Earth’s
Answer
By
William Blake
Earth raised up her head
From the darkness dread and drear,
Her light fled,
Stony, dread,
And her locks covered with grey despair.
'Prisoned on watery shore,
Starry jealousy does keep my den
Cold and hoar;
Weeping o're,
I hear the father of the ancient men.
'Selfish father of men!
Cruel, jealous, selfish fear!
Can delight,
Chained in night,
The virgins of youth and morning bear?
'Does spring hide its joy,
When buds and blossoms grow?
Does the sower
Sow by night,
Or the plowman in darkness plough?
'Break this heavy chain,
That does freeze my bones around!
Selfish, vain,
Eternal bane,
That free love with bondage bound.'
The poem is a part
of William Blake’s collection of poems “Songs of Experience,” published in 1794
and a response to the poem “introduction” from the same collection. Earth speaks
back to the Bard, expressing its sorrow and desire for liberation from the
constraints imposed by humanity and a patriarchal God. The earth is personified
as a female figure who has been imprisoned by the “selfish father of men”. The poem
is rather ambiguous and has inspired varied interpretations.
First Stanza
In this stanza,
Earth is personified as female figure who lifts her head from a place of
darkness and fear. The imagery suggests that Earth has been in a state of
desolation and despair for a long time. Her light, symbolizing hope and
vitality, has fled, leaving her in a state of “stony dread.” The description of
her locks being covered with “grey despair” indicates aging, sorrow, and a loss
of beauty and life.
Second Stanza
Earth feels imprisoned
on the “watery shore,” perhaps alluding to the constraints imposed on her by
natural and divine forces. The “starry jealousy” could represent the celestial
bodies (or heavenly forces) that keep her confined in den. The terms “cold and
hoar” further emphasize the cold, lifeless state she is in. She weeps as she hears
the voices of “the father of the ancient men,” likely referring to God, who in
Blake’s mythology is often depicted as a restrictive, patriarchal figure.
Third Stanza
Earth addresses
God directly, accusing Him of being a “selfish father of men.” She condemns Him
for being cruel, jealous, and motivated by selfish fear. The rhetorical
question asks if such a tyrannical and fearful being can allow the pure,
youthful spirits (the virgins of youth and morning”) to flourish while being “chained
in night,” a metaphor for being oppressed and kept in darkness.
Fourth Stanza
Earth questions
the natural order under the oppressive rule. She argues that spring does not
hide its joy when buds and blossoms grow, indicating that joy and growth are
natural and should not be supressed. The farmer does not sow seeds by night, nor
does the ploughman plough in darkness. These rhetorical questions highlight the
unnaturalness of the repression imposed on Earth.
Fifth Stanza
In the final
stanza, Earth calls for the breaking of the “heavy chain” that binds her and
causes her suffering. This chain is metaphorical for the oppressive, selfish,
and vain forces (possibly divine or human-imposed) that have cursed her (“eternal
bane”). She yearns for the liberation of “free Love,” which has been unjustly
bound by these forces. The stanza is a plea for liberation from the constraints
of fear and oppression, allowing love and life to flourish freely.
The poem is a powerful
expression of resistance against oppression and plea for liberation. Blake uses
personification and vivid imagery to convey Earth’s suffering under restrictive
forces, whether they are divine or human. The poem is a critique of the patriarchal
and authoritarian structures that stifle natural joy, growth, and freedom. Through
Earth’s voice, Blake advocates for the breaking of these chains and the
restoration of a natural, harmonious order where love and life can thrive
unimpeded.
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