black
grey
blue
red
brown
white

When nations grow old the Arts grow cold And commerce settles on every tree

William Blake

How can a bird that is born for joy Sit in a cage and sing?
WILLIAM BLAKE

Born Freedom Joy Prison Sing
Better to shun the bait than struggle in the snare.
WILLIAM BLAKE

Advice Struggle
Excuse my enthusiasm or rather madness, for I am really drunk with intellectual vision whenever I take a pencil or graver into my hand.
WILLIAM BLAKE

Hands Intellectual Mad Myself Wisdom
Fiery the Angels rose, & as they rose deep thunder roll’d Around their shores, indignant burning with the fires of Orc.
WILLIAM BLAKE

Angel Angry Fantasy Fire Rise
Thus men forgot that all deities reside in the human breast.
WILLIAM BLAKE

Forget Human Man
The moon, like a flower in heaven’s high bower, with silent delight sits and smiles on the night.
WILLIAM BLAKE

Flower Heaven Moon Night Silence Smile
Without Contraries is no Progression.
WILLIAM BLAKE

Philosophy Progress
The apple tree never asks the beech how he shall grow, nor the lion, the horse, how he shall take his prey.
WILLIAM BLAKE

Growth Himself Lion Tree
Energy is eternal delight.
WILLIAM BLAKE

Enjoyment Forever
The bird a nest, the spider a web, man friendship.
WILLIAM BLAKE

Animal Friendship Man
The tigers of wrath are wiser than the horses of instruction.
WILLIAM BLAKE

Animal Deep Wild Wisdom
It is easier to forgive an enemy than to forgive a friend.
WILLIAM BLAKE

Easy Enemy Forgiveness Friendship
We are here to learn to endure the beams of love.
WILLIAM BLAKE

Endurance Learning Love
Sooner strangle an infant in its cradle than nurse unacted desires.
WILLIAM BLAKE

Act Children Desire
The roaring of lions, the howling of wolves, the raging of the stormy sea, and the destructive sword, are portions of eternity, too great for the eye of man.
WILLIAM BLAKE

Destruction Eyes Forever Greatness Man Sea Storm
As a man is, so he sees. As the eye is formed, such are its powers.
WILLIAM BLAKE

Eyes Himself Man Power See
He whose face gives no light, shall never become a star.
WILLIAM BLAKE

Himself Light Stars
Excessive sorrow laughs. Excessive joy weeps.
WILLIAM BLAKE

Grief Joy
To Generalize is to be an Idiot; To Particularize is the Alone Distinction of Merit.
WILLIAM BLAKE

Alone Stupidity
Without contraries is no progression. Attraction and repulsion, reason and energy, love and hate, are necessary to human existence.
WILLIAM BLAKE

Attraction Energy Existence Hate Human Love Necessary Progress Reason
What is now proved was once only imagined.
WILLIAM BLAKE

Imagination Theory
Great things are done when men and mountains meet.
WILLIAM BLAKE

Greatness Man Nature
Love seeketh not itself to please, nor for itself hath any care, but for another gives its ease, and builds a Heaven in Hell’s despair.
WILLIAM BLAKE

Care Heaven Hell Love
Never seek to tell thy love; Love that never told can be. For the gentle wind does move silently invisibly.
WILLIAM BLAKE

Love Seek Silence
In the universe, there are things that are known, and things that are unknown, and in between, there are doors.
WILLIAM BLAKE

Deep Philosophy
Improvement makes strait roads, but the crooked roads without Improvement, are roads of Genius.
WILLIAM BLAKE

Genius Improvement Road
The eye altering, alters all.
WILLIAM BLAKE

Change Eyes

When nations grow old the Arts grow cold And commerce settles on every tree

Related Topics

Popular Authors

When nations grow old the Arts grow cold And commerce settles on every tree

Related Topics

Popular Authors

More William Blake Quotes