That, pitiless perforce,

They left their outcast mate behind,
And scudded still before the wind.

25 Some succor yet they could afford;
And such as storms allow,

The cask, the coop, the floated cord,
Delayed not to bestow.

But he (they knew) nor ship nor shore, 30 What e'er they gave, should visit more.

Nor, cruel as it seemed, could he
Their haste himself condemn,
Aware that flight, in such a sea,
Alone could rescue them;

35 Yet bitter felt it still to die

Deserted, and his friends so nigh.

He long survives, who lives an hour
In ocean, self-upheld:

And so long he, with unspent power, 40 His destiny repelled;

And ever, as the minutes flew,
Entreated help, or cried-" Adieu!"

At length, his transient respite past,
His comrades, who before

45 Had heard his voice in every blast,
Could catch the sound no more:
For then, by toil subdued, he drank
The stifling wave, and then he sank.

No poet wept him; but the page 50 Of narrative sincere,

That tells his name, his worth, his age,
Is wet with Anson's tear:

And tears by bards or heroes shed
Alike immortalize the dead.

55 I therefore purpose not, or dream,
Descanting on his fate,

To give the melancholy theme
A more enduring date:

But misery still delights to trace 60 Its semblance in another's case.

No voice divine the storm allayed,
No light propitious shone,

When, snatched from all effectual aid,
We perished, each alone:

65 But I beneath a rougher sea,

And whelmed in deeper gulfs than he.

William Blake

1757-1827

TO THE MUSES

(From Poetical Sketches, 1783)

Whether on Ida's shady brow,
Or in the chambers of the East,
The chambers of the sun that now
From ancient melody have ceased;

5 Whether in Heaven ye wander fair, Or the green corners of the earth, Or the blue regions of the air,

Where the melodious winds have birth;

Whether on crystal rocks ye rove 10 Beneath the bosom of the sea, Wandering in many a coral grove; Fair Nine, forsaking Poetry;

How have you left the ancient love
That bards of old enjoy'd in you!
15 The languid strings do scarcely move,
The sound is forced, the notes are few.

TO THE EVENING STAR
(From the same)

Thou fair-haired angel of the evening,
Now, whilst the sun rests on the mountain, light
Thy brilliant torch of love; thy radiant crown
Put on, and smile upon our evening bed!

5 Smile on our loves; and whilst thou drawest round

The curtains of the sky, scatter thy dew

On every flower that closes its sweet eyes

In timely sleep. Let thy west wind sleep on The lake; speak silence with thy glimmering eyes, 10 And wash the dusk with silver. Soon, full soon Dost thou withdraw; then the wolf rages wide, And then the lion glares through the dun forest. The fleeces of our flocks are covered with Thy sacred dew: protect them with thine influence.

INTRODUCTION

(From Songs of Innocence, 1787)
Piping down the valleys wild,
Piping songs of pleasant glee,
On a cloud I saw a child,
And he, laughing, said to me:

5 'Pipe a song about a Lamb!'

So I piped with merry cheer.
'Piper, pipe that song again;'
So I piped: he wept to hear.

'Drop thy pipe, thy happy pipe; 10 Sing thy songs of happy cheer!' So I sang the same again,

While he wept with joy to hear.

'Piper, sit thee down and write In a book, that all may read.' 15 So he vanish'd from my sight; And I plucked a hollow reed,

And I made a rural pen,
And I stain'd the water clear,
And I wrote my happy songs
20 Every child may joy to hear.

THE LAMB

(From the same)

Little lamb, who made thee? Dost thou know who made thee? Gave thee life, and bade thee feed By the stream and o'er the mead; 5 Gave thee clothing of delight, Softest clothing, woolly, bright; Gave thee such a tender voice, Making all the vales rejoice?

10

Little lamb, who made thee?
Dost thou know who made thee?

Little lamb, I'll tell thee;
Little lamb, I'll tell thee:
He is called by thy name,
For He calls Himself a Lamb.
15 He is meek, and He is mild,
He became a little child.

5

NIGHT

(From the same)

The sun descending in the west,
The evening star does shine,
The birds are silent in their nest,
And I must seek for mine.

The moon, like a flower

In heaven's high bower,

With silent delight,

Sits and smiles on the night.

Farewell, green fields and happy grove, 10 Where flocks have ta'en delight; Where lambs have nibbled, silent move The feet of angels bright;

15

Unseen, they pour blessing,
And joy without ceasing,
On each bud and blossom,

And each sleeping bosom.

They look in every thoughtless nest,
Where birds are covered warm;
They visit caves of every beast,
20 To keep them all from harm.
If they see any weeping

That should have been sleeping,
They pour sleep on their head,
And sit down by their bed.