The Golden Net
Three Virgins at the break of day
Whither young Man whither away
Alas for woe! alas for woe!
They cry and tears for ever flow
The one was Clothd in flames of firet
The other Clothd in iron wiret
The other Clothd in tears and sighst
Dazling bright before my Eyes
They bore a Net of Golden twine
To hang upon the Branches fine
Pitying I wept to see the woet
That Love and Beauty undergo
To be consumd in burning Fires
And in ungratified Desires
And in tears clothd Night and day
Melted all my Soul away
When they saw my Tears a Smile
That did Heaven itself beguile
Bore the Golden Net aloft
As on downy Pinions softt
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poem by William Blake from Songs and Ballads (1794)
Added by Veronica Serbanoiu
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The Crystal Cabinet
The Maiden caught me in the Wild
Where I was dancing merrily
She put me into her Cabinet
And Lockd me up with a golden Key
This Cabinet is formd of Gold
And Pearl and Crystal shining bright
And within it opens into a World
And a little lovely Moony Night
Another England there I saw
Another London with its Tower
Another Thames and other Hills
And another pleasant Surrey Bower
Another Maiden like herself
Translucent lovely shining clear
Threefold each in the other closd
O what a pleasant trembling fear
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poem by William Blake from Songs and Ballads (1794)
Added by Veronica Serbanoiu
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Long John Brown and Little Mary Bell
Little Mary Bell had a Fairy in a Nut
Long John Brown had the Devil in his Gut
Long John Brown lovd Little Mary Bell
And the Fairy drew the Devil into the Nut-shell
Her Fairy skipd out and her Fairy skipd in
He laughd at the Devil saying Love is a Sin
The devil he raged and the Devil he was wroth
And the devil enterd into the Young Mans broth
He was soon in the Gut of the loving Young Swain
For John eat and drank to drive away Loves pain
But all he could do he grew thinner and thinner
Tho he eat and drank as much as ten Men for his dinner
Some said he had a Wolf in his stomach day and night
Some said he had the Devil and they guessd right
The fairy skipd about in his glory Joy and Pride
And he laughd at the Devil till poor John Brown died
Then the Fairy skipd out of the old Nut shell
And woe and alack for Pretty Mary Bell
For the Devil crept in when The Fairy skipd out
And there goes Miss Bell with her fusty old Nut
poem by William Blake from Songs and Ballads (1794)
Added by Veronica Serbanoiu
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I rose up at the dawn of day
I rose up at the dawn of day
Get thee away get thee away
Prayst thou for Riches away away
This is the Throne of Mammon grey
Said I this sure is very odd
I took it to be the Throne of God
For every Thing besides I have
It is only for Riches that I can crave
I have Mental Joy and Mental Health
And Mental Friends and Mental wealtht
Ive a Wife I love and that loves me
Ive all But Riches Bodily
I am in Gods presence night and dayt
And he never turns his face away
The accuser of sins by my side does stand
And he holds my money bag in his hand
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poem by William Blake from Songs and Ballads (1794)
Added by Veronica Serbanoiu
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The Grey Monk
I die I die the Mother said
My Children die for lack of Bread
What more has the merciless Tyrant said
The Monk sat down on the Stony Bed
The blood red ran from the Grey Monks side
His hands and feet were wounded wide
His Body bent his arms & knees
Like to the roots of ancient trees
His eye was dry no tear could flow
A hollow groan first spoke his woe
He trembled and shudderd upon the Bedt
At length with a feeble cry he said
When God commanded this hand to write
In the studious hours of deep midnight
He told me the writing I wrote should provet
The Bane of all that on Earth I lovd
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poem by William Blake from Songs and Ballads (1794)
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My Spectre around me night and day
My Spectre around me night and day
Like a Wild beast guards my way
My Emanation far within
Weeps incessantly for my Sin
A Fathomless and boundless deep
There we wander there we weep
On the hungry craving wind
My Spectre follows thee behind
He scents thy footsteps in the snow
Wheresoever thou dost go
Thro the wintry hail and rain
When wilt thou return again
Dost thou not in Pride and scorn
Fill with tempests all my morn
And with jealousies and fears
Fill my pleasant nights with tears
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poem by William Blake from Songs and Ballads (1794)
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William Bond
I wonder whether the Girls are mad
And I wonder whether they mean to kill
And I wonder if William Bond will die
For assuredly he is very ill
He went to Church in a May morning
Attended by Fairies one two and three
But the Angels Of Providence drove them away
And he returnd home in Misery
He went not out to the Field nor Fold
He went not out to the Village nor Town
But he came home in a black black cloud
And took to his Bed and there lay down
And an Angel of Providence at his Feet
And an Angel of Providence at his Head
And in the midst a Black Black Cloud
And in the midst the Sick Man on his Bed
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poem by William Blake from Songs and Ballads (1794)
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Mary
Sweet Mary the first time she ever was there
Came into the Ball room among the Fair
The young Men and Maidens around her throng
And these are the words upon every tongue
An Angel is here from the heavenly Climes
Or again does return the Golden times
Her eyes outshine every brilliant ray
She opens her lips tis the Month of May
Mary moves in soft beauty and conscious delight
To augment with sweet smiles all the joys of the Night
Nor once blushes to own to the rest of the Fair
That sweet Love and Beauty are worthy our care
In the Morning the Villagers rose with delight
And repeated with pleasure the joys of the night
And Mary arose among Friends to be free
But no Friend from henceforward thou Mary shalt see
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poem by William Blake from Songs and Ballads (1794)
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The Mental Travellert
I traveld thro' a Land of Men
A Land of Men and Women too
And heard and saw such dreadful things
As cold Earth wanderers never knew
For there the Babe is born in joy
That was begotten in dire woe
Just as we Reap in joy the fruit
Which we in bitter tears did sow
And if the Babe is born a Boy
He's given to a Woman Old 10
Who nails him down upon a rock
Catches his Shrieks in Cups of gold
She binds iron thorns around his head
She pierces both his hands and feet
She cuts his heart out at his side
To make it feel both cold and heat
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poem by William Blake from Songs and Ballads (1794)
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Auguries of Innocence
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 and Pigeons
Shudders Hell thro 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 and armd for fight
Does the Rising Sun affright
Every Wolfs and Lions howl
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poem by William Blake from Songs and Ballads (1794)
Added by Veronica Serbanoiu
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