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By William Blake
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You
don't believe - I won't attempt to make ye:
You are asleep - I won't attempt to wake ye.
Sleep on! sleep on! while in your pleasant dreams
Of Reason you may drink of Life's clear streams.
Reason and Newton, they are quite two things;
For so the swallow and the sparrow sings.
Reason says `Miracle':
Newton says `Doubt.'
Aye! that's the way to make all Nature out.
`Doubt, doubt, and don't believe without experiment':
That is the very thing that Jesus meant,
When He said `Only believe! believe and try!
Try, try, and never mind the reason why!' |
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William Blake (1757-1827)
was born in London, the son of a prosperous merchant who recognising
his artistic talents sent him to drawing school. At the age
of 14 he was apprenticed to an engraver, and stayed until
he was 21; before setting up on his own. In 1782 he got married;
and in 1783 he published the Poetical Sketches (see
one of our other Blake poem To
Summer which was part of that collection). This
was followed by Songs of Innocence (1789) and Songs
of Experience (1794) of which perhaps his most famous
poem The Tyger was a part). Despite these efforts,
material success largely eluded Blake during his own lifetime,
and despite being both an accomplished poet and artist; it
was long after his death before his enduring talents became
well known to the mainstream.
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If you liked this poem then also take
a look at The Tyger.
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