William BlakeWilliam Blake was a revolutionary poet and artist: "I know myself both Poet & Painter," he wrote. In his paintings he created visionary images that challenge conventional perceptions; in his poetry he joined words and images in the stunning form of the 'illuminated book', where verbal and visual depictions interact. As a Romantic poet and religious visionary, he questioned Romantic assumptions and rewrote Biblical tradition in a radical mythology for his own historical moment. He welcomed the eruption of the French Revolution and attacked Britain's wars against Revolutionary France, assaulting the social injustices of his day and critiquing the politics and psychology of power. Steve Vine's study introduces the full range of Blake's poetry and illuminated books from the early Songs to the late epics, and focuses on the socially radical and challenging nature of his art: on Blake's attempts to open the 'doors of perception' beyond limiting visions and ideologies - to what he called 'the infinite'. |
Contents
Tractates Songs of Innocence | 11 |
The Marriage | 39 |
The Song of Los The First Book | 59 |
Copyright | |
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America Angel antinomian apocalyptic artistic Basingstoke Bible biblical Blake Trust/Tate Gallery Blake's poem Blakean Book of Ahania Book of Los Book of Thel Book of Urizen Britain chapter Christian contemporary critique culture Daughters of Albion Divine Image E. P. Thompson Earth eighteenth-century energy Enitharmon epic Essick Eternity Europe fearful Felpham figure Four Zoas France French Revolution Fuzon Heaven and Hell human Illuminated Books imagination Jerusalem labours Lamb Larrissy liberty Locke's London Los's Luvah Marriage of Heaven Milton Moravian narrative nature Ololon Oothoon Orc's orthodoxy patriarchal Plate poem's poet poetic poetry political Prophecy Prophet Against Empire punishment radical rebel religion religious repression revolutionary Satan sense sexual social Song of Los Songs of Innocence speaker Spectre spiritual struggle sublime symbolic terrors thee Theotormon thou torment tradition traumatic Trust/Tate Gallery Publications Tyger University Press Vala Virgin vision voice William Blake William Blake Trust/Tate