The
Divine Image
By
William Blake
To Mercy, Pity, Peace, and Love,
All pray in their distress:
And to these virtues of delight
Return their thankfulness.
For Mercy, Pity, Peace, and Love,
Is God, our father dear:
And Mercy, Pity, Peace, and Love,
Is Man, his child and care.
For Mercy has a human heart,
Pity, a human face:
And Love, the human form divine,
And Peace, the human dress.
Then every man of every clime,
That prays in his distress,
Prays to the human form divine,
Love, Mercy, Pity, Peace.
And all must love the human form,
In heathen, Turk, or Jew.
Where Mercy, Love, & Pity dwell,
There God is dwelling too.
The poem is part of William Blake’s collection of
poems “Songs of Innocence” first published in 1789. It portrays an ideal world
and presents four traditional Christian virtues; Mercy, Pity, Peace and Love. They
exist in human heart and connects it with God. The poet proclaims that God’s “Mercy,
Pity, Peace, and Love appear on earth in “the human form”. Since God’s
gentleness and kindness express themselves through humankind, every person has
a bit of God in him. In this connection, the poem explores themes of human
virtue, the nature of divinity, and the interconnectedness of all beings through
shared divine qualities.
First Stanza
In the first stanza, the poet
introduces the four virtues: Mercy, Pity, Peace, and Love. These virtues are
personified and depicted as objects of prayer and sources of comfort during
times of distress. These lines suggest that people not only seek these qualities
in times of need but also express gratitude for them when they experience
relief.
Second Stanza
Blake makes a direct connection
between the divine and human qualities. He asserts that these virtues are embodiments
of God, who is seen as a nurturing and caring father. Furthermore, he
emphasizes that humans, as God’s children, also embody these divine virtues. This
stanza highlights the idea that human goodness reflects divine nature.
Third Stanza
The third stanza focuses on
describing each of the virtues and how they are related to mankind. Mercy is
associated with a human heart, Pity with a human face, Love with the divine
human form and Peace with human clothing. Here for the first time in poem the
virtues are discussed separately. This change emphasizes the characteristics of
each virtue and their relation to man. The imagery further strengthens the idea
that these virtues are inherently human and divine, bridging the gap between
the human and the divine.
Fourth Stanza
Blake extends the universality
of these virtues to all of humanity, regardless of geographical or cultural
differences. He suggests that when people pray, regardless of where they are
from, they are praying to the human embodiment of these divine qualities. This stanza
emphasizes the unity of humanity through shared virtues.
Fifth Stanza
In the final stanza, Blake calls
for the recognition and love of the human form in all its diversity, mentioning
“heathen, Turk or Jew to represent various religious and cultural groups. He concludes
that wherever these virtues are present, God is also present. This stanza
reinforces the poem’s central theme: the divine is found within human virtues,
and these virtues transcend all boundaries.
This poem by William Blake is a
profound exploration of the divine qualities inherent in humanity. Through
personification, repetition, and imagery, Blake conveys the message that
virtues such as Mercy, Pity, Peace, and Love are not only human traits but also
reflections of the divine. The poem calls for a recognition of the divine in every
person, promoting universal love, tolerance and unity.
Comments
Post a Comment