My friend Debbie whom I stayed with last weekend lives near Hampstead Heath . We went walking there
on Saturday evening.
Deb introduced me to the ' Ladies' Pond ' I was a bit shy to take photos there . . . .
Apart from this family
out for their evening stroll.
By coincidence, the next day on my way to my course I came across a book
with this cover while lunching in Gail's Kitchen restaurant .
This painting on the cover caught my eye and on opening the book I read that the tiger painting was set in Hampstead Heath and inspired by Blake's Poem, which according to the book was also set in Hampstead Heath.
TIGER, tiger, burning bright
In the forests of the night,
What immortal hand or eye
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?
In what distant deeps or skies
Burnt the fire of thine eyes?
On what wings dare he aspire?
What the hand dare seize the fire?
And what shoulder and what art
Could twist the sinews of thy heart?
And when thy heart began to beat,
What dread hand and what dread feet?
What the hammer? what the chain?
In what furnace was thy brain?
What the anvil? What dread grasp
Dare its deadly terrors clasp?
When the stars threw down their spears,
And water'd heaven with their tears,
Did He smile His work to see?
Did He who made the lamb make thee?
Tiger, tiger, burning bright
In the forests of the night,
What immortal hand or eye
Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?
Next morning, inspired by that book and Deb's Time Out London Walks, I set off to Hampstead once more . . . . But it's late so more on Hampstead and London tomorrow.
No comments:
Post a Comment