The Divine Image: Key Quotes

Opening Lines

“To Mercy, Pity, Peace, and Love, / All pray in their distress.” This quote refers to the four virtues that Blake personifies and aligns with God. This highlights the poet’s belief in a compassionate, loving God who embodies these virtues.
“And all must love the human form, / In heathen, Turk, or Jew…” These lines express Blake’s hope for universal compassion and understanding, transcending cultural and religious differences.

Central Stanzas

“Where Mercy, Love, and Pity dwell, / There God is dwelling too.” Here, Blake posits that the presence of compassion and love amongst humans proves God’s presence. This reflects Romantic notions of divinity found in human emotions and connects to the concept of pantheism.
“The human heart, where Mercy, Pity, Peace, and Love reside.” Blake uses the human heart as a symbol for emotional capacity, essentially stating that the virtues are inherent and universal human traits.

Closing Lines

“Then every man, of every clime, / That prays in his distress…” Blake again emphasizes the universality of his message. By underlining that everyone who prays in distress prays to the same virtues, he suggests that humanity is united in its capacity for empathy.
“Prays to the human form divine, / Love, Mercy, Pity, Peace.” The repetition of the virtues reinforces their centrality to Blake’s vision of the divine.

These quotes help illustrate the blend of religious and humanitarian elements in Blake’s work. Remember to consider the context and continue exploring how these quotes link to other poems within the ‘Songs of Innocence and Experience’ collection.