Thou art a man God is no more Thy own humanity Learn to adore
William BlakeRead
To Mercy Pity Peace and Love All pray in their distress, And to these virtues of delight Return their thankfulness. For Mercy Pity Peace and Love Is God our father dear. And Mercy Pity Peace and Love Is Man his child and care. Then every man of every clime That prays in his distress Prays to the human form divine: Love Mercy Pity Peace. And all must love the human form In heathen, Turk, or Jew. Where Mercy, Love and Pity dwell There God is dwelling too.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote emphasizes the importance of virtues like mercy, pity, peace, and love as divine qualities inherent in humanity and a reflection of God.
William Blake's quote articulates that virtues such as mercy, pity, peace, and love are essential in human existence and spirituality. He suggests that when individuals face distress and seek these virtues, they are engaging in a prayer to a divine essence reflected in the human experience, transcending religious divides and underscoring the universal need for compassion and kindness in mankind.
Themes
MercyPityPeaceLoveHumanityVirtuesDistress
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about kindness and community, one might say, 'As Blake reminds us, when we embody love, mercy, and peace, we are truly reflecting the divine in ourselves.'
More from William Blake
All quotes →In seed time learn, in harvest teach, in winter enjoy.
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O thou who passest through our valleys in Thy strength, curb thy fierce steeds, allay the heat That flames from their large nostrils! Thou, O Summer, Oft pitchest here thy golden tent, and oft Beneath our oaks hast slept, while we beheld With joy thy ruddy limbs and flourishing hair.
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Every Night and every Morn Some to Misery are born. Every Morn and every Night Some are born to Sweet Delight, Some are born to Endless Night.
William BlakeRead
As the caterpillar chooses the fairest leaves to lay her eggs on, so the priest lays his curse on the fairest joys.
William BlakeRead
He who would do good to another must do it in minute particulars.
William BlakeRead
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