"On Another's Sorrow" is a poem by the English poet
William Blake
William Blake (28 November 1757 – 12 August 1827) was an English poet, painter, and printmaker. Largely unrecognised during his life, Blake is now considered a seminal figure in the history of the poetry and visual art of the Romantic Age. ...
. The poem discusses human and divine empathy and compassion. It was published as part of the ''
Songs of Innocence and of Experience
''Songs of Innocence and of Experience'' is a collection of illustrated poems by William Blake. It appeared in two phases: a few first copies were printed and illuminated by Blake himself in 1789; five years later, he bound these poems with a ...
'' in 1789 as the last song in the ''Songs of Innocence'' section.
Blake argues that human sympathy is a valuable trait. After making this observation about man he then speaks of the sympathy of God, as well. In his commentary on the poem, D. G. Gillham notes that though Blake discusses the nature of God, he attempts to do so in a rational way without referring to the supernatural.
[
The poem is one of the few entries in ''Songs of Innocence and of Experience'' that contains an explicit declaration of innocence.][Gillham 1973, p. 71] It is also the only poem in the volume that is in Blake's own voice.[Gardner 1998, p. 230]
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External links
"On Another's Sorrow" by William Blake
Songs of Innocence and of Experience
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