William Blake · Auguries of Innocence
To see a World in a Grain of Sand
And a Heaven in a Wild Flower
Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand
And Eternity in an hour
| Source | William Blake, “Auguries of Innocence,” c. 1803 |
| Manuscript | Pickering Manuscript; first published 1863 |
| Wording | Manuscript-faithful: nouns capitalized, no punctuation |
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About This Line
“Auguries of Innocence” survived in Blake’s Pickering Manuscript and wasn’t published until 1863, decades after his death. It runs far past its famous opening into a long chain of moral paradoxes — a caged robin, a starving dog at its master’s gate. The four lines are the doorway; almost no one walks through to the rest.
Why We Carry This Line
Lots know the first four lines; almost no one knows they open a much longer argument. I wanted the part that survived — and a pointer back to the rest. And a family member who did not know the four lines, loves it. That’s why we carry.
