REVIEW

Stanley Kunitz, ed., The Essential Blake; Michael Mason, ed., William Blake; David Punter, ed., William Blake: Selected Poetry and Prose

E. B. Murray

Blake/An Illustrated Quarterly, Volume 24, Issue 4, Spring 1991, pp. 145-153 Spring 1991 BLAKE/AN ILLUSTRATED QUARTERLY

Not so the Oxford Authors and Rout- As we know, and contrary to Mason's ledge Blakes. They do have some pre- implications, Blake felt his illumina- REVIEWS tensions and they may not be tions an integral part of his composite altogether harmless. Michael Mason is art, going so far as to applaud himself initially concerned with telling us what (in the third person) for having in- he does not do in his edition. He does vented "a method of Printing which Stanley Kunitz, ed. The Es not include An Island in the Moon, The combines the Painter and Poet" and, in sential Blake. New York: Book of Ahania, or The FourZoas. He an earlier self-evaluation, he bluntly The Ecco Press, 1987. 92 does not follow a chronological order asserts, through a persona, that those pp. $5.00 paper; Michael in presenting Blake's texts; he does not (pace Mason) who will not accept and Mason, ed. William Blake. provide deleted or alternative read- pay highly for the illuminated writings ings; he does not provide the illumina- he projected "will be ignorant fools Oxford: Oxford University tions or describe them; he does not and will not deserve to live." Ipse dixit. Press, 1988. xxvi + 601 pp. summarize the content of Blake's works The poet/artist is typically seconded $45.00 cloth/$15.95 paper; nor does he explicate Blake's mythol- by his twentieth-century editors, who, David Punter, ed. William ogy. Most of the rest of this part of his even when obliged to omit the illu- Blake: Selected Poetry and introduction is concerned with justify- minations, argue for their necessary Prose. London/New York: ing what he has not done. For example, relevance. Max Plowman, in his 1927 he does not provide the illuminations Everyman's Library edition, has the Routledge, 1988. ix + 283 because "the enhancement of our read- humilty and good sense to note the pp. $9-95 paper. ing of Blake which was expected to "insuperable difficulty in the way of a flow from attention to his illustrations transcript version" when "there is alter- has simply not occurred." So much for nation between words that expand the Reviewed by E. B. Murray the majority of the present generation meaning of a design, and designs that of Blake scholars and teachers who give to the words their complete sig- have in fact spent much time and trouble nificance" (xxv). Vivian de Sola Pinto trying to enhance their readings of Blake (.William Blake, 1965) states that the olume 4 of Ecco Press's The Es by attending to his illuminations and "text and illustrations form a single in- sential Poets series, The Essential V who have subsequently beguiled them- tegrated whole," that part of the effect Blake, may be conveniently slipped selves into believing they've had some of the lyrics in The Songs of Innocence into your hip-pocket, brought to the solid success in their attempts. But and of Experience "is lost when they pub, read on the subway, or on the Mason knows how to put these be- are read in ordinary print without the toilet and may as well be flushed down mused and errant souls in their place. designs," and that in Jerusalem "the the drain afterwards if a trace of schol- They are implicitly aligned with the arly substance is what you demand in "[elditors [who] have fallen into the the Blake texts you keep around. Its habit of transcribing what Blake crossed unannotated contents, so far as they out," who are either "protective Blake go, are something less than those you'd experts" insisting, as Blake did not, find in a survey course anthology— that the illuminations are an integral The Songs of Innocence, The Songs of part of the text they accompany or Experience, Marriage of Heaven and "[sltudents of Blake . . . too ready to Hell, "Auguries of Innocence,"—but assume that his mythology is a well- no Thel, Visions of the Daughters of formed system," and who therefore Albion, or Urizen,—whose space is work up "drab paraphrases" to fit Blake perhaps taken up by a "Miscellany" of into the Procrustean limitations of their gnomic verses, epigrams, and letter own inferably drab understandings. excerpts. A most unpretentious book- Mason, a veritable Daniel come to let, meant for the literate among hoi judgment or an editorial David defiant polloi, with a poet to provide an essen- against these overspecialized "giant tial biographical sketch and a few forms," will let Blake speak for him- uninspired generalities by way of es- self—sans illuminations and alterna- sential evaluation. All in all, a harmless tive readings of course. little pot-boiler. 146 BLAKE/AN ILLUSTRATED QUARTERLY Spring 1991

