On Another's Sorrow by William Blake
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On Another’s Sorrow
By William Blake
Can I see another's woe,
And not be in sorrow too?
Can I see another's grief,
And not seek for kind relief?
Can I see a falling tear,
And not feel my sorrow's share?
Can a father see his child
Weep, nor be with sorrow filled?
Can a mother sit and hear
An infant groan, an infant fear?
No, no! never can it be!
Never, never can it be!
And can He who smiles on all
Hear the wren with sorrows small,
Hear the small bird's grief and care,
Hear the woes that infants bear --
And not sit beside the next,
Pouring pity in their breast,
And not sit the cradle near,
Weeping tear on infant's tear?
And not sit both night and day,
Wiping all our tears away?
Oh no! never can it be!
Never, never can it be!
He doth give his joy to all:
He becomes an infant small,
He becomes a man of woe,
He doth feel the sorrow too.
Think not thou canst sigh a sigh,
And thy Maker is not by:
Think not thou canst weep a tear,
And thy Maker is not year.
Oh He gives to us his joy,
That our grief He may destroy:
Till our grief is fled an gone
He doth sit by us and moan.
The poem appeared in William Blake’s
collection of poems “Songs of Innocence” published in 1789. It consists of nine
stanzas and is separated into sets of four lines. The most important theme of
the poem is God’s love for its creation. It is most apparent in and after
stanza four. The speaker is very interested in the plan that God has for the
world an whether or not he is listening to the smallest creatures, like the
wren. At the end, the speaker stopped question and instead asserts that God is
always there, always sitting next to one as they suffer. He can be seen through
compassion for others.
First Stanza
In this stanza, Blake begins by questioning whether
it is possible to witness someone else’s suffering without feeling sorrow
oneself. It is a sort of rhetorical question that emphasizes the natural human
response of empathy. Blake suggests that witnessing another’s grief should
naturally compel one to seek ways to provide comfort or relief.
Second Stanza
Here, Blake continues to explore the theme of
empathy. He specifically mentions seeing a tear fall and feeling sorrow,
indicating that witnessing the visible signs of someone else’s sadness can trigger
an emotional response in an observer. He also uses the example of a father
seeing his child cry to illustrate how deeply connected we are to the emotions
of those we love.
Third Stanza
Blake emphasizes that it is impossible for a
mother to hear her infant’s suffering and remain unmoved. The repetition of “No,
no! never can it be!” reinforces the certainty and universality of a mother’s
empathy for her child’s distress.
Fourth Stanza
In the fourth stanza, Blake shifts from human
empathy to divine empathy. He suggests that if humans, with all their flaws,
can feel sorrow for others, then God, who “smiles on all,” must also be attuned
to the sufferings of even the smallest creatures, like a wren. This reflects
Blake’s belief in a compassionate and caring deity.
Fifth Stanza
Blake further develops the idea of divine
empathy. He imagines God sitting beside a bird’s nest, feeling pity for the small
creatures, and sitting near a cradle, sharing in the sorrows of infants. This imagery
portrays God as intimately involved in the lives of all being, sharing in their
sufferings.
Sixth Stanza
Reiterating the theme of divine compassion,
Blake asserts that God is constantly present, both day and night, to comfort
and alleviate the sorrows of all beings. The repeated exclamation “Never, never
can it be!” underlines the certainty of this divine empathy.
Seventh Stanza
Blake asserts that God shares His joy with all
creation and even takes on human forms to experience human suffering. The references
to God becoming an “infant small” and a “man of woe” allude to the Christian
belief in Jesus Christ, who embodies divine compassion by sharing in human
experiences and sufferings.
Eighth Stanza
In this stanza, Blake reassures the reader
that God is always present, even in moments of personal sorrow. The repetition of
“Think not thou canst” emphasizes that there is no sigh or tear shed in
isolation; God is always there to share in human emotions.
Last Stanza
Blake concludes the poem with a hopeful
message, asserting that God share His joy with humanity to help alleviate and eventually
destroy human grief. Until that grief is completely gone, God remains with us,
sharing in our sorrows an offering comfort.
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