A Divine Image

by William Blake — a poem card from Justes Mots

Blake's dark, inverted vision of human nature, presenting cruelty, jealousy, terror, and secrecy as the forged, furnace-like essences of the human heart, form, and face. Originally paired with 'The Divine Image,' this poem offers a pessimistic counterpart exploring human capacity for evil and the weaponized nature of human embodiment. Its stark, philosophical darkness suits reflection on moral struggle and the shadow side of existence.

Cruelty has a human heart,
And Jealousy a human face;
Terror the human form divine,
And Secresy the human dress.

The human dress is forged iron,
The human form a fiery forge,
The human face a furnace sealed,…

Themes: sympathy · grief · reflection