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'er,

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 Complete Poems of William Blake - Complete Text

The Complete Poems of William Blake E-Text contains the full text of The Complete Poems of William Blake

• SONGS OF INNOCENCE
• THE SHEPHERD
• THE ECHOING GREEN
• THE LAMB
• THE LITTLE BLACK BOY
• THE BLOSSOM
• THE CHIMNEY-SWEEPER
• THE LITTLE BOY LOST
• THE LITTLE BOY FOUND
• LAUGHING SONG
• A SONG
• DIVINE IMAGE
• HOLY THURSDAY
• NIGHT
• SPRING
• NURSE'S SONG
• INFANT JOY
• A DREAM
• ON ANOTHER'S SORROW
• SONGS OF EXPERIENCE
• EARTH'S ANSWER
• THE CLOD AND THE PEBBLE
• HOLY THURSDAY
• THE LITTLE GIRL LOST
• THE LITTLE GIRL FOUND
• THE CHIMNEY SWEEPER
• NURSE'S SONG
• THE SICK ROSE
• THE FLY
• THE ANGEL
• THE TIGER
• MY PRETTY ROSE TREE
• AH SUNFLOWER
• THE LILY
• THE GARDEN OF LOVE
• THE LITTLE VAGABOND
• LONDON
• THE HUMAN ABSTRACT
• INFANT SORROW
• A POISON TREE
• A LITTLE BOY LOST
• A LITTLE GIRL LOST
• THE SCHOOLBOY
• TO TIRZAH
• THE VOICE OF THE ANCIENT BARD
• APPENDIX
• THE BOOK of THEL
• Sources