The Mind

Smile and Frown

by William Blake 1757–1827

From Poems, ed. Alice Meynell (1911)

The Mind

There is a smile of Love,
And there is a smile of Deceit,
And there is a smile of smiles
In which these two smiles meet.

And there is a frown of Hate,
And there is a frown of Disdain,
And there is a frown of frowns
Which you strive to forget in vain;

For it sticks in the heart's deep core,
And it sticks in the deep backbone.
And no smile ever was smiled
But only one smile alone,—

And betwixt the cradle and grave
It only once smiled can be;
And when it once is smiled,
There's an end to all misery.

MLA

Blake, William. “Smile and Frown.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/blake/82/.

Chicago

Blake, William. “Smile and Frown.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/blake/82/.

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