He Who Binds to Himself a Joy

He who binds to himself a joy

Does the Winged life destroy

He who kisses the joy as it flies

Lives in eternity’s sunrise.

“Eternity” by William Blake

I was introduced to William Blake in one of my High School English classes and this particular poem has stuck with me since then. It gives me calm. There’s something soothing about appreciating the good things as they come and go rather than trying to force good things to happen. That’s one of my takeaways, at least.

About the author

William Blake (28 November 1757 – 12 August 1827), was an English poet, painter, and printmaker. Largely unrecognised during his life, Blake is now considered a seminal figure in the history of the poetry and visual art of the Romantic Age. Though Blake claimed to experience visions throughout his life, William Wordsworth , another literary figure from this time period, commented, “There was no doubt that this poor man was mad, but there is something in the madness of this man which interests me more than the sanity of Lord Byron and Walter Scott.”