In 1804, William Blake wrote in his poem Jerusalem of England’s “green and pleasant” land. This idealised vision of English pastoral has resonated through two centuries, fusing the character of the nation with its landscape – those “mountains green” and “pleasant pastures”.
Turned into a hymn by Sir Hubert Parry in 1916, Jerusalem is sung annually at the Last Night of the Proms. It has been adopted by various English sports as an unofficial anthem, including at the Commonwealth Games. It’s invoked regularly by politicians of all persuasions. The “green and pleasant land” has become a powerful emblem for England.
