The poem
Dear Mother, dear Mother, the Church is cold, But the Ale-house is healthy & pleasant & warm: Besides I can tell where I am use'd well, Such usage in heaven will never do well.
But if at the Church they would give us some Ale. And a pleasant fire, our souls to regale: We'd sing and we'd pray all the live-long day: Nor ever once wish from the Church to stray.
Then the Parson might preach & drink & sing. And we'd be as happy as birds in the spring: And modest dame Lurch, who is always at Church Would not have bandy children nor fasting nor birch
And God like a father rejoicing to see. His children as pleasant and happy as he: Would have no more quarrel with the Devil or the Barrel But kiss him & give him both drink and apparel.
it was pretty good
its so ironic to me that this child is wondering why they don't serve booze at church because the people at the bars seem happier than the people at church
Excellent poem, infact the best poem ever written in the history of the world. It should be read by everyone all over the world.
Not one of Blakes greater poems though it has extreme contextual relevance,Blake as a devout man of Faith but strongly opposed The Churches teachings,and this is expressed through this poem,his underlying message being that the Church is so strict with rules such as "fasting" and "birch-reference to punnishment".Rather it is God that wants us to be as "pleasent an happy as he".In this Blake focuses more on the power and manipulation of the church,exploiting the concept of God in order to gain control of society.
eh what what we don't understand!!! What the poet is trying to get at and do you think that any of his other poems have similar meaning in conjunction with this poem?
It is sad when the Church must learn how to be a proper host--from an ale house. I think of the tv program Cheers, where "everyone knows your name". This poem shows the church out of touch with the other needs of people. They have become so single-eyed that they can't minister effectively. In the mix is a Dame Lurch who seems to be full of negative vices: bandy children, fastings and beatings (birch, as in using a…
Read the whole commentIt is sad when the Church must learn how to be a proper host--from an ale house. I think of the tv program Cheers, where "everyone knows your name". This poem shows the church out of touch with the other needs of people. They have become so single-eyed that they can't minister effectively. In the mix is a Dame Lurch who seems to be full of negative vices: bandy children, fastings and beatings (birch, as in using a switch)--even though she is modest (perhaps gives the appearance of being christian or modest as in income level).
I'm not sure why the child is a vagabond, since he has a mother and he goes to her (and perhaps a house or at least a residence). What I do like is the fact that the vagabond notices the differences between the ale-house and the church, in in his humble opinion, gives a suggestion that deserves merit. Is it wrong to be happy, to have a communal spirit within the church? The vagabond's suggestion is also non-condemning since he thinks even Dame Lurch would benefit from the change. The vagabond is interested in seeing positive changes.