Classic and Contemporary Poetry
THE FOUR ZOAS: NIGHTS THE THIRD AND FOURTH, by WILLIAM BLAKE Poet Analysis Poet's Biography First Line: Now sat the king of light on high upon his starry throne Last Line: Into unusual forms dancing & howling stamping the abyss Subject(s): Bible; Hate; Imagination; Mythology; Vision; Winter; Fancy | ||||||||
Night the Third Now sat the King of Light on high upon his starry throne And bright Ahania bow'd herself before his splendid feet O Urizen look on Me. like a mournful stream I Embrace round thy knees & wet My bright hair with my tears: Why sighs my Lord! are not the morning stars thy obedient Sons Do they not bow their bright heads at thy voice? at thy command Do they not fly into their stations & return their light to thee The immortal Atmospheres are thine, there thou art seen in glory Surrounded by the ever changing Daughters of the Light Why wilt thou look upon futurity darkning present joy She ceas'd the Prince his light obscurd & the splendors of his crown Infolded in thick clouds, from whence his mighty voice burst forth O bright Ahania a Boy is born of the dark Ocean Whom Urizen doth serve, with Light replenishing his darkness I am set here a King of trouble commanded here to serve And do my ministry to those who eat of my wide table All this is mine yet I must serve & that Prophetic boy Must grow up to command his Prince but hear my determind Decree Vala shall become a Worm in Enitharmons Womb Laying her seed upon the fibres soon to issue forth And Luvah in the loins of Los a dark & furious death Alas for me! what will become of me at that dread time? Ahania bow'd her head & wept seven days before the King And on the eighth day when his clouds unfolded from his throne She rais'd her bright head sweet perfumd & thus with heavenly voice O Prince the Eternal One hath set thee leader of his hosts Leave all futurity to him Resume thy fields of Light Why didst thou listen to the voice of Luvah that dread morn To give the immortal steeds of light to his deceitful hands No longer now obedient to thy will thou art compell'd To forge the curbs of iron & brass to build the iron mangers To feed them with intoxication from the wine presses of Luvah Till the Divine Vision & Fruition is quite obliterated They call thy lions to the fields of blood, they rowze thy tygers Out of the halls of justice, till these dens thy wisdom framd Golden & beautiful but O how unlike those sweet fields of bliss Where liberty was justice & eternal science was mercy Then O my dear lord listen to Ahania, listen to the vision The vision of Ahania in the slumbers of Urizen When Urizen slept in the porch & the Ancient Man was smitten The Darkning Man walkd on the steps of fire before his halls And Vala walkd with him in dreams of soft deluding slumber He looked up & saw thee Prince of Light thy splendor faded But saw not Los nor Enitharmon for Luvah hid them in shadow In a soft cloud Outstretch'd across, & Luvah dwelt in the cloud Then Man ascended mourning into the splendors of his palace Above him rose a Shadow from his wearied intellect Of living gold, pure, perfect, holy; in white linen pure he hover'd A sweet entrancing self delusion, a watry vision of Man Soft exulting in existence all the Man absorbing Man fell upon his face prostrate before the watry shadow Saying O Lord whence is this change thou knowest I am nothing And Vala trembled & coverd her face, & her locks. were spread on the pavement I heard astonishd at the Vision & my heart trembled within me I heard the voice of the Slumberous Man & thus he spoke Idolatrous to his own Shadow words of Eternity uttering O I am nothing when I enter into judgment with thee If thou withdraw thy breath I die & vanish into Hades If thou dost lay thine hand upon me behold I am silent If thou withhold thine hand I perish like a fallen leaf O I am nothing & to nothing must return again If thou withdraw thy breath, behold I am oblivion He ceasd: the shadowy voice was silent; but the cloud hoverd over their heads In golden wreathes, the sorrow of Man & the balmy drops fell down And Lo that Son of Man, that shadowy Spirit of the Fallen One Luvah, descended from the cloud; In terror Albion rose- Indignant rose the Awful Man & turnd his back on Vala Why roll thy clouds in sick'ning mists. I can no longer hide The dismal vision of mine Eyes, O love & life & light! Prophetic dreads urge me to speak. futurity is before me Like a dark lamp. Eternal death haunts all my expectation Rent from Eternal Brotherhood we die & are no more I heard the Voice of Albion starting from his sleep "Whence is this voice crying Enion that soundeth in my ears O cruel pity! O dark deceit! can Love seek for dominion And Luvah strove to gain dominion over the mighty Albion They strove together above the Body where Vala was inclos'd And the dark Body of Albion left prostrate upon the crystal pavement Coverd