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Auguries of Innocence

William Blake

Auguries of Innocence

 

BY WILLIAM BLAKE

 

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 thr' 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 Human 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

 

Every Wolfs & Lions howl

 

Raises from Hell a Human Soul

 

The wild deer, wandring here & there

 

Keeps the Human Soul from Care

 

The Lamb misusd breeds Public Strife

 

And yet forgives the Butchers knife

 

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

 

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

 

The wanton Boy that kills the Fly

 

Shall feel the Spiders enmity

 

He who torments the Chafers Sprite

 

Weaves a Bower in endless Night

 

The Catterpiller on the Leaf

 

Repeats to thee thy Mothers grief

 

Kill not the Moth nor Butterfly

 

For the Last Judgment draweth nigh

 

He who shall train the Horse to War

 

Shall never pass the Polar Bar

 

The Beggars Dog & Widows Cat

 

Feed them & thou wilt grow fat

 

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

 

The Princes Robes & Beggars Rags

 

Are Toadstools on the Misers Bags

 

A Truth thats told with bad intent

 

Beats all the Lies you can invent

 

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

 

Joy & Woe are woven fine

 

A Clothing for the soul divine

 

Under every grief & pine

 

Runs a joy with silken twine

 

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 Bleat the Bark Bellow & Roar

 

Are Waves that Beat on Heavens Shore

 

The Babe that weeps the Rod beneath

 

Writes Revenge in realms of Death

 

The Beggars Rags fluttering in Air

 

Does to Rags the Heavens tear

 

The Soldier armd with Sword & Gun

 

Palsied strikes the Summers Sun

 

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

 

He who mocks the Infants Faith

 

Shall be mockd 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

 

The Strongest Poison ever known

 

Came from Caesars Laurel Crown

 

Nought can Deform the Human Race

 

Like to the Armours iron brace

 

When Gold & Gems adorn the Plow

 

To peaceful Arts shall Envy Bow

 

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

 

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 and 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

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Uploaded on November 16, 2020
Taken on July 10, 2019