The Divine Image

 

📝 Poem: The Divine Image

Poet: William Blake
Published in: Songs of Innocence (1789)

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🌟 Central Theme

• The poem talks about the spiritual qualities that make humans divine.

• It says that Mercy, Pity, Peace, and Love are the qualities of God, but also found in every human being.

• Blake promotes equality and universal love by showing that God’s image lives in all people, regardless of religion or race.

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🧠 Stanza-by-Stanza Explanation

Stanza 1

To Mercy, Pity, Peace, and Love,
All pray in their distress;
And to these virtues of delight
Return their thankfulness.

• When people are suffering, they pray to Mercy, Pity, Peace, and Love.

• These qualities comfort them.

• When people are happy again, they feel thankful for these virtues.

Stanza 2

For Mercy, Pity, Peace, and Love,
Is God our Father dear;
And Mercy, Pity, Peace, and Love,
Is man, his child and care.

• These four virtues represent God Himself.

• Humans are God’s children, made in His image—so they also have these divine qualities.

Stanza 3

For Mercy has a human heart,
Pity, a human face:
And Love, the human form divine,
And Peace, the human dress.

• Blake describes each quality as having human features:

  • Mercy = human heart

  • Pity = human face

  • Love = divine form (God-like human)

  • Peace = human clothing

• He means that humans reflect God's nature.

Stanza 4

Then every man, of every clime,
That prays in his distress,
Prays to the human form divine,
Love, Mercy, Pity, Peace.

• No matter where people live (“every clime” = every country), they all pray to these same human values.

• All humans are spiritually connected, even if they follow different religions.

Stanza 5

And all must love the human form,
In heathen, Turk, or Jew;
Where Mercy, Love, & Pity dwell
There God is dwelling too.

• We must respect and love all humans—no matter their religion (heathen, Turk, or Jew).

• If a person shows Mercy, Love, and Pity, then God lives in that person.

• This promotes tolerance and equality.

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✨ Poetic Devices

1. Repetition

   • The line “Mercy, Pity, Peace, and Love” is repeated in several stanzas.

   • This emphasizes the four qualities as key spiritual values.

2. Personification

   • Blake gives human features to virtues: Mercy has a heart, Pity has a face, etc.

   • This shows how closely connected humans are to divine qualities.

3. Alliteration

   • Repetition of starting consonant sounds:

     • human heart”

4. Symbolism

   • The four virtues symbolize both human goodness and the presence of God in man.

5. Universalism

   • Blake includes all people (“heathen, Turk, or Jew”) to show religious unity and brotherhood.

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🔠 Form and Structure

• The poem has 5 stanzas of 4 lines each (quatrains).

• Regular form and structure give it a calm, hymn-like rhythm, suitable for spiritual reflection.

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🎵 Rhyme Scheme

• ABAB pattern in each stanza.

  • Example (Stanza 1): Love / distress / delight / thankfulness

This gives the poem a smooth and musical flow.

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🎼 Meter (Rhythm)

• The poem mostly uses iambic tetrameter:

  • An iamb = unstressed + stressed syllable (da-DUM)

  • Tetrameter = 4 iambs per line (8 syllables)

Example:

To MER / cy, PIT / y, PEACE / and LOVE
→ da-DUM da-DUM da-DUM da-DUM

• The rhythm is steady and peaceful, matching the poem’s gentle tone.

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💬 Tone and Mood

• Tone: Calm, spiritual, hopeful

• Mood: Uplifting, unifying, warm

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📚 Themes

• Human Dignity: Every human carries God’s image.

• Divine Qualities in Man: Mercy, Pity, Peace, and Love are both human and divine.

• Equality and Unity: All people are equal in God's eyes.

• Religious Tolerance: Love and mercy are more important than religious labels.

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📌 Summary

• The Divine Image teaches that God lives within every human being through qualities like mercy and love.

• Blake shows that true religion is not about division but about kindness and unity.

• The poem encourages us to see the divine in each other, no matter our background.

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