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The Angel (Songs of Experience)

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William Blake: The Angel. Copy W[1]
William Blake: Rossetti Manuscript, 1793, No. 52, page p. 103 rev. - The Angel

"The Angel" is a poem written by the English poet William Blake. It was published as part of his collection Songs of Experience in 1794.

Poem

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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 beguil'd!

And I wept both night and day
And he wip'd my tears away
And I wept both day and night
And hid from him my hearts delight

So he took his wings and fled:
Then the morn blush'd rosy red:
I dried my tears & armed my fears,
With ten thousand shields and spears.

Soon my Angel came again;
I was arm'd, he came in vain:
For the time of youth was fled,
And grey hairs were on my head.[2]

Uses

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This is one of Blake's poems quoted by a character in David Almond's Skellig.

Notes

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  1. ^ Copy W, c. 1825, King's College, Cambridge University, Cambridge, England.
  2. ^ Blake, William (1988). Erdman, David V. (ed.). The Complete Poetry and Prose (Newly revised ed.). Anchor Books. p. 24. ISBN 0385152132.
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