with boils from head to foot. the terrible smitings of Luvah Then frownd the Fallen Man & put forth Luvah from his presence (I heard him: frown not Urizen: but listen to my Vision) Saying, Go & die the Death of Man for Vala the sweet wanderer I will turn the volutions of your Ears outward; & bend your Nostrils Downward; & your fluxile Eyes englob'd, roll round in fear Your withring Lips & Tongue shrink up into a narrow circle Till into narrow forms you creep. Go take your fiery way And learn what 'tis to absorb the Man you Spirits of Pity & Love O Urizen why art thou pale at the visions of Ahania Listen to her who loves thee lest we also are driven away. They heard the Voice & fled swift as the winters setting sun And now the Human Blood foamd high, I saw that Luvah & Vala Went down the Human Heart where Paradise & its joys abounded In jealous fears in fury & rage, & flames roll'd round their fervid feet And the vast form of Nature like a Serpent play'd before them And as they went in folding fires & thunders of the deep Vala shrunk in like the dark sea that leaves its slimy banks And from her bosom Luvah fell far as the east & west And the vast form of Nature like a Serpent roll'd between. She ended. for from his wrathful throne burst forth the black hail storm Am I not God said Urizen. Who is Equal to me Do I not stretch the heavens abroad or fold them up like a garment He spoke mustering his heavy clouds around him black opake Then thunders rolld around & lightnings darted to & fro His visage changd to darkness & his strong right hand came forth To cast Ahania to the Earth be siezd her by the hair And threw her from the steps of ice that froze around his throne Saying Art thou also become like Vala. thus I cast thee out Shall the feminine indolent bliss. the indulgent self of weariness The passive idle sleep the enormous night & darkness of Death Set herself up to give her laws to the active masculine virtue Thou little diminutive portion that darst be a counterpart Thy passivity thy laws of obedience & insincerity Are my abhorrence. Wherefore hast thou taken that fair form Whence is this power given to thee! once thou wast in my breast A sluggish current of dim waters. on whose verdant margin A cavern shaggd with horrid shades. dark cool & deadly. where I laid my head in the hot noon after the broken clods Had wearied me. there I laid my plow & there my horses fed And thou hast risen with thy moist locks into a watry image Reflecting all my indolence my weakness & my death To weigh me down beneath the grave into non Entity Where Luvah strives scorned by Vala age after age wandering Shrinking & shrinking from her Lord & calling him the Tempter And art thou also become like Vala thus I cast thee out. So loud in thunders spoke the King folded in dark despair And threw Ahania from his bosom obdurate She fell like lightning Then fled the sons of Urizen from his thunderous throne petrific They fled to East & West & left the North & South of Heaven A crash ran thro the immense The bounds of Destiny were broken The bounds of Destiny crashd direful & the swelling Sea Burst from its bonds in whirlpools fierce roaring with Human voice Triumphing even to the Stars at bright Ahanias fall Down from the dismal North the Prince in thunders & thick clouds As when the thunderbolt down falleth on the appointed place Fell down down rushing ruining thundering shuddering Into the Caverns of the Grave & places of Human Seed Where the impressions of Despair & Hope enroot forever A world of Darkness. Ahania fell far into Non Entity She Continued falling. Loud the Crash continud loud & Hoarse From the Crash roared a flame of blue sulphureous fire from the flame A dolorous groan that struck with dumbness all confusion Swallowing up the horrible din in agony on agony Thro the Confusion like a crack across from immense to immense Loud strong a universal groan of death louder Than all the wracking elements deafend & rended worse Than Urizen & all his hosts in curst despair down rushing But from the Dolorous Groan one like a shadow of smoke appeard And human bones rattling together in the smoke & stamping The nether Abyss & gnasshing in fierce despair. panting in sobs Thick short incessant bursting sobbing. deep despairing stamping struggling Struggling to utter the voice of Man struggling to take the features of Man. Struggling To take the limbs of Man at length emerging from the smoke Of Urizen dashed in pieces from his precipitant fall Tharms reard up his hands & stood on the affrighted Ocean The dead reard up his Voice & stood on the resounding shore Crying. Fury in my limbs. destruction in my bones & marrow My skull riven into filaments. my eyes into sea jellies Floating upon the tide wander bubbling & bubbling Uttering my lamentations & begetting little monsters Who sit mocking upon the little pebbles of the tide In all my rivers & on dried