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Showing posts with label William Blake. Show all posts
Showing posts with label William Blake. Show all posts

Friday, September 17, 2021

Pellicer Creek - "To See the World in a Grain of Sand"

 




"To see the 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."

By William Blake, Auguries of Innocence

Psalm 115:3-4

Our God is in heaven;  he does whatever pleases him.
But their idols are silver and gold,
made by human hands.

Sunday, April 18, 2021

The Wild Flower's Song

 

The Wild Flower's Song

As I wandered the forest,
The green leaves among,
I heard aa Wild flower
Singing a song.

I slept in the earth
In the silent night,
murmur'd my fears
And I felt delight.

In the morning I went
As rosy as morn,
To seek for new joy;
But Oh! met with scorn.

~William Blake

Flowers of the Forest

 

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 hours.

~William Blake

Saturday, March 7, 2015

"Burning Bright In the Forest of the NIght"

 
 
The setting sun over Matanzas River is "burning bright in the forest of the night".  I can imagine the bright red light reflecting in the eyes of a tiger,.  The poem "Tyger" by William Blake is consider his most popular poem and has been used in lyrics, music, films and comic strips.
 
Copy A of William Blake's original printing of The Tyger, c. 1795.
 
 
The Tyger
by William Blake (1757–1827)
 
Tyger Tyger, burning bright, 
In the forests of the night; 
What immortal hand or eye, 
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?

In what distant deeps or skies.
Burnt the fire of thine eyes?
On what wings dare he aspire?
What the hand, dare seize the fire?

And what shoulder, & what art,
Could twist the sinews of thy heart?
And when thy heart began to beat,
What dread hand? & what dread feet?

What the hammer? what the chain,
In what furnace was thy brain?
What the anvil? what dread grasp, 
Dare its deadly terrors clasp! 

When the stars threw down their spears
And water'd heaven with their tears: 
Did he smile his work to see?
Did he who made the Lamb make thee?

Tyger Tyger burning bright,
In the forests of the night: 
What immortal hand or eye,
Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?
 
 
Blake has been quoted in a weekday strip of Calvin and Hobbes, Calvin recites a line from Blake's "The Tyger", while viewing a sleeping Hobbes, lightheartedly alluding to the lines "Tyger, Tyger, burning bright..."  
 

Thursday, August 14, 2014

Ah, Sunflowers in Middle Earth's Garden


 

I took these pictures in February 2014 at The Shire from The Hobbit film set.  It is summer time in New Zealand. Sunflowers were planted in most of the gardens and in front of some of the Hobbit holes.  The sun was shinning bright and blue clouds set a picturesque backdrop.  The gardens were fresh, green, and bright with an array of colorful flowers. The sunflowers were the tallest and most appealing with their black eyes.



Ah! Sun-flower

By William Blake 1757–1827 
Ah Sun-flower! weary of time,
Who countest the steps of the Sun:
Seeking after that sweet golden clime
Where the travellers journey is done. 
Where the Youth pined away with desire,
And the pale Virgin shrouded in snow: 
Arise from their graves and aspire, 
Where my Sun-flower wishes to go.

Thursday, April 11, 2013

The Lily by William Blake



 Since the beginning of time, lilies have played significant roles in allegorical tales concerning the sacrament of motherhood. Roman mythology links it to Juno, the queen of the gods. The story goes that while Juno was nursing her son Hercules, excess milk fell from the sky. Although part of it remained above the earth (thus creating the group of stars known as the Milky Way), the remainder fell to the earth, creating lilies. Another tradition has it that the lily sprang from the repentant tears of Eve as she went forth from Paradise.  This is one of the few lilies that grew in my yard this spring.

The Lily
by William Blake

The modest Rose puts forth a thorn,
The humble sheep a threat'ning horn:
While the Lily white shall in love delight,
Nor a thorn nor a threat stain her beauty bright.

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

'Little Girl Lost' by William Blake from Songs of Experience



The Little Girl Lost
By William Blake from 'Songs of Experience'

In futurity
I prophesy
That the earth from sleep
(Grave the sentence deep)
Shall arise, and seek
For her Maker meek;
And the desert wild
Become a garden mild.

In the southern clime,
Where the summer's prime
Never fades away,
Lovely Lyca lay.

Seven summers old
Lovely Lyca told.
She had wandered long,
Hearing wild birds' song.

'Sweet sleep, come to me,
Underneath this tree;
Do father, mother, weep?
Where can Lyca sleep?

'Lost in desert wild
Is your little child.
How can Lyca sleep
If her mother weep?

'If her heart does ache,
Then let Lyca wake;
If my mother sleep,
Lyca shall not weep.

'Frowning, frowning night,
O'er this desert bright
Let thy moon arise,
While I close my eyes.'

Sleeping Lyca lay,
While the beasts of prey,
Come from caverns deep,
Viewed the maid asleep.
Continue Reading: http://www.poetryloverspage.com/poets/blake/little_girl_lost.html