Attention: Please take a moment to consider our terms and conditions before posting.

To mark William Blake's birthday

Here's his poem called London

I wander through each chartered street,
Near where the chartered Thames does flow,
And mark in every face I meet,
Marks of weakness, marks of woe.

In every cry of every man,
In every infant's cry of fear,
In every voice, in every ban,
The mind-forged manacles I hear:

How the chimney-sweeper's cry
Every blackening church appals,
And the hapless soldier's sigh
Runs in blood down palace-walls.

But most, through midnight streets I hear
How the youthful harlot's curse
Blasts the new-born infant's tear,
And blights with plagues the marriage-hearse.

Feel free to add other verses of his that you like.

Comments

  • Oi Henry - you took the best one !

    I was angry with my friend:
    I told my wrath, my wrath did end.
    I was angry with my foe:
    I told it not, my wrath did grow.

    And I watered it in fears,
    Night and morning with my tears;
    And I sunnèd it with smiles,
    And with soft deceitful wiles.

    And it grew both day and night,
    Till it bore an apple bright;
    And my foe beheld it shine,
    And he knew that it was mine,

    And into my garden stole,
    When the night had veiled the pole:
    In the morning glad I see
    My foe outstretched beneath the tree.
  • Good one Stone Muse.

    Those of you who work in the City could always pop up to his grave in Bunhill Fields
Sign In or Register to comment.

Roland Out Forever!