shells that the fish Have quite forsaken. O fool fool to lose my sweetest bliss Where art thou Enion ah too near to cunning too far off And yet too near. Dashd down I send thee into distant darkness Far as my strength can hurl thee wander there & laugh & play Among the frozen arrows they will tear thy tender flesh Fall off afar from Tharmas come not too near my strong fury Scream & fall off & laugh at Tharmas lovely summer beauty Till winter rends thee into Shivers as thou hast rended me So Tharmas bellowd oer the ocean thundring sobbing bursting The bounds of Destiny were broken & hatred now began Instead of love to Enion. Enion blind & age bent Plungd into the cold billows living a life in midst of waters In terrors she witherd away to Entuthon Benithon A world of deep darkness where all things in horrors are rooted These are the words of Enion heard from the cold waves of despair O Tharmas I had lost thee. & when I hoped I had found thee O Tharmas do not thou destroy me quite but let A little shadow. but a little showery form of Enion Be near thee loved Terror. let me still remain & then do thou Thy righteous doom upon me. only let me hear thy voice Driven by thy rage I wander like a cloud into the deep Where never yet Existence came, there losing all my life I back return weaker & weaker, consume me not away In thy great wrath. tho I have sinned. tho I have rebelld Make me not like the things forgotten as they had not been Make not the thing that loveth thee. a tear wiped away Tharmas replied riding on storms his voice of Thunder rolld Image of grief thy fading lineaments make my eyelids fail What have I done! both rage & mercy are alike to me Looking upon thee Image of faint waters. I recoil From my fierce rage into thy semblance. Enion return Why does thy piteous face Evanish like a rainy cloud Melting. a shower of falling tears. nothing but tears! Enion: Substanceless. voiceless, weeping. vanishd. nothing but tears! Enion Art thou for ever vanishd from the watry eyes of Tharmas Rage Rage shall never from my bosom. winds & waters of woe Consuming all to the end consuming Love and Hope are ended For now no more remaind of Enion in the dismal air Only a voice eternal wailing in the Elements Where Enion, blind & age bent wanderd Ahania wanders now She wanders in Eternal fear of falling into the indefinite For her bright eyes behold the Abyss. sometimes a little sleep Weighs down her eyelids then she falls then starting wakes in fears Sleepless to wander round repelld on the margin of Non Entity Vala Night The Fourth But Tharmas rode on the dark Abyss. the voice of Tharmas rolld Over the heaving deluge. he saw Los & Enitharmon Emerge In strength & brightness from the Abyss his bowels yearnd over them They rose in strength above the heaving deluge. in mighty scorn Red as the Sun in the hot morning of the bloody day Tharmas beheld them his bowels yearnd over them And he said Wherefore do I feel such love & pity Ah Enion Ah Enion Ah lovely lovely Enion How is this All my hope is gone for ever fled Like a famishd Eagle Eyeless raging in the vast expanse Incessant tears are now my food. incessant rage & tears Deathless for ever now I wander seeking oblivion In torrents of despair in vain. for if I plunge beneath Stifling I live. If dashd in pieces from a rocky height I reunite in endless torment. would I had never risen From deaths cold sleep beneath the bottom of the raging Ocean And cannot those who once have lovd. ever forget their Love? Are love & rage the same passion? they are the same in me Are those who love. like those who died. risen again from death Immortal. in immortal torment. never to be deliverd Is it not possible that one risen again from Death Can die! When dark despair comes over me can I not Flow down into the sea & slumber in oblivion. Ah Enion Deformd I see these lineaments of ungratified Desire The all powerful curse of an honest man be upon Urizen & Luvah But thou My Son Glorious in brightness comforter of Tharmas Go forth Rebuild this Universe beneath my indignant power A Universe of Death & Decay. Let Enitharmons hands Weave soft delusive forms of Man above my watry world Renew these ruind souls of Men thro Earth Sea Air & Fire To waste in endless corruption. renew thou I will destroy Perhaps Enion may resume some little semblance To ease my pangs of heart & to restore some peace to Tharmas Los answerd in his furious pride sparks issuing from his hair Hitherto shalt thou come. no further. here thy proud waves cease We have drunk up the Eternal Man by our unbounded power Beware lest we also drink up thee rough demon of the waters Our God is Urizen the King. King of the Heavenly hosts We have no other God but he thou father of worms & clay And he is falln into the Deep rough Demon of the waters And Los remains God over all, weak father of worms & clay I know I was Urthona keeper of the gates of heaven