Holy Thursday (Song of Experience)
Poetry
|
William Blake
Holy Thursday from Songs of Experience
Is this a holy thing to see
In a rich and fruitful land,
Babes reduced to misery
Fed with cold and usurous hand?
Is that trembling cry a song?
Can it be a song of joy?
And so many children poor?
It is a land of poverty!
And their sun does never shine.
And their fields are bleak & bare.
And their ways are fill'd with thorns
It is eternal winter there.
For where-e'er the sun does shine,
And wher...
Read Holy Thursday from Songs of Experience
Holy Thursday (Songs of Experience) key Facts
Title: Holy Thursday
Poet: William Blake (1757-1827)
Tone: Critical, Bitter, accusatory, sorrowful, angry.
Genre: Poetry (Lyric)
Publication: “Holy Thursday” was published in Blake’s collection Songs of Experience in 1794.
Form: The poem has four short quatrains (four-line stanzas)
Rhyme Scheme: The rhyme scheme of this poem varies. In the first stanza, the lines follow the ABAB pattern. It become...
Expand Holy Thursday (Songs of Experience) key Facts
Holy Thursday (Songs of Experience) Themes
Child Poverty and Society’s Failure: In the poem “Holy Thursday” from Songs of Experience (1794), William Blake criticizes the way society treats poor children. The speaker of the poem points out that England is a rich country. But it lets many children become orphans and live in poverty. These children are sent to charity schools. They are asked to sing in church on Holy Thursday. The people in p...
Expand Holy Thursday (Songs of Experience) Themes
Holy Thursday (Song of Experience) Themes
Unfairness: The poem shows that life is very unfair. Some people are rich and happy, others, especially children, are hungry.
Harmful Treatment: It talks about how strong people are towards helpless children. Taking advantage of these, they are suffering.
Growing up too Fast: The poem suggests that these children are growing up too fast because they have to face difficult and painful things at a v...
Expand Holy Thursday (Song of Experience) Themes
Holy Thursday (Songs of Experience) Characters
Holy Thursday (Song of Experience) Literary Device
Symbols
Rich and Fruitful Land: Symbolizes a prosperous society.
Babes Reduced to Misery: Represents suffering children.
Cold and Usurious Hand: Signifies oppressive actions of the powerful.
Trembling Cry: Depicts children's distress.
Eternal Winter: Symbolizes perpetual hardship.
Sun and Rain: Represent blessings and prosperity.
Thorns: Signify obstacles and dangers.
Hunger and Poverty: Emphasize...
Expand Holy Thursday (Song of Experience) Literary Device
Holy Thursday (Song of Experience) Quotes
Is this a holy thing to see
In a rich and fruitful land,
Babes reduced to misery
Fed with cold and usurous hand?
Exp: Here, Blake points out England’s failure. Though England is a rich country, so many children suffer here. Because people are selfish. They do not truly care for the poor orphaned children.
And so many children poor?
It is a land of poverty!
Exp: The speaker thinks England must...
Expand Holy Thursday (Song of Experience) Quotes
Holy Thursday (Song of Experience) Summary
In this poem, the speaker is asking a serious question: how can we call something “holy” when we see little children suffering in a rich country like England? England has a lot of wealth and food. Yet the poor children live in sadness and hunger. The people do not truly care for them. They help them with a cold and selfish attitude. It means they only want to show that they are helping.
The speake...
Expand Holy Thursday (Song of Experience) Summary