On Another’s Sorrow

By William 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 appeared in William Blake’s collection of poems “Songs of Innocence” published in 1789. It consists of nine stanzas and is separated into sets of four lines. The most important theme of the poem is God’s love for its creation. It is most apparent in and after stanza four. The speaker is very interested in God’s plan for the world and whether or not he is listening to the smallest creatures, like the wren. In the end, the speaker stops questioning and asserts that God is always there, always sitting next to one as they suffer. He can be seen through compassion for others.

Can I see another’s woe,
And not be in sorrow too?
Can I see another’s grief,
And not seek for kind relief?

Can I see a falling tear,
And not feel my sorrow’s share?
Can a father see his child
Weep, nor be with sorrow filled?

Can a mother sit and hear
An infant groan, an infant fear?
No, no! never can it be!
Never, never can it be!

And can He who smiles on all
Hear the wren with sorrows small,
Hear the small bird’s grief and care,
Hear the woes that infants bear —

And not sit beside the next,
Pouring pity in their breast,
And not sit the cradle near,
Weeping tear on infant’s tear?

And not sit both night and day,
Wiping all our tears away?
Oh no! never can it be!
Never, never can it be!

He doth give his joy to all:
He becomes an infant small,
He becomes a man of woe,
He doth feel the sorrow too.

Think not thou canst sigh a sigh,
And thy Maker is not by:
Think not thou canst weep a tear,
And thy Maker is not year.

Oh He gives to us his joy,
That our grief He may destroy:
Till our grief is fled an gone
He doth sit by us and moan.

First Stanza

In this stanza, Blake begins by questioning whether it is possible to witness someone else’s suffering without feeling sorrow oneself. It is a sort of rhetorical question that emphasizes the natural human response of empathy. Blake suggests that witnessing another’s grief should naturally compel one to seek ways to provide comfort or relief.

Second Stanza

Here, Blake continues to explore the theme of empathy. He specifically mentions seeing a tear fall and feeling sorrow, indicating that witnessing the visible signs of someone else’s sadness can trigger an emotional response in an observer. He also uses the example of a father seeing his child cry to illustrate how deeply connected we are to the emotions of those we love.

Third Stanza

Blake emphasizes that it is impossible for a mother to hear her infant’s suffering and remain unmoved. The repetition of “No, no! never can it be!” reinforces the certainty and universality of a mother’s empathy for her child’s distress.

Fourth Stanza

In the fourth stanza, Blake shifts from human empathy to divine empathy. He suggests that if humans, with all their flaws, can feel sorrow for others, then God, who “smiles on all,” must also be attuned to the sufferings of even the smallest creatures, like a wren. This reflects Blake’s belief in a compassionate and caring deity.

Fifth Stanza

Blake further develops the idea of divine empathy. He imagines God sitting beside a bird’s nest, feeling pity for the small creatures, and sitting near a cradle, sharing in the sorrows of infants. This imagery portrays God as intimately involved in the lives of all beings, sharing in their sufferings.

Sixth Stanza

Reiterating the theme of divine compassion, Blake asserts that God is constantly present, both day and night, to comfort and alleviate the sorrows of all beings. The repeated exclamation “Never, never can it be!” underlines the certainty of this divine empathy.

Seventh Stanza

Blake asserts that God shares His joy with all creation and even takes on human forms to experience human suffering. The references to God becoming an “infant small” and a “man of woe” allude to the Christian belief in Jesus Christ, who embodies divine compassion by sharing in human experiences and sufferings.

Eighth Stanza

In this stanza, Blake reassures the reader that God is always present, even in moments of personal sorrow. The repetition of “Think not thou canst” emphasizes that there is no sigh or tear shed in isolation; God is always there to share in human emotions.

Last Stanza

Blake concludes the poem with a hopeful message, asserting that God shares His joy with humanity to help alleviate and eventually destroy human grief. Until that grief is completely gone, God remains with us, sharing in our sorrows an offering comfort.