affright

  The Lamb misusd breeds Public Strife

  And yet forgives the Butchers Knife

  He who shall train the Horse to War

  Shall never pass the Polar Bar

  Every Wolfs & Lions howl

  Raises from Hell a Human Soul

  The Bleat the Bark Bellow & Roar

  Are Waves that Beat on Heavens Shore

  The wild deer wandring here & there

  Keeps the Human Soul from Care

  The Beggers Dog & Widows Cat

  Feed them & thou wilt grow fat

  He who shall hurt the little Wren

  Shall never be belovd by Men

  He who the Ox to wrath has movd

  Shall never be by Woman lovd

  He who torments the Chafers sprite

  Weaves a Bower in endless Night

  The wanton Boy that kills the Fly

  Shall feel the Spiders enmity

  The Catterpiller on the Leaf

  Repeats to thee thy Mothers grief

  Kill not the Moth nor Butterfly

  For the Last Judgment draweth nigh

  The Bat that flits at close of Eve

  Has left the Brain that wont Believe

  The Owl that calls upon the Night

  Speaks the Unbelievers fright

  The Gnat that sings his Summers song

  Poison gets from Slanders tongue

  The poison of the Snake & Newt

  Is the sweat of Envys Foot

  The Poison of the Honey Bee

  Is the Artists Jealousy

  A Riddle or the Crickets Cry

  Is to Doubt a fit Reply

  The Emmets Inch & Eagles Mile

  Make Lame Philosophy to smile

  He who Doubts from what he sees

  Will neer Believe do what you Please

  If the Sun & Moon should Doubt

  Theyd immediately Go out

  He who mocks the Infants Faith

  Shall be mock’d in Age & Death

  He who shall teach the Child to Doubt

  The rotting Grave shall neer get out

  He who respects the Infants faith

  Triumphs over Hell & Death

  The Childs Toys & the Old Mans Reasons

  Are the Fruits of the Two seasons

  The Questioner who sits so sly

  Shall never know how to Reply

  He who replies to words of Doubt

  Doth put the Light of Knowledge out

  A Truth thats told with bad intent

  Beats all the Lies you can invent

  Joy & Woe are woven fine

  A Clothing for the Soul divine

  Under every grief & pine

  Runs a joy with silken twine

  It is right it should be so

  Man was made for Joy & Woe

  And when this we rightly know

  Thro the World we safely go

  The Babe is more than swadling Bands

  Throughout all these Human Lands

  Tools were made & Born were hands

  Every Farmer Understands

  Every Tear from Every Eye

  Becomes a Babe in Eternity

  This is caught by Females bright

  And returnd to its own delight

  The Babe that weeps the Rod beneath

  Writes Revenge in realms of Death

  The Princes Robes & Beggars Rags

  Are Toadstools on the Misers Bags

  The Beggars Rags fluttering in Air

  Does to Rags the Heavens tear

  The poor Mans Farthing is worth more

  Than all the Gold on Africs Shore

  One Mite wrung from the Labrers hands

  Shall buy & sell the Misers Lands

  Or if protected from on high

  Does that whole Nation sell & buy

  The Strongest Poison ever known

  Came from Caesars Laurel Crown

  Nought can Deform the Human Race

  Like to the Armours iron brace

  The Soldier armd with Sword & Gun

  Palsied strikes the Summers Sun

  When Gold & Gems adorn the Plow

  To peaceful Arts shall Envy Bow

  To be in a Passion you Good may Do

  But no Good if a Passion is in you

  The Whore & Gambler by the State

  Licencd build that Nations Fate

  The Harlots cry from Street to Street

  Shall weave Old Englands winding Sheet

  The Winners Shout the Losers Curse

  Dance before dead Englands Hearse

  Every Night & every Morn

  Some to Misery are Born

  Every Morn & every Night

  Some are Born to sweet delight

  Some are Born to sweet delight

  Some are Born to Endless Night

  We are led to Believe a Lie

  When we see not Thro the Eye

  Which was Born in a Night to perish in a Night

  When the Soul Slept in Beams of Light

  God Appears & God is Light

  To those poor Souls who dwell in Night

  But does a Human Form Display

  To those who Dwell in Realms of day

  William Bond

  I wonder whether the Girls are mad

  And I wonder whether they mean to kill

  And I wonder if William Bond will die

  For assuredly he is very ill

  He went to Church in a May morning

  Attended by Fairies one two & three

  But the Angels of Providence drove them away

  And he returnd home in Misery

  He went not out to the Field nor Fold

  He went not out to the Village nor Town

  But he came home in a black black cloud

  And took to his Bed & there lay down

  And an Angel of Providence at his Feet

  And an Angel of Providence at his Head

  And in the midst a Black Black Cloud

  And in the midst the Sick Man on his Bed

  And on his Right hand was Mary Green

  And on his Left hand was his Sister Jane

  And their tears fell thro the black black Cloud

  To drive away the sick mans pain

  O William if thou dost another Love

  Dost another Love better than poor Mary

  Go & take that other to be thy Wife

  And Mary Green shall her Servant be

  Yes Mary I do another Love

  Another I Love far better than thee

  And Another I will have for my Wife

  Then what have I to do with thee

  For thou art Melancholy Pale

  And on thy Head is the cold Moons shine

  But she is ruddy & bright as day

  And the sun beams dazzle from her eyne

  Mary trembled & Mary chilld

  And Mary fell down on the right hand floor

  That William Bond & his Sister Jane

  Scarce could recover Mary more

  When Mary woke & found her Laid

  On the Right hand of her William dear

  On the Right hand of his loved Bed

  And saw her William Bond so near

  The Fairies that fled from William Bond

  Danced around her Shining Head

  They danced over the Pillow white

  And the Angels of Providence left the Bed

  I thought Love livd in the hot sun Shine

  But O he lives in the Moony light

  I thought to find Love in the heat of day

  But sweet Love is the Comforter of Night

  Seek Love in the Pity of others Woe

  In the gentle relief of anothers care

  In the darkness of night &
the winters snow

  In the naked & outcast Seek Love There

  “When old corruption first begun”

  1

  When old corruption first begun

  Adornd in yellow vest

  He committed on flesh a whoredom

  O what a wicked beast

  2

  From them a callow babe did spring

  And old corruption smild

  To think his race should never end

  For now he had a child

  3

  He calld him Surgery & fed

  The babe with his own milk

  For flesh & he could neer agree

  She would not let him suck

  4

  And this he always kept in mind

  And formd a crooked knife

  And ran about with bloody hands

  To seek his mothers life

  5

  And as he ran to seek his mother

  He met with a dead woman

  He fell in love & married her

  A deed which is not common

  6

  She soon grew pregnant & brought forth

  Scurvy & spotted fever

  The father grind & skipt about

  And said I’m made for ever

  7

  For now I have procurd these imps

  III try experiments

  With that he tied poor scurvy down

  & stopt up all its vents