Holy Thursday (Songs of Innocence)
Poetry
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William Blake
Holy Thursday (Songs of Innocent) Poem
Holy Thursday
By William Black
Twas on a Holy Thursday their innocent faces clean
The children walking two & two in red & blue & green
Grey-headed beadles walkd before with wands as white as snow,
Till into the high dome of Pauls they like Thames waters flow
O what a multitude they seemd these flowers of London town
Seated in companies they sit with radiance all their own
The hum...
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Holy Thursday (Song of Innocence) Themes
Charity, Poverty, and Sympathy: In “Holy Thursday,” the poet talks about a group of poor children from charity schools. They are walking to church on Holy Thursday for a church service. The children are described as innocent and beautiful, like “lambs” and “flowers.” The poet says these children don’t deserve their suffering. We should feel sympathy for them. The poem teaches that we should always...
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Holy Thursday (Songs of Innocence) Literary Device
Imagery
In the poem, Blake portrays the image of "thousands" of children entering the church for the service on Holy Thursday. The poet focuses on how the children look. Blake describes “their innocent faces clean” and they are wearing beautiful “red & blue & green” dresses. It suggests that the children are especially cleaned and they are wearing beautiful dresses for this occasion. They...
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Holy Thursday (Song of Innocence) Symbols
Holy Thursday: Represents a religious occasion and purity.
Innocent Faces Clean: Symbolize moral purity.
Children Walking Two & Two: Signify order and unity.
Red & Blue & Green: Represent vibrancy and diversity.
Grey Headed Beadles with White Wands: Symbolize authority and purity.
High Dome of Paul's: Signifies the grandeur of the church.
Flowers of London Town: Children...
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Holy Thursday (Songs of Innocence) key Facts
Title: Holy Thursday
Poet: William Blake (1757-1827)
Publication: “Holy Thursday” was published in Blake’s collection Songs of Innocence in 1789.
Form: The poem has three quatrains (four-line stanzas)
Rhyme Scheme: Each stanza has two rhyming couplets. So, each stanza follows the rhyme scheme of AABB.
Published Date: First published in 1789
Genre: A lyric poem
Tone: Celebratory an...
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Holy Thursday (Song of Innocence) Quotes
'Twas on a Holy Thursday, their innocent faces clean,
The children walking two & two, in red & blue & green
Exp: The children are clean are ready with bright dresses for the church service on this special day.
Grey headed beadles walkd before with wands as white as snow,
Till into the high dome of Paul's they like Thames' waters flow.
Exp: The children are entering th...
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Holy Thursday (Song of Innocence) Summary
The Orphans’ Procession: The poem describes a special day called Holy Thursday. On this day, poor children from charity schools in London go to St. Paul’s Cathedral for a church service. The children are dressed nicely in clean clothes—red, blue, and green. They walk in lines of two. Older men, called beadles (church officials or charity school officials who guide the children), walk in front of t...
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Notes
Explore 2 detailed notes related to Holy Thursday (Songs of Innocence). Each note provides in-depth analysis, explanations, and critical insights.