{"id":23482,"date":"2011-05-27T13:48:36","date_gmt":"2011-05-27T17:48:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/fryeblog.blog.lib.mcmaster.ca\/?p=23482"},"modified":"2011-05-27T13:48:36","modified_gmt":"2011-05-27T17:48:36","slug":"william-blake-wwjd","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/macblog.mcmaster.ca\/fryeblog\/2011\/05\/27\/william-blake-wwjd\/","title":{"rendered":"William Blake: “It is an easy thing to rejoice in the tents of prosperity”"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Further to Michael’s previous posts, “What Would Jesus Defund?”, here’s William Blake, the man Frye says taught him everything he knows, on the everyday indifference to the poor in The\u00a0Four Zoas<\/em>, “Night the Seventh,” ll. 111-29:<\/p>\n

It is an easy thing to triumph in the summer\u2019s sun
\nAnd in the vintage and to sing on the waggon loaded with corn.
\nIt is an easy thing to talk of patience to the afflicted,
\nTo speak the laws of prudence to the houseless wanderer,
\nTo listen to the hungry raven\u2019s cry in wintry season
\nWhen the red blood is fill\u2019d with wine and with the marrow of lambs.<\/p>\n

It is an easy thing to laugh at wrathful elements,
\nTo hear the dog howl at the wintry door, the ox in the slaughter house moan;
\nTo see a god on every wind and a blessing on every blast;
\nTo hear sounds of love in the thunder storm that destroys our enemies\u2019 house;
\nTo rejoice in the blight that covers his field, and the sickness that cuts off his children,
\nWhile our olive and vine sing and laugh round our door, and our children bring fruits and flowers.<\/p>\n

Then the groan and the dolor are quite forgotten, and the slave grinding at the mill,
\nAnd the captive in chains, and the poor in the prison, and the soldier in the field
\nWhen the shatter\u2019d bone hath laid him groaning among the happier dead.<\/p>\n

It is an easy thing to rejoice in the tents of prosperity:
\nThus could I sing and thus rejoice: ‘but it is not so with me.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u2018Compel the poor to live upon a crust of bread, by soft mild arts.
\nSmile when they frown, frown when they smile; and when a man looks pale
\nWith labour and abstinence, say he looks healthy and happy;
\nAnd when his children sicken, let them die; there are enough
\nBorn, even too many, and our earth will be overrun
\nWithout these arts. If you would make the poor live with temper,
\nWith pomp give every crust of bread you give; with gracious cunning
\nMagnify small gifts; reduce the man to want a gift, and then give with pomp.
\nSay he smiles if you hear him sigh. If pale, say he is ruddy.
\nPreach temperance: say he is overgorg\u2019d and drowns his wit
\nIn strong drink, though you know that bread and water are all
\nHe can afford. Flatter his wife, pity his children, till we can
\nReduce all to our will, as spaniels are taught with art.\u2019<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Further to Michael’s previous posts, “What Would Jesus Defund?”, here’s William Blake, the man Frye says taught him everything he knows, on the everyday indifference to the poor in The\u00a0Four Zoas, “Night the Seventh,” ll. 111-29: It is an easy thing to triumph in the summer\u2019s sun And in the vintage and to sing on […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[14,33,122,130],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23482","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-blake","category-current-events","category-politics","category-religion"],"yoast_head":"\nWilliam Blake: "It is an easy thing to rejoice in the tents of prosperity" - 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