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    Blake's Selected Poems

    Page 5
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      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

     


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