Thomas Humphry Ward, ed. The English Poets. 1880–1918.rnVol. III. The Eighteenth Century: Addison to Blake
William Blake (17571827)Extracts from Songs of Experience: The Angel
I
And that I was a maiden queen,
Guarded by an angel mild;
Witless woe was ne’er beguiled.
And he wiped my tears away;
And I wept both day and night,
And hid from him my heart’s delight.
Then the morn blushed rosy red;
I dried my tears and armed my fears
With ten thousand shields and spears.
I was armed, he came in vain;
For the time of youth was fled,
And grey hairs were on my head.