The Human Abstract
William Blake 1757 (Soho) – 1827 (London)
Pity would be no more
If we did not make somebody Poor;
And Mercy no more could be
If all were as happy as we.
And mutual fear brings peace,
Till the selfish loves increase:
Then Cruelty knits a snare,
And spreads his baits with care.
He sits down with holy fears,
And waters the grounds with tears;
Then Humility takes its root
Underneath his foot.
Soon spreads the dismal shade
Of Mystery over his head;
And the Catterpiller and Fly
Feed on the Mystery.
And it bears the fruit of Deceit,
Ruddy and sweet to eat;
And the Raven his nest has made
In its thickest shade.
The Gods of the earth and sea
Sought thro' Nature to find this Tree;
But their search was all in vain:
There grows one in the Human Brain.
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on April 23, 2023
- 41 sec read
- 436 Views
Quick analysis:
Scheme | XXAA BBCC DDXX EXXA FFEE AAGG |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 692 |
Words | 138 |
Stanzas | 6 |
Stanza Lengths | 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4 |
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"The Human Abstract" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 20 Sep. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/39175/the-human-abstract>.
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