Holy Thursday

By Willaim Blake

William Blake (1757-1827) was an English poet, painter, and visionary, whose work combines profound spiritual themes with intense, often mystical imagery. Blake’s unique style blends poetry and visual art, making him a pioneer in Romantic literature and art. His work, though underappreciated in his lifetime, is now celebrated for its originality and depth. The poem by William Blake was first published in “Songs of Experience” in 1794. It is sister poem of the same name which appeared in the “Songs of Innocence” with contrasting ideas. Both describe an old tradition in which orphaned or abandoned kids housed in London’s “charity schools” paraded to St. Paul’s Cathedral on Holy Thursday, a Christian holiday during Easter week. In the first poem, a soft-hearted speaker is touched by the children’s innocence and their sweet singing in church. In this poem, by contrast, an angry speaker lets loose a tirade against the children’s self-satisfied guardians and against poverty in general. Blake makes use of the irony to criticize the church and any reader who feels they or the city is doing enough for the poor children.

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 where-e’er the rain does fall:
Babe can never hunger there,
Nor poverty the mind appall.

First Stanza

Blake begins by questioning the holiness of the scene he describes. The “rich and fruitful land” refers to England, which was wealthy and prosperous during Blake’s time. However, he contrasts this prosperity with the misery of the children, referred to as “babes.” These children are described as being “reduced to misery,” highlighting the extreme poverty they endure. The phrase “fed with cold and usurous hand” suggesting that the care provided to these children is insufficient and given with a lack of warmth or genuine concern. “Usurous” implies that this aid is given in a grudging, exploitative manner, perhaps hinting at the financial exploitation common in Blake’s era.

Second Stanza

In this stanza, Blake questions whether the sounds of the children, which should be joyful songs, are truly expression of happiness. He describes their singing as a “trembling cry”, suggesting fear and suffering rather than joy. The poet is appalled by the sight of so many impoverished children in a country that claims to be wealthy and blessed. Blake concludes with a stark statement: “It is a land of poverty!” This highlights the stark contrast between England’s wealth and the widespread poverty affecting its most vulnerable citizens.

Third Stanza

Blake uses metaphorical language to depict the children’s bleak existence. “Their sun does never shine” suggest a life without hope or happiness. The “fields are bleak and bare,” symbolizing the barrenness and hardship in their lives. “Their ways are filled with thorns” indicates the constant struggles and obstacles they face. Blake describes their situation as “eternal winter,” a powerful image of perpetual suffering and despair, implying that there is no respite or change in their harsh conditions.

Fourth Stanza

In the final stanza, Blake contrasts the ideal world with the reality he has described. In a truly just and caring society, where the “sun does shine” and the “rain does fall,” children would not suffer from hunger or poverty. This suggests that in a land where natural resources are fairly distributed and where there is compassion, there would be no such misery. The ideal world Blake envisions is one where no child experiences hunger and no mind is tormented by poverty. This stanza serves as a critique of the existing social order and implies a call for a more equitable and humane society. The poem uses stark imagery and rhetorical questions to criticize the social conditions of his time, highlighting the contrast between the nation’s wealth and the abject poverty of its children. The poem serves as a powerful social commentary, urging readers to reflect on the injustices present in the society.