The Divine Image

To Mercy, Pity, Peace and Love
All pray in their distress;
And to these virtues of delight
Return their thankfulness.

For Mercy, Pity, Peace and Love
Is God, our Father dear,
And Mercy, Pity, Peace and Love
Is man, His child and care.

For Mercy has a human heart,
Pity a human face,
And Love, the human form divine,
And Peace, the human dress.

Then every man, of every clime,
That prays in his distress,
Prays to the human form divine,
Love, Mercy, Pity and Peace.

And all must love the human form,
In heathen, Turk or Jew;
Where Mercy, Love, and Pity dwell
There God is dwelling too.

The Divine Image is a poem about the traits of God, which reflect the traits that can be found in humans. These traits representing parts of people like the heart for mercy, which Blake is trying to suggest that a person may be angry but is willing to forgive or to show mercy to those that have done bad things to them. Pity as the human face is when people try to understand how people are suffering and show the suffering concern. This goes on with the thought that if you know how to show concern of a problem then you may have the knowledge as to how to help fix whatever the problem is or be a support to that person. Love is human form divine, which is saying that by loving each other we are setting the example shown to us by God. We were given the model of Jesus in which Love is the all powerful, merciful, forgiving, healing force that we are to emulate with our own lives. In following that model, we become more “Christ-like or God-like” and take on the traits we are shown by God. This can be followed by any person, any religion because all religions preach love as a key element. Peace is the outer shell of human what protects us from some of the world around us. We can live in a world filled with war, hate, crimes that can depress us, kill us, or make life unlivable but with the shroud of peace around us, life is better, bearable and can fill us with awe. When William Blake is stating that when a person is in distressed they need to pray to God for one of the qualities of pity, mercy, peace, and love, for these traits can help us obtain a better way to live. This poem shows that William Blake does not follow the rest of the world in thinking due to the fact he is saying that the emotions of people represent God. William Blake shows that God can be found in everyone who demonstrate the traits of Mercy, Pity, Peace, and Love for these are things that are of God and can better the human society.