But now I am all powerful Los & Urthona is but my shadow Doubting stood Tharmas in the solemn darkness. his dim Eyes Swam in red tears. he reard his waves above the head of Los In wrath. but pitying back withdrew with many a sigh Now he resolvd to destroy Los & now his tears flowd down In scorn stood Los red sparks of blighting from his furious head Flew over the waves of Tharmas. pitying Tharmas stayd his Waves For Enitharmon shriekd amain crying O my sweet world Built by the Architect divine whose love to Los & Enitharmon Thou rash abhorred Demon in thy fury hast oerthrown What Sovereign Architect said Tharmas dare my will controll For if I will I urge these waters. If I will they sleep In peace beneath my awful frown my will shall be my Law So Saying in a Wave he rap'd bright Enitharmon far Apart from Los. but coverd her with softest brooding care On a broad wave in the warm west. balming her bleeding wound O how Los howld at the rending asunder all the fibres rent Where Enitharmon joind to his left side in griding pain He falling on the rocks bellowd his Dolor. till the blood Stanch'd, then in ululation waild his woes upon the wind And Tharmas calld to the Dark Spectre who upon the Shores With dislocated Limbs had falln. The Spectre rose in pain A Shadow blue obscure & dismal. like a statue of lead Bent by its fall from a high tower the dolorous shadow rose Go forth said Tharmas works of joy are thine obey & live So shall the spungy marrow issuing from thy splinterd bones Bonify. & thou shalt have rest when this thy labour is done Go forth bear Enitharmon back to the Eternal Prophet Build her a bower in the midst of all my dashing waves Make first a resting place for Los & Enitharmon. then Thou shalt have rest. If thou refusest dashd abroad on all My waves. thy limbs shall separate in stench & rotting & thou Become a prey to all my demons of despair & hope The Spectre of Urthona seeing Enitharmon writhd His cloudy form in jealous fear & muttering thunders hoarse And casting round thick glooms. thus utterd his fierce pangs of heart Tharmas I know thee. how are we alterd our beauty decayd But still I know thee tho in this horrible ruin whelmd Thou once the mildest son of heaven art now become a Rage A terror to all living things. think not that I am ignorant That thou art risen from the dead or that my power forgot I slumber here in weak repose. I well remember the Day The day of terror & abhorrence When fleeing from the battle thou fleeting like the raven Of dawn outstretching an expanse where neer expanse had been Drewst all the Sons of Beulah into thy dread vortex following Thy Eddying spirit down the hills of Beulah. All my sons Stood round me at the anvil where new heated the wedge Of iron glowd furious prepard for spades & mattocks Hearing the symphonies of war loud sounding All my sons Fled from my side then pangs smote me unknown before. I saw My loins begin to break forth into veiny pipes & writhe Before me in the wind englobing trembling with strong vibrations The bloody mass began to animate. I bending over Wept bitter tears incessant. Still beholding how the piteous form Dividing & dividing from my loins a weak & piteous Soft cloud of snow a female pale & weak I soft embracd My counter part & calld it Love I named her Enitharmon But found myself & her together issuing down the tide Which now our rivers were become delving thro caverns huge Of goary blood struggling to be deliverd from our bonds She strove in vain not so Urthona strove for breaking forth, A shadow blue obscure & dismal from the breathing Nostrils Of Enion I issued into the air divided from Enitharmon I howld in sorrow I beheld thee rotting upon the Rocks I pitying hoverd over thee I protected thy ghastly corse From Vultures of the deep then wherefore shouldst thou rage Against me who thee guarded in the night of death from harm Tharmas replied. Art thou Urthona My friend my old companion, With whom I livd in happiness before that deadly night When Urizen gave the horses of Light into the hands of Luvah Thou knowest not what Tharmas knows. O I could tell thee tales That would enrage thee as it has Enraged me even From Death in wrath & fury. But now come bear back Thy loved Enitharmon. For thou hast her here before thine Eyes But my sweet Enion is vanishd & I never more Shall see her unless thou O Shadow. wilt protect this Son Of Enion & him assist. to bind the fallen King Lest he should rise again from death in all his dreary power Bind him, take Enitharmon for thy sweet reward while I In vain am driven on false hope. hope sister of despair Groaning the terror rose & drave his solid rocks before Upon the tide till underneath the feet of Los a World Dark dreadful rose & Enitharmon lay at Los's feet The dolorous shadow joyd. weak hope appeard around his head Tharmas before Los stood & thus the Voice of Tharmas rolld Now all comes into the power of