Love and Harmony
July 6, 2023Jerusalem
July 6, 2023London
I wandered through each chartered street,
Near where the chartered Thames does flow,
A 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.
William Blake
William Blake (1757-1827) was an English poet, painter, and printmaker who is considered one of the most important figures of the Romantic era. He is best known for his poetry collections, "Songs of Innocence" and "Songs of Experience," which explore themes of childhood, spirituality, and the human condition. Blake was also a visual artist, and his paintings and illustrations often feature the same themes as his poetry.