HumanAbstract

Pity would be no more, If we did not make somebody Poor; And Mercy no more could be, If all were as happy as we;
 * The Human Abstract - William Blake**

And mutual fear brings peace, Till the selfish loves increase; Then Cruelty knits a snare, And spreads his baits with care.

He sits down with holy fears, And waters the ground with tears; Then Humility takes its root Underneath his foot.

Soon spreads the dismal shade Of Mystery over his head; And the Caterpillar and Fly Feed on the Mystery.

And it bears the fruit of Deceit, Ruddy and sweet to eat; And the Raven his nest has made In its thickest shade.

The Gods of the earth and sea, Sought through Nature to find this Tree, But their search was all in vain; There grows one in the Human Brain. Born 28th of November 1757, died 12th of August 1827 Blake was a painter, poet and a printmaker He was not recognised during his lifetime Considered a seminal figure in the history of the romantic age In October 1779 he became a student at the Royal academy in old Somerset house. His poetry was considered a rejection of religiosity and is an attack on conventional religion. Blake was found to be involved in a 'Gordon riot' when he was caught in a riot that burnt down a prison, freeing all prisoners.
 * Context of William Blake**

The meaning i make of this poem is that in life, each of our feelings and values are counteracted by another thing in life. If these things where not here to counteract one another then there would be no feelings or values like mercy, fear or deciet. An example of this in the text is `Pity would be no more if we did not make somebody poor' This first line of the poem demonstrates this idea through the way that one feeling for another (pity) is only constructed through the ways in which that the person recieving pity from others is made poor in the first place. If this was not too happen, there would be no such thing as pity.
 * Meaning**

I believe Owen wrote about this because it relates to his religious beliefs how if one person wants to be close to God he must do the right thing by others, and by doing this we will eliminate things like pity through ways of not creating poverty in the first place.

Tom McKay