The Angel Poem by William Blake
The Angel
I dreamt a dream! What can it mean?
And that I was a maiden Queen
Guarded by an Angel mild:
Witless woe was ne'er beguiled!
And I wept both night and day,
And he wiped my tears away;
And I wept both day and night,
And hid from him my heart's delight.
So he took his wings, and fled;
Then the morn blushed rosy red.
I dried my tears, and armed my fears
With ten-thousand shields and spears.
Soon my Angel came again;
I was armed, he came in vain;
For the time of youth was fled,
And grey hairs were on my head.
I dreamed a dream that I was a virgin queen guarded by a messenger sent from God to protect me and guide me. My angel soothed my fears at first, but I hid secret delights from him. The secrecy grew and festered in me like a deadly growth which the angel recognized and at once withdrew. The rosy red of dawn revealed and brought to light my secret sins. I withdrew behind a defensive position, fortified and armed against a divine incursion into my secret realm. When the messenger appeared again, he realized the futility of his mission, for my youth had fled and I had fallen into the sere of life - all was withered and gray.I had chosen to reject God's good graces and denied access to the divine messenger with the good news.
In this poem the Poet (not necessarily the biographical Blake) denies himself the feminine side that would have made him whole. He sees himself in a dream as female and weeps to be depicted so. But though he weeps he knows his heart’s delight would be to incorporate that element into his psyche, yet keeps that secret from the mild Angel, and loses the opportunity. As he grows older he fortifies himself against this female side, and again given the opportunity to balance his nature, is so set in his masculinity that the Angel comes in vain. Perhaps Blake here is emphasising the need to balance the Yin and the Yang in the human psyche.
Hopefully she likes, or will tolerate grey hair, or does not discriminate against it.
I dreamt a dream! What can it mean? And that I was a maiden Queen Guarded by an Angel mild: Witless woe was ne'er beguiled! imagination as dream. tony
The Angel that came found me old and was disappointed
soon, very soon the angel come and take me away though sleeping..........
Blessed to have such poets. Beautifully woven words that pierce the heart.
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
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4/26/2024 9:31:06 AM # 1.0.0.1119
Let me offer a revised and improved version of my first comment posted 6/14/09, I meant to say that the speaker in the 'The Angel' withheld a secret of a shameful deed from the heavenly visitor. And it's not 'Willie's' feminine side that he is ashamed of, but whatever it is it bothers him no end! Where some of you get your notions from leaves me befuddled at times!