Poet's corner No. 20

O FOR a voice like thunder, and a tongue

To drown the throat of war! When the senses

Are shaken, and the soul is driven to madness,

Who can stand? When the souls of the oppressèd

Fight in the troubled air that rages, who can stand?       

When the whirlwind of fury comes from the

Throne of God, when the frowns of his countenance

Drive the nations together, who can stand?

When Sin claps his broad wings over the battle,

And sails rejoicing in the flood of Death;         

When souls are torn to everlasting fire,

And fiends of Hell rejoice upon the slain,

O who can stand? O who hath causèd this?

O who can answer at the throne of God?

The Kings and Nobles of the Land have done it!

Hear it not, Heaven, thy Ministers have done it!

William Blake

Poetical Sketches

Prologue, intended for a Dramatic Piece of King Edward the Fourth

THE speech

"In this grave hour , perhaps the most fateful in our history , I send to every household of my peoples , both at home and overseas this message spoken with the same depth of feeling for each one of you as if I were able to cross your threshold and speak to you myself . For the second time in the lives of most of us we are at... at war . Over and over again we have tried to find a peaceful way out of the differences between ourselves and those who are now our enemies . But it has been in vain . We have been forced into a conflict . For we are called , to meet the challenge of a principle which , if it were to prevail , would be fatal to any civilized order in the world . Such a principle , stripped of all disguise , is surely the mere primitive doctrine that might is right . For the sake of all that we ourselves hold dear , it is unthinkable that we should refuse to meet the challenge . It is to this high purpose that I now call my people at home and my peoples across the seas , who will make our cause their own . I ask them to stand calm and firm , and united in this time of trial the task will be hard . There may be dark days ahead , and war can no longer be confined to the battlefield . But we can only do the right as we see the right and reverently commit our cause to God . If one and all we keep resolutely faithful to it , then , with God’s help ,we shall prevail . "