Featured Poem: Infant Joy by William Blake
Written by The Reader, 20th December 2016
Happy New Year to all our Readers! Let's kick start 2017 with a short but sweet verse from William Blake, Infant Joy.
First published in Songs of Innocence, Infant Joy was a counterpart to Infant Sorrow which was later published in Songs of Experience in 1794. Blake plays the two poems off against each other, comparing the joy and sorrow that can often come hand in hand on the arrival of a new infant.
Infant Joy
I have no name
I am but two days old.—
What shall I call thee?
I happy am
Joy is my name,—
Sweet joy befall thee!
Pretty joy!
Sweet joy but two days old,
Sweet joy I call thee;
Thou dost smile.
I sing the while
Sweet joy befall thee.
by William Blake
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