Tharmas. Urizen is falln And Luvah hidden in the Elemental forms of Life & Death Urthona is My Son O Los thou art Urthona & Tharmas Is God. The Eternal Man is seald never to be deliverd I roll my floods over his body my billows & waves pass over him The Sea encompasses him & monsters of the deep are his companions Dreamer of furious oceans cold sleeper of weeds & shells Thy Eternal form shall never renew my uncertain prevails against thee Yet tho I rage God over all. A portion of my Life That in Eternal fields in comfort wanderd with my flocks At noon & laid her head upon my wearied bosom at night She is divided She is vanishd even like Luvah & Vala O why did foul ambition sieze thee Urizen Prince of Light And thee O Luvah prince of Love till Tharmas was divided And I what can I now behold but an Eternal Death Before my Eyes & an Eternal weary work to strive Against the monstrous forms that breed among my silent waves Is this to be A God far rather would I be a Man To know sweet Science & to do with simple companions Sitting beneath a tent & viewing sheepfolds & soft pastures Take thou the hammer of Urthona rebuild these furnaces Dost thou refuse mind I the sparks that issue from thy hair I will compell thee to rebuild by these my furious waves Death choose or life thou strugglest in my waters, now choose life And all the Elements shall serve thee to their soothing flutes Their sweet inspiriting lyres thy labours shall administer And they to thee only remit not faint not thou my son Now thou dost know what tis to strive against the God of waters So saying Tharmas on his furious chariots of the Deep Departed far into the Unknown & left a wondrous void Round Los. afar his waters bore on all sides round. with noise Of wheels & horses hoofs & Trumpets Horns & Clarions Terrified Los beheld the ruins of Urizen beneath A horrible Chaos to his eyes. a formless unmeasurable Death Whirling up broken rocks on high into the dismal air And fluctuating all beneath in Eddies of molten fluid Then Los with terrible hands siezd on the Ruind Furnaces Of Urizen. Enormous work: he builded them anew Labour of Ages in the Darkness & the war of Tharmas And Los formd Anvils of Iron petrific. for his blows Petrify with incessant beating many a rock. many a planet But Urizen slept in a stoned stupor in the nether Abyss A dreamful horrible State in tossings on his icy bed Freezing to solid all beneath, his grey oblivious form Stretchd over the immense heaves in strong shudders. silent his voice In brooding contemplation stretching out from North to South In mighty power. Round him Los rolld furious His thunderous wheels from furnace to furnace. tending diligent The contemplative terror. frightend in his scornful sphere Frightend with cold infectious madness. in his hand the thundering Hammer of Urthona. forming under his heavy hand the hours The days & years. in chains of iron round the limbs of Urizen Linkd hour to hour & day to night & night to day & year to year In periods of pulsative furor. mills he formd & works Of many wheels resistless in the power of dark Urthona But Enitharmon wrapd in clouds waild loud. for as Los beat The anvils of Urthona link by link the chains of sorrow Warping upon the winds & whirling round in the dark deep Lashd on the limbs of Enitharmon & the sulphur fires Belchd from the furnaces wreathd round her. chaind in ceaseless fire The lovely female howld & Urizen beneath deep groand Deadly between the hammers beating grateful to the Ears Of Los. absorbd in dire revenge he drank with joy the cries Of Enitharmon & the groans of Urizen fuel for his wrath And for his pity secret feeding on thoughts of cruelty The Spectre wept at his dire labours when from Ladles huge He pourd the molten iron round the limbs of Enitharmon But when he pourd it round the bones of Urizen he laughd Hollow upon the hollow wind. his shadowy form obeying The voice of Los compelld he labourd round the Furnaces And thus began the binding of Urizen day & night in fear Circling round the dark Demon with howlings dismay & sharp blightings The Prophet of Eternity beat on his iron links & links of brass And as he beat round the hurtling Demon. terrified at the Shapes Enslavd humanity put on he became what he beheld Raging against Tharmas his God & uttering Ambiguous words blasphemous filld with envy firm resolvd On hate Eternal in his vast disdain he labourd beating The Links of fate link after link an endless chain of sorrows The Eternal Mind bounded began to roll eddies of wrath ceaseless Round & round & the sulphureous foam surgeing thick Settled a Lake bright & shining clear. White as the snow Forgetfulness dumbness necessity in chains of the mind lockd up In fetters of ice shrinking. disorganizd rent from Eternity Los beat on his fetters & heated his furnaces And pourd iron sodor & sodor of brass Restless the immortal inchaind heaving dolorous Anguished unbearable till a roof shaggy wild inclosd In an orb his fountain of thought In a horrible dreamful slumber like the linked chain A vast spine writhd in torment upon the wind Shooting paind. ribbs like a bending Cavern And bones of solidness froze over all his nerves of joy A first age passed. a state of dismal woe From the Caverns of his jointed spine down sunk with fright A red round globe. hot burning. deep deep down into the Abyss Panting Conglobing trembling Shooting out ten thousand branches Around his solid bones & a Second Age passed over In harrowing fear rolling his nervous brain shot branches On high into two little orbs hiding in two little caves Hiding carefully from the wind his eyes beheld the deep And a third age passed a State of dismal woe The pangs of hope began in heavy pain striving struggling Two Ears in close volutions from beneath his orbs of vision Shot spiring out & petrified as they grew. And a Fourth Age passed over & a State of dismal woe In ghastly torment sick hanging upon the wind Two nostrils bent down to the deeps -- And a fifth age passed & a state of dismal woe In ghastly torment sick. within his ribs bloated round A craving hungry cavern. Thence arose his channeld Throat. then like a red flame a tongue of hunger And thirst appeard and a sixth age passed of dismal woe Enraged,& stifled with torment he threw his right arm to the north His left arm to the south shooting out in anguish deep And his feet stampd the nether abyss in trembling howling & dismay And a seventh age passed over & a state of dismal woe The Council of God on high watching over the Body Of Man clothd in Luvahs robes of blood saw & wept Descending over Beulahs mild moon coverd regions The daughters of Beulah saw the Divine Vision they were comforted And as a Double female form loveliness & perfection of beauty They bowd the head & worshippd & with mild voice spoke these words Lord. Saviour if thou hadst been here our brother had not died And now we know that whatsoever thou wilt ask of God He will give it thee for we are weak women & dare not lift Our eyes to the Divine pavilions. therefore in mercy thou Appearest clothd in Luvahs garments that we may behold thee And live. Behold Eternal Death is in Beulah Behold We perish & shall not be found unless thou grant a place In which we may be hidden under the Shadow of wings For if we who are but for a time & who pass away in winter Behold these wonders of Eternity we shall consume Such were the words of Beulah of the Feminine Emanation The Empyrean groand throughout All Eden was darkend The Corse of Albion lay on the Rock the sea of Time & Space Beat round the Rock in mighty waves & as a Polypus That vegetates beneath the Sea the limbs of Man vegetated In monstrous forms of Death a Human polypus of Death The Saviour mild & gentle bent over the corse of Death Saying If ye will Believe your Brother shall rise again And first he found the Limit of Opacity & namd it Satan In Albions bosom for in every human bosom these limits stand And next he found the Limit of Contraction & namd it Adam While yet those beings were not born nor knew of good or Evil Then wondrously the Starry Wheels felt the divine hand. Limit Was put to Eternal Death Los felt the Limit & saw The Finger of God touch the Seventh furnace in terror And Los beheld the hand of God over his furnaces Beneath the Deeps in dismal Darkness beneath immensity In terrors Los shrunk from his task. his great hammer Fell from his hand his fires hid their strong limbs in smoke For with noises ruinous hurtlings & clashings & groans The immortal endur'd. tho bound in a deadly sleep Pale terror siezd the Eyes of Los as he beat round The hurtling Demon. terrifid at the shapes Enslavd humanity put on he became what he beheld He became what he was doing he was himself transformd The globe of life blood trembled Branching out into roots; Fibrous, writhing upon the winds; Fibres of blood, milk and tears; In pangs, eternity on eternity. At length in tears & cries imbodied A female form trembling and pale Waves before his deathy face Spasms siezd his muscular fibres writhing to & fro his pallid lips Unwilling movd as Urizen howld his loins wavd like the sea At Enitharmons shriek his knees each other smote & then he lookd With stony Eyes on Urizen & then swift writhd his neck Involuntary to the Couch where Enitharmon lay The bones of Urizen hurtle on the wind the bones of Los Twinge & his iron sinews bend like lead & fold Into unusual forms dancing & howling stamping the Abyss | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE IMAGINED COPPERHEAD by ANDREW HUDGINS A SICK CHILD by RANDALL JARRELL IMAGINARY TROUBLE by JOHN KENDRICK BANGS EVERYTHING THAT ACTS IS ACTUAL by DENISE LEVERTOV ON THE MEETING OF GARCIA LORCA AND HART CRANE by PHILIP LEVINE A CRADLE SONG by WILLIAM BLAKE |
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