Like a fiend in a cloud, With howling woe, After night I do crowd, And with night will go; I turn my back to the east, From whence comforts have increased; For light doth seize my brain With frantic pain.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- The speaker feels like a fiend in a storm, plagued by night, turning away from eastward comforts, while light torments his mind with frantic pain.
- In plain terms
- He is tormented by darkness and painful thoughts, fleeing from comfort.
- What can you take from it?
- Mental anguish can feel as oppressive as a storm.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How does darkness affect mental health?
- What ‘eastward comforts’ symbolize?
Another view
The vivid imagery may be too abstract for practical coping strategies.
More from William Blake
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