LOST & FOUND

This was first posted on March 25, 2010 without any reference to the concepts from Greek myth which influenced the the wandering of the girl Lyca when the entered the world of sleep. Kathleen Raine traces Lyca, The Little Girl Lost, back to Persephone who entered the dark underworld ruled over by Pluto. We will follow more of Raine's insights in the next post. 

Little Girl Lost and Found

One key to these two poems lies in the first two verses which set the theme for what follows. We can expect to hear about a future world in which there will be an awakening from sleep. Through man's seeking God, the world will be reborn as a garden.

The main character, Lyca, has left eternity and wanders in the world of matter which is represented by sleep. Left in the non-material world are Lyca's mother and father who morn her departure. The energies of the material world which most find threatening, befriend Lyca.

Lyca's parents follow the path Lyca has chosen, seeking her in an exhausting journey. At the end of their ability to follow, they are rescued by the same forces which befriended Lyca. The father and mother are led by a vision to a place where all is peace, love and serenity. The picture at the conclusion reinforces the idea of the kingdom of God on earth where all live in peace and harmony.

When we pray the Lord's Prayer, we ask God that the Kingdom may come, and that His will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Blake has chosen to give us this image of reconciliation, renewal and reunion as a culmination of Lyca's sojourn in the world and the loving search that her parents performed. Blake intimates the affirmation that the world of sin and decay is not the only possibility, the world of love and rebirth can be the future, peaceable kingdom.

The Little Girl Lost, SONGS 34,(E 20)
"In futurity I prophetic see,
That the earth from sleep,
(Grave the sentence deep)
Shall arise and seek
For her maker meek:
And the desart wild
Become a garden mild.
___________________
In the southern clime,
Where the summers prime,
Never fades away;
Lovely Lyca lay.
Seven summers old
Lovely Lyca told,
She had wanderd long,
Hearing wild birds song.
Sweet sleep come to me
Underneath this tree;
Do father, mother weep.--
Where can Lyca sleep.
Lost in desart wildIs your little child.
How can Lyca sleep,
If her mother weep.
If her heart does ake,
Then let Lyca wake;
If my mother sleep,
Lyca shall not weep.
Frowning frowning night,
O'er this desart bright,
Let thy moon arise,
While I close my eyes.
Sleeping Lyca lay;
While the beasts of prey,
Come from caverns deep,
View'd the maid asleep
The kingly lion stood
And the virgin view'd,
Then he gambold round
O'er the hallowd ground;
SONGS 35
Leopards, tygers play,
Round her as she lay;
While the lion old,
Bow'd his mane of gold.
And her bosom lick,
And upon her neck,>
From his eyes of flame,
Ruby tears there came;
While the lioness,
Loos'd her slender dress,
And naked they convey'd
To caves the sleeping maid.
The Little Girl Found
All the night in woe,
Lyca's parents go:
Over vallies deep,
While the desarts weep.
Tired and woe-begone,
Hoarse with making moan:
Arm in arm seven days,
They trac'd the desart ways.
Seven nights they sleep,
Among shadows deep:
And dream they see their child
Starv'd in desart wild.
Pale thro' pathless ways
The fancied image strays,
SONGS 36
Famish'd, weeping, weak
With hollow piteous shriek
Rising from unrest,
The trembling woman prest,
With feet of weary woe;
She could no further go.
In his arms he bore,
Her arm'd with sorrow sore;
Till before their way,
A couching lion lay.
Turning back was vain,
Soon his heavy mane,
Bore them to the ground;
Then he stalk'd around,
Smelling to his prey.
But their fears allay,
When he licks their hands;
And silent by them stands.
They look upon his eyes
Fill'd with deep surprise:
And wondering behold,
A spirit arm'd in gold.
On his head a crown
On his shoulders down,
Flow'd his golden hair.
Gone was all their care.
Follow me he said,
Weep not for the maid;
In my palace deep,
Lyca lies asleep.
Then they followed,
Where the vision led:
And saw their sleeping child,
Among tygers wild.
To this day they dwellIn a lonely dell
Nor fear the wolvish howl,
Nor the lions growl."