The sword sung on the barren heath, The sickle in the fruitful field; The sword he sung a song of death, But could not make the sickle yield.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Violence cannot destroy productivity; war fails where labor succeeds.
- In plain terms
- War cannot stop farming or creation, even though it tries.
- What can you take from it?
- Creativity and sustenance survive despite attempts at destruction.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Can creative work truly withstand violence?
Another view
The poem simplifies the complex impact of war on agriculture.
More from William Blake
Love to faults is always blind, Always is to joys inclined, Lawless, winged, and unconfined, And breaks all chains from every mind.
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Permalink to quote #89 Why art thou silent and invisible, Father of Jealousy?
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