The
Little Girl Found
By
William Blake
All the night in woe,
Lyca's parents go:
Over vallies deep.
While the desarts weep.
Tired and woe-begone.
Hoarse with making moan:
Arm in arm seven days.
They trac'd the desert ways.
Seven nights they sleep.
Among shadows deep:
And dream they see their child
Starvdd in desart wild.
Pale thro' pathless ways
The fancied image strays.
Famish'd, weeping, weak
With hollow piteous shriek
Rising from unrest,
The trembling woman prest,
With feet of weary woe;
She could no further go.
In his arms he bore.
Her arm'd with sorrow sore:
Till before their way
A couching lion lay.
Turning back was vain,
Soon his heavy mane.
Bore them to the ground;
Then he stalk'd around.
Smelling to his prey,
But their fears allay,
When he licks their hands:
And silent by them stands.
They look upon his eyes
Fill'd with deep surprise:
And wondering behold.
A spirit arm'd in gold.
On his head a crown
On his shoulders down,
Flow'd his golden hair.
Gone was all their care.
Follow me he said,
Weep not for the maid;
In my palace deep.
Lyca lies asleep.
Then they followed,
Where the vision led;
And saw their sleeping child,
Among tygers wild.
To this day they dwell
In a lonely dell
Nor fear the wolvish howl,
Nor the lion's growl.
The poem is a part
of William Blake’s collection of poems “Songs of Innocence” published in 1794.
It is a companion piece to “The Little Girl Lost,” and it is the continuation of
the story of Lyca, who was lost and then found by her parents with the help of a
lion. Here, fear transforms into trust as the lion leads the parents to their
daughter, asleep among tigers. The narrative interlaces themes of love,
despair, and transformative power of the mystical. The journey of Lyca’s
parents through a desolate landscape and their encounter with the lion, who
turns out to be a protector, symbolizes a transition from grief to hope, from
fear to harmony. The poem suggests that even in the most desolate circumstances,
there can be a spiritual or divine presence offering guidance and protection.
The poem opens
with Lyca’s parents in great distress as they search for her throughout the
night. They travel through valleys and deserts, which seem to mourn along with
them, personifying nature to reflect the parent’s sorrow.
Lyca’s parents are
exhausted and heartbroken. Their voices are hoarse from crying out in grief.
they have been searching for seven days, wandering through the desolate desert
landscape, clinging to each other for support.
During their seven-night
search, they rest among dark shadows and dream distressing dreams of finding their
child starving and alone in the wilderness, revealing their deep anxiety and
fear for Lyca’s well-being.
The image of Lyca
in their dreams appears pale and lost, wandering aimlessly through unmarked
paths. She is imagined as being famished, weak, and crying out pitifully, heightening
the parents’ sense of despair.
Lyca’s mother,
overcome with grief and fatigue, can no longer continue the search. She is
trembling from exhaustion and emotional strain, symbolizing the depth of her
suffering and helplessness.
Lyca’s father
carries her mother, who is burdened by sorrow. As they continue, they encounter
a crouching lion in their path. The lion’s presence introduces an element of
the mystical and signifies a turning point in the narrative.
Realizing that
retreat is futile, they face the lion. The lion’s mane seems to overpower them,
bringing them to the ground. The lion then circles around them, suggesting both
a threat and a protective presence.
The lion smells
them, initially appearing voracious. However, their fears are eased when the
lion licks their hand and stands silently by them, indicating a protective or
benign intention.
The parents look
into the lion’s eyes and are surprised by what they see. They perceive a spirit
armed in gold, suggesting the lion is not just a beast but has a deeper,
perhaps divine significance.
The lion’s
appearance is majestic, with a crown and flowing golden hair, signifying
royalty or divinity. This majestic vision dispels all their worries, indicating
a turn towards hope and resolution.
The lion, now a
speaking and authoritative figure, tells the parents not to weep for Lyca. He
reveals that she is safe and asleep in his palace, offering them comfort and assurance.
The parents following
the lion find Lyca sleeping peacefully among wild tigers, indicating she is
under the protection of these powerful animals, further suggesting a mystical
or divine intervention.
From that day
onward, Lyca and her parents live peacefully in a secluded valley. They no
longer fear the wild animals around them, indicating a harmonious coexistence
and perhaps an acceptance of the natural world.
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