| William Blake (1757–1827). The Poetical Works. 1908. | | | | Songs of Experience | | The Garden of Love |
| | | I WENT 1 to the Garden of Love, | |
| And saw what I never had seen: | |
| A Chapel was built in the midst, | |
| Where I used to play on the green. | |
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| And the gates of this Chapel were shut, | 5 |
| And ‘Thou shalt not’ writ over the door; | |
| So I turn’d to the Garden of Love | |
| That so many sweet flowers bore; | |
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| And I saw it was fillèd with graves, | |
| And tomb-stones where flowers should be; | 10 |
| And priests in black gowns were walking their rounds, | |
| And binding with briars my joys and desires. | |
| | | Note 1. The Garden of Love] Title wtg. in MS. 2 And saw] And I saw MS. 7 So I] And I MS. 1st rdg. del. [back] | | |
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