William Blake’s “On Another’s Sorrow” is a profound yet accessible poem. It explores the very essence of empathy. Found within his collection Songs of Innocence, the poem argues that compassion is a natural, almost involuntary, human response. Blake masterfully uses several literary devices to build this argument. He transforms a simple idea into a powerful statement on humanity and divinity. Through simple language, repetitive questions, and vivid imagery, Blake invites readers to consider their connection to the suffering of others.
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The Power of Simplicity
Blake deliberately chooses simple and direct language for this poem. He avoids complex vocabulary or convoluted syntax. This choice is a strategic one. It makes the poem’s message of universal empathy feel immediate and understandable to everyone. For example, lines like “Can I see another’s woe, / And not be in sorrow too?” use common words to ask a deeply philosophical question. This simplicity ensures that the emotional weight of the poem is not lost in intellectual complexity. William Blake: Songs of Innoce…
Furthermore, the straightforward language mirrors the purity and innocence of the poem’s themes. Blake suggests that empathy is not a learned skill. Instead, it is a fundamental part of our nature. By using language that a child could understand, he reinforces the idea that compassion is an innate, almost childlike, instinct. This technique allows the poem’s emotional core to resonate powerfully with a broad audience. William Blake first published this work as part of a larger, thematically linked collection. . Source
The Rhythm of Shared Feeling
Two dominant literary devices give the poem its unique structure and emotional force: rhetorical questions and anaphora. Blake builds a powerful rhythm that pulls the reader into a reflective state. He forces us to confront our own capacity for compassion through his persistent questioning.
Engaging the Conscience with Rhetorical Questions
The poem opens with a series of rhetorical questions. These questions are not meant to be answered literally. Instead, they serve to awaken the reader’s conscience. When William Blake: The Complete Poems asks, “Can a father see his child / Weep, nor be with sorrow fill’d?” he is stating a universal truth disguised as a question. The implied answer is, of course, no. No compassionate father could ignore his child’s pain. This technique directly involves the reader in the poem’s moral argument. It transforms the reader from a passive observer into an active participant who must silently affirm the necessity of empathy.
Building Momentum with Anaphora
Anaphora, the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses, is central to the poem’s impact. William Blake: Songs of Innocence and of… repeats the phrase “Can I see” throughout the early stanzas. This repetition creates a hypnotic, chant-like effect. It emphasizes the unbreakable link between seeing suffering and feeling it personally. The anaphora builds an emotional crescendo. Consequently, it reinforces the idea that these compassionate reactions are automatic and unavoidable. The steady, repetitive structure mirrors a beating heart, connecting the physical act of life with the emotional act of caring for others.
Imagery of Compassion
William Blake: Poet, Painter, and Vision… uses vivid, sensory imagery to make the concept of sorrow tangible. He doesn’t just talk about sadness; he shows it to us. We see the “falling tear” and the grieving infant. These images are simple yet incredibly powerful. They ground the poem’s abstract ideas in real, relatable human experiences. For instance, the image of a father weeping alongside his child is a universal symbol of shared grief. It requires no complex interpretation to understand its emotional depth.
Moreover, Blake extends this imagery to the divine. In the final stanzas, God is not a distant, abstract figure. He becomes an active participant in human suffering. Blake writes that God “sits by us and weeps.” This personification of the divine is a radical and comforting idea. It suggests that empathy is a godlike quality. Therefore, when we feel another’s sorrow, we are partaking in a divine act. The image of a weeping God provides the ultimate validation for human compassion, elevating it from a simple emotion to a sacred virtue.