The Angel Who Got Lost

The Angel, a poem by William Blake published with Songs of Experience in 1974 refers to when he was a child and had frequent visions of God and angels. For example, when he was four years old he claims to have seen “God put his head to the window” and when he was nine he looked up at a tree and saw it “filled with angels”.  From a young age Blake possessed one of the most valuable gifts one could have, imagination mixed along with innocence. 

The first stanza means that he had a dream where a kind and gentle angel protects him from distress, but he couldn’t fool the angel. The second stanza says that he cries day and night most probably from problems he was facing, so the guardian angel comforts him by drying away his tears. He couldn’t fool the angel, but “hid from him my heart’s delight” causing the angel to take off his wings and leave him behind taking his innocence along with him leaving the boy to face the harsh reality of life alone because he wasn’t open enough to him.

The third stanza is generally stating the next morning was a “blushed rosy red” reflecting the shame the boy felt for disgracing the angel. With the angel gone he had no other choice but to wipe his own tears away while he “armed my fears/ With ten-thousand shields and spears” meaning he was becoming older and started to loose his innocence because he started to face real problems enabling him to dream more about the reality of situations, rather than angels and other childlike things. When one becomes older our experience and knowledge determine our final perception of faith. This isn’t surprising that people are afraid of things that can’t be explained with science or on a rational level, like God and if he really does exist or is just something we have to believe in for one of the most intriguing questions, why are we here, what is our purpose? With this in mind, the boy and people just put an end to believing and trusting that any “guardian angel” can protect us from the harsh reality of the world, so we arm ourselves with reasoning and logic.

The final stanza explains how years have passed and the little boy lost his childhood to turn into an elderly man with grey hairs that reflect he is prepared, educated, and has gained wisdom preparing him for life. The angel finally comes back into his new stage of life, but he had no purpose in returning because the once little boy was now armed with reasoning and close to death.