Lines 11 - 12

• “And the hapless soldier’s sigh

  Runs in blood down palace walls .”
• Translation

  • The “hapless” or unfortunate soldier is dying
  • His blood runs down the walls of the homes of the elite
  • At the time of writing, the elite and the monarchy were considered responsible for the wars that broke out, resulting in the deaths of many soldiers and innocent people
  • Because of this, many women were widowed without support
• Blake’s intention

  • Here, Blake is criticising the government and the monarchy
  • He is suggesting that soldiers and those who are left behind are the victims of war
  • The use of the word “palace” is significant, as this is where royalty would have lived.
  • Blake is accusing the monarchy and the elite of spilling the blood of soldiers in order to keep the comfort of living in a palace
  • Blake supported the French Revolution, in which ordinary people overthrew the monarchy of France