The Crystal Cabinet

William Blake 1757 (Soho) – 1827 (London)



The Maiden caught me in the wild,
Where I was dancing merrily;
She put me into her Cabinet,
And lock'd me up with a golden key.

This cabinet is form'd 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 clos'd
O, what a pleasant trembling fear!

O, what a smile! a threefold smile
Fill'd me, that like a flame I burn'd;
I bent to kiss the lovely Maid,
And found a threefold kiss return'd.

I strove to seize the inmost form
With ardor fierce and hands of flame,
But burst the Crystal Cabinet,
And like a weeping Babe became--

A weeping Babe upon the wild,
And weeping Woman pale reclin'd,
And in the outward air again,
I fill'd with woes the passing wind.
.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on April 15, 2023

53 sec read
279

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABCB XDXD XEXE XFXF XGXG XHCH AIXI
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 914
Words 170
Stanzas 7
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 5

William Blake

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

All William Blake poems | William Blake Books

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