Evening Star

From Blake's Poetical Sketches and according to Norton's Critical Edition, seem to reflect Blake's earlier writing style--and is somewhat reflective of Spenser's Epitalamion and Psalm 19. According to postings on To: [email removed], Blake supposedly never wrote sonnets, however, I tend to believe that Blake, being as versed in the writing styles of his time period, did attempt to experiment with the sonnet form of writing, and found other styles he liked better. As to the poem, I think it is a beautiful ode to the evening star. The evening star brings the "bright torch of love" Its love is asked to "smile on our loves"; to "influence and protect flocks" with its "sacred dew" as the night progresses. Bad things roam--like the lion and the wolf; yet as long as the star is around, there is some peace--"speak silence". Blake uses the "s" sound throughout. The evening star is a "fair-hair'd angel" whose job begins when its "radiant crown" is put on.
This poem is a small homage to other Seasons and natural objects. Try reading them as a collection.

This sonnet is one of the lesser known poems of William Blake. On its face, it appears to be a simple poem describing an evening scene with the first star ‘glimmerinmg’ in the sky. The phrase ‘fair-haired angel’ seems to suggest Venus, the Roman goddess of love and beauty.The poem depicts an utterly tranquil scene in nature. Its fourteen lines indicate the sonnet form, although it does not follow the traditional rhyme pattern. Also there is no stanza division. The poem flows like a natural stream to its end.
It begins with the sun going to rest in the mountains. The evening star then takes over with its ‘radiant crown’ and ‘bright torch of love’. Slowly it draws the ‘blue curtains of the sky’,and starts scattering silver dew on the sleepy eyes of the flowers on earth. It also puts the west wind to gentle sleep on the surface of the lake. Here comes, perhaps, the most beautiful line of the poem: “speak silence with thy glimmering eyes, And wash the dusk with silver”. Here, ‘speak silence’ is a beautiful example of the figure of speech, Oxymoron, in which two contradictory images are combined to create a special effect..
At this point, when the star itself has slowly withdrawn, the poet introduces an ominous note of the raging wolf and the glaring lion, in the dark forest. But these evil images are soon counterbalanced by the innocent flock of sheep which the star protects with its benign influence of ‘sacred dew’.
The poem bears a striking comparison with Keats’s famous sonnet : “Bright Star, would I were stradfast as thou art”.