On Anothers Sorrow Analysis

Can I see anothers woe,
And not be in sorrow too?
Can I see anothers grief,
And not seek for kind relief.

Can I see a falling tear.
And not feel my sorrows share,
Can a father see his child,
Weep, nor be with sorrow fill'd.

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 & care
Hear the woes that infants bear--

And not sit beside the nest
Pouring pity in their breast.
And not sit the cradle near
Weeping tear on infant's tear.

And not sit both night & day.
Wiping all our tears away.
O! 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 near.

O! he gives to us his joy.
That our grief he may destroy
Till our grief is fled & gone
He doth sit by us and moan

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THis poem may be judged as the finest statement in English of the compassion of god expressed in the birth and death of jesus. In fact, Blake's decotion ot jesus was so clear, and so eloquent, that countless orthodoz christians have lovd to pray in his words. The words of this poem is an example of this.

| Posted on 2009-08-21 | by a guest

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Summary: William Blake states in rhetorical questions that when a human sees another filled with grief and sorrow, his heart fills up with the same emotions out of sympathy. He uses a father and a mother as an example, for the nature of parents is to care for their child so immensely that when the child cries out in pain, they are in pain as well. If so, then G-d who created us all, with the emotions of pity, He who cares for every one of us, obviously feels the grief along with his children. So much so, that “He becomes the infant small, He becomes a man of woe.” At this point, the rhetorical questions stop, stating that with the knowledge that G-d is up there with a master plan, and is feeling with us in our pain, the questions of doubt and despair stop.
The repeat of “no, never can it be,” shows that just like its natural for a human to feel pity, how much more so G-d.

| Posted on 2009-03-25 | by a guest