Print made by William Blake, 1757–1827, BritishHand colored by William Blake, 1757–1827, BritishText by Edward Young, 1683–1765, BritishPublished by Richard Edwards, active 1796–1797, British
Title:
'As if the sun could envy, check'd his beam' (Page 49)
Date:
1797
Materials & Techniques:
Etching, line engraving, and letterpress, with hand coloring in watercolor on moderately thick, slightly textured, cream wove paper
Dimensions:
Spine: 17 1/2 inches (44.5 cm)
Inscription(s)/Marks/Lettering:
Lettered on facing page: "48 | It call'd her tender soul by break of bliss, | From the first blossom, from the buds of joy-- | Those few our noxious fate unblasted leaves | In this inclement clime of human life. | Sweet harmonist! and beautiful as sweet-- | And young as beautiful--and soft as young-- | And gay as soft--and innocent as gay-- | And happy, if aught happy here, as good! | For fortune fond had built her nest on high. | Like birds quite exquisite of note and plume, | Transfix'd by fate who loves a lofty mark, | How from the summit of the grove she fell | And left it inharmonious! all its charm | Extinguish'd in the wonders of her song! | Her song still vibrates in my ravish'd ear | Still melting there, and with voluptuous pain | O to forget her! thrilling through my heart! | Song, beauty, youth, love, virtue, joy! this group | Of bright ideas, flowers of paradise | As yet unforfeit! in one blaze we bind, | Kneel, and present it to the skies as all | We guess of heaven: and these were all her own, | And she was mine; and I was--was!--most blest-- | Gay title of the deepest misery! | As bodies grow more pond'rous robb'd of life; | Good lost weighs more in grief, than gain'd in joy: | Like blossom'd trees o'erturn'd by vernal storm, | Lovely in death the beauteous ruin lay; | And if in death still lovely, lovelier there | Far lovelier! pity swells the tide of love."
Credit Line:
Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Collection
Copyright Status:
Public Domain
Accession Number:
B1992.8.10(25)
Classification:
Prints
Collection:
Prints and Drawings
Subject Terms:
flowers (plants) | nude | men | women | flower (plant) | sunset | man | clouds | nudes | woman | literary theme | plant | religious and mythological subject | horse (animal) | text | sun | vine