The Two Songs

William Blake 1757 (Soho) – 1827 (London)



I heard an Angel Singing
When the day was springing:
"Mercy, pity, and peace,
Are the world's release."

So he sang all day
Over the new-mown hay,
Till the sun went down,
And the haycocks looked brown.

I heard a devil curse
Over the heath and the furse:
"Mercy vould be no more
If there were nobody poor,
And pity no more could be
If all were happy as ye:
And mutual fear brings peace,
Misery's increase
Are mercy, pity, and peace."

At his curse the sun went down,
And the heavens gave a frown.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on April 14, 2023

29 sec read
150

Quick analysis:

Scheme AABB CCDD EEXXFFBBB DD
Closest metre Iambic trimeter
Characters 483
Words 99
Stanzas 4
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 9, 2

William Blake

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

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