pictures are not 'illustrations' but essen- Poems." For reasons both chronologi- effect of Mason's categorizing nomen- tial and organic parts of the structure" cal and nominal, The Song of Los does clature is that the running heads, in- (17, 52). As Thomas Frosch noted in not appear under that title at all but is stead of advising the reader that he's reviewing the most discriminating work rather divided into "Africa" and "Asia" confronting a page of Milton or feru on the subject, W. J. T Mitchell's Blake's to so flank America and Europe under salem or Urizen, keeps him guessing Composite Art: A Study of the Illu the "Septentary Verse" heading (which what work it is he's opened to at some minated Poetry, the author not only also subsumes Tiriel, Thel, Visions, indefinite point among "The Los contends that "each illuminated poem and of course The French Revolution). Poems." For the student who reads as is an organic unit and develops its own Both genre and chronology are dis- he runs, Blake's titles are likely to be particular relationship of text and de- rupted for thematic considerations replaced in his memory by Mason's sign" but in specific instances "indis- which, for example, place under the categorical name for them. Besides the putably shows that text and design head of "Blake on Religion and Know- prose already noted, the edition in- together create signification that can't ledge" many of Blake's annotations, cludes excerpts from Public Address, be gained from either by itself {Blake the Natural Religion propositions, A Vision of the Lastfudgment, and the 13 [19791: 40, 41). But readers tempted Marriage of Heaven and Hell, prose from Poetical Sketches. Given to accept Mason's assertion at face value "Auguries of Innocence," The Everlast what Mason provides, his claim to have need only riffle through the pages of ing Gospel, and the prefaces to chap- provided the prose with fuller annota- this quarterly and check out its annual ters 2, 3, and 4 of ferusalem. The tion than other editors seems fairly bibliography to infer a consensus refu- preface to chapter 1 appears with the made, since others have tended to tation passim. preface to Milton under the "Blake on slight it. While Mason is justified in singling Art and Literature" rubric, along with a David Punter's text follows the tra- out for our special praise his most help- few other annotations, eight letters, ditional chronological orderings. Its ful "Index of Names and Motifs" (not some of A Descriptive Catalogue of selections and annotations are pre- so original as he seems to think, though, Pictures and the comments on Homer sumably geared to the Routledge since a roughly comparable and more and Virgil. The Poetical Sketches also English Texts' stated purpose—"to detailed precedent appeared in the 1926 lose their integral identity and title when meet the needs of readers for whom OUP Sloss/Wallis edition), the most they move into the margins of nonen- the study of literature involves the striking feature of his edition will sure- tity variously defined by "Early Vision- study of its historical and critical con- ly be his mixed chronological/ ary and Narrative Writings," which texts." The usual anthology pieces, generic/thematic division of Blake's contains most of them, and "The along with Tiriel, America, and The works under headings such as "Blake Lyrics," which contains nearly all of the Song of Los, are presented complete; on Religion and Knowledge," "Blake poems with "Song" in their titles. Even but The French Revolution, Urizen, on Art and Literature," "Septenary Verse given Mason's general disregard for and "Auguries of Innocence," as well of the French Revolutionary Period," chronology, there seems no reason why as the longer poems, appear only in "The Lyrics," and "The Los Poems." He these two divisions should be sepa- extracts. Europe is omitted, as are The thus reorganizes the canon for the rated as they are by the "Septenary" Book of Ahania, and The Book of Los; benefit of readers who will be less inclusions, all of which are dated later prose selections include the Natural "intimidated" by Blake's mythological than any of "The Lyrics" which follow Religion propositions, excerpts from A writings if they find them mixed and them. Vision of the Last fudgment, A Descrip matched with the lyrics according to tive Catalogue, "On Homer's Poetry," One may infer that Mason's decision arrangements which, Mason feels, will and "On Virgil"; there are no letters. to refashion the canon so led him to remind them "that the Prophetic Books omit The Book of Ahania partly be- Assuming the historical bias of the are by no means all of a piece." Assum- cause it obviously follows on The Book edition, it might have seemed appropri- ing the epics and the Lambeth poems of Urizen but could not be put into the ate for The French Revolution, probably are together defined as Prophetic "Los" poems because Los barely ap- the most history-laden of Blake's works, Books, we can see how this piecemeal pears in it, and partly because Mason to have appeared complete; and for arrangement is effected. "The Los prefers to suppose that the real sequel the potential it might have provided for Poems" contains The Book of Urizen, to Urizen is Milton. Conversely, it's historical commentary, perhaps Europe The Book of Los, Milton and ferusalem. reasonable to suppose that The Song is likewise a desideratum. The text is However, lyrics from these latter poems of Los could not be allowed its Blakean bookended by an introductory essay are taken out of their epic context to title, lest it seem to lay at least a nom- which seems relatively forced into a form a subgenre of their own