Jeruselum by William Blakes
jeruselum
And did those feet in ancient time
Walk upon England's mountains green?
And was the holy Lamb of God
On England's pleasant pastures seen?
And did the Countenance Divine
Shine forth upon our clouded hills?
And was Jerusalem builded here
Among these dark satanic mills?
Bring me my bow of burning gold!
Bring me my arrows of desire!
Bring me my spear! O clouds, unfold!
Bring me my chariot of fire!
I will not cease from mental fight,
Nor shall my sword sleep in my hand,
Till we have built Jerusalem
In England's green and pleasant land.
The poem by William Blake that is generally known as “Jerusalem” is probably the best known of his works, although it was not given that title by its author. Blake did write a poem called “Jerusalem”, but it is one of his immensely long “Prophetic Books”, written between 1804 and 1820, that is little read today.
What we know as “Jerusalem” forms part of the preface (otherwise in prose) to another of his Prophetic Books, namely “Milton”, that dates from 1804-08. The sixteen lines that concern us have no title, but, as they concern the building of a “new Jerusalem”, the name has stuck in the public imagination and everyone understands “Blake’s Jerusalem” to mean this poem.
The fame of the poem was assured in 1916 when set to music by Sir Hubert Parry. It became a patriotic hymn during World War I and the anthem of the Women’s Institute. It has also been suggested as a suitable candidate for an English National Anthem for use at sporting and other occasions.
The sixteen lines, originally written as four four-line stanzas, divide into two distinct parts. The first eight lines comprise four questions, each beginning “And”. The first of these pairs is:
“And did those feet in ancient time / Walk upon England’s mountains green?
And was the holy Lamb of God / On England’s pleasant pastures seen?”
This refers to the ancient legend that, as a boy, Jesus of Nazareth was taken by his great-uncle, Joseph of
And did those feet in ancient time
Walk upon England's mountains green?
And was the holy Lamb of God
On England's pleasant pastures seen?
And did the Countenance Divine
Shine forth upon our clouded hills?
And was Jerusalem builded here
Among these dark satanic mills?
Bring me my bow of burning gold!
Bring me my arrows of desire!
Bring me my spear! O clouds, unfold!
Bring me my chariot of fire!
I will not cease from mental fight,
Nor shall my sword sleep in my hand,
Till we have built Jerusalem
In England's green and pleasant land.
The poem by William Blake that is generally known as “Jerusalem” is probably the best known of his works, although it was not given that title by its author. Blake did write a poem called “Jerusalem”, but it is one of his immensely long “Prophetic Books”, written between 1804 and 1820, that is little read today.
What we know as “Jerusalem” forms part of the preface (otherwise in prose) to another of his Prophetic Books, namely “Milton”, that dates from 1804-08. The sixteen lines that concern us have no title, but, as they concern the building of a “new Jerusalem”, the name has stuck in the public imagination and everyone understands “Blake’s Jerusalem” to mean this poem.
The fame of the poem was assured in 1916 when set to music by Sir Hubert Parry. It became a patriotic hymn during World War I and the anthem of the Women’s Institute. It has also been suggested as a suitable candidate for an English National Anthem for use at sporting and other occasions.
The sixteen lines, originally written as four four-line stanzas, divide into two distinct parts. The first eight lines comprise four questions, each beginning “And”. The first of these pairs is:
“And did those feet in ancient time / Walk upon England’s mountains green?
And was the holy Lamb of God / On England’s pleasant pastures seen?”
This refers to the ancient legend that, as a boy, Jesus of Nazareth was taken by his great-uncle, Joseph of