A Song



Sweet dreams, form a shade
 O'er my lovely infant's head!
 Sweet dreams of pleasant streams
 By happy, silent, moony beams!
 
 Sweet Sleep, with soft down
 Weave thy brows an infant crown
 Sweet Sleep, angel mild,
 Hover o'er my happy child!
 
 Sweet smiles, in the night
 Hover over my delight!
 Sweet smiles, mother's smile,
 All the livelong night beguile.
 
 Sweet moans, dovelike sighs,
 Chase not slumber from thine eyes!
 Sweet moan, sweeter smile,
 All the dovelike moans beguile.
 
 Sleep, sleep, happy child!
 All creation slept and smiled.
 Sleep, sleep, happy sleep,
 While o'er thee doth mother weep.
 
 Sweet babe, in thy face
 Holy image I can trace;
 Sweet babe, once like thee
 Thy Maker lay, and wept for me:
 
 Wept for me, for thee, for all,
 When He was an infant small.
 Thou His image ever see,
 Heavenly face that smiles on thee!
 
 Smiles on thee, on me, on all,
 Who became an infant small;
 Infant smiles are his own smiles;
 Heaven and earth to peace beguiles.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on April 25, 2023

51 sec read
306

Quick analysis:

Scheme XXAA BBCC DDEE FFEE CCGG HHII JJII JJXA
Closest metre Iambic trimeter
Characters 958
Words 168
Stanzas 8
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4

William Blake

William Blake was an English poet, painter and printmaker. more…

All William Blake poems | William Blake Books

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