“The Clod and the Pebble” Introduction

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“The Clod and the Pebble” Summary

“The Clod and the Pebble” Themes

• 

  The Nature of Love

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Line-by-Line Explanation & Analysis of “The Clod and the Pebble”

• Lines 1-2

  "Love seeketh not itself to please,
  Nor for itself hath any care,

  

  

  

  

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• Lines 3-4

  But for another gives its ease,
  And builds a Heaven in Hell's despair."

  

  

  

  

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• Lines 5-6

  So sung a little Clod of Clay
  Trodden with the cattle's feet,

  

  

  

  

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• Lines 7-8

  But a Pebble of the brook
  Warbled out these metres meet:

  

  

  

  

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• Lines 9-10

  "Love seeketh only self to please,
  To bind another to its delight,

  

  

  

  

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• Lines 11-12

  Joys in another's loss of ease,
  And builds a Hell in Heaven's despite."

  

  

  

  

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“The Clod and the Pebble” Symbols

• 

  The Clod

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• 

  The Pebble

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“The Clod and the Pebble” Poetic Devices & Figurative Language

• Alliteration

  

  

  

  

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• Antithesis

  

  

  

  

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• Assonance

  

  

  

  

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• Consonance

  

  

  

  

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• Personification

  

  

  

  

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• Repetition

  

  

  

  

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“The Clod and the Pebble” Vocabulary

Select any word below to get its definition in the context of the poem. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem.

• Seeketh
• Hath
• Ease
• Clod
• Trodden
• Brook
• Warbled
• Metres
• Meet
• Self
• Bind
• Joys
• Despite

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Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme of “The Clod and the Pebble”

• Form

• Meter

• Rhyme Scheme

“The Clod and the Pebble” Speaker

“The Clod and the Pebble” Setting

Literary and Historical Context of “The Clod and the Pebble”

More “The Clod and the Pebble” Resources

• External Resources

  • The Illustrated Poem — "The Clod and the Pebble" in Blake's own hand, accompanied by his drawings. 

  • Songs of Innocence and Experience — Various formats for the full collection in which this poem appears. 

  • Blake's Visions — An excerpt from a documentary in which writer Iain Sinclair discusses Blake's religious visions. 

  • The Poem Out Loud — A reading by the Youtube channel Tom O'Bedlam. 

  • Blake's Radicalism — An interesting article that provides insight into Blake's political views.

• LitCharts on Other Poems by William Blake

  • A Dream

  • Ah! Sun-flower

  • A Poison Tree

  • Earth's Answer

  • Holy Thursday (Songs of Experience)

  • Holy Thursday (Songs of Innocence)

  • Infant Joy

  • Infant Sorrow

  • Introduction (Songs of Innocence)

  • London

  • Nurse's Song (Songs of Experience)

  • Nurse's Song (Songs of Innocence)

  • The Chimney Sweeper (Songs of Experience)

  • The Chimney Sweeper (Songs of Innocence)

  • The Divine Image

  • The Ecchoing Green

  • The Fly

  • The Garden of Love

  • The Human Abstract

  • The Lamb

  • The Little Black Boy

  • The Little Vagabond

  • The School Boy

  • The Sick Rose

  • The Tyger

  • To Autumn

  • To the Evening Star