Opportunity. William Blake (1757-1827). Poems of Sentiment: II. Life. Bliss Carman, et al., eds. 1904. The World's Best Poetry. VI. Fancy

Bliss Carman, et al., eds. The World’s Best Poetry.
Volume VI. Fancy. 1904.

Poems of Sentiment: II. Life

Opportunity

William Blake (1757–1827)


HE who bends to himself a joy
Does the wingèd life destroy;
But he who kisses the joy as it flies
Lives in eternity’s sunrise.

If you trap the moment before it is ripe,	5
The tears of repentance you ’ll certainly wipe;
But if once you let the ripe moment go,
You can never wipe off the tears of woe.