The Poems of William Blake Glossary

Glossary of Terms

adamantine

Unbreakable.

augury

A sign of what will happen in the future; an omen.

beguile

To charm or enchant (usually in a deceptive manner).

Beulah

Means "married" in Hebrew. It is one of names given to Jerusalem when it was rejoined to God after the exile. For Blake Beulah is an idealized place without conflict, the conventional image of heaven or Eternity where all is at peace and all are one.

bleat

Make a characteristic wavering cry (usually of a young farm animal).

chafer

A flying beetle.

cherubim

A winged angelic being described in biblical tradition as attending on God.

dun

Of a dull grayish-brown color.

emmet

An ant.

fiend

An evil spirit or demon.

frontispiece

An illustration facing the title page of a book.

gird

Encircle (a person or part of the body) with a belt or band.

helm

A tiller or wheel and any associated equipment for steering a ship or boat.

newt

A small, slender-bodied amphibian with lungs and a well-developed tail.

nigh

Near.

palsy

Paralysis, esp. that which is accompanied by involuntary tremors.

Phoebus

Apollo, the God of the Sun

pinion

The outer part of a bird's wing including the flight feathers.

ruddy

Having a reddish color.

sceptre

An ornamented staff carried by rulers on ceremonial occasions as a symbol of sovereignty.

sprite

Spirit.

swain

A country youth.

Ulro

Ulro is the realm of torment, suffering, and death. It is this fallen, material world, which has lost contact with Eternity. It is a realm of error and misperception where everything is reversed. It is the world created by Urizen and governed by his laws.

wile

Devious or cunning stratagems employed in manipulating or persuading someone to do what one wants.

wren

A small short-winged songbird found chiefly in the New World.