Scansion of Blake's "Garden of Love"

Scansion of William Blake’s “Garden of Love”

by Linda Sue Grimes

u = unstressed syllable / = stressed syllable

u / u u / u u /

I went to the Garden of Love,

u / u u / u u /

And saw what I never had seen:

u / u u / u u /
A Chapel was built in the midst,

u / u u / u u /
Where I used to play on the green.

u u / u u / u u /

And the gates of this Chapel were shut,

u / / / / / u u /
And "Thou shalt not" writ over the door;

u u / u u / u u /
So I turn'd to the Garden of Love,

u u / u / / u /
That so many sweet flowers bore,

u u / u u / u /

And I saw it was filled with graves,

u / / u / u u /

And tomb-stones where flowers should be:

u / u u / u / u u /
And Priests in black gowns were walking their rounds,

u / u u / u u / u / u
And binding with briars my joys and desires.