William Blake Month: the Spider’s anxious little heart

Gina Gershon photographed by Ellen Von Unwerth.

The Spider sits in his laboured Web,
eager watching for the Fly
Presently comes a famished Bird
& takes away the Spider
His Web is left all desolate,
that his little anxious heart
So careful wove;
& spread it out with sighs and weariness.

(William Blake, “Enion’s Lament.”)

I love this poem because it’s an unusual perspective: you begin by feeling repulsion for the spider, waiting in his web for a fly, and you end by pitying him. The idea of a spider having an anxious heart and sighing and being weary is surprising and touching. Sympathy for the devil.

Tags: art, Blake, boobs, breasts, ellen von unwerth, gina gershon, images, love, models, movies, naked, nsfw, Patron saints, photography, Pictures, poem, poems, poet, poetry, quotes, spider, stills, sympathy for the devil, topless, William Blake, William Blake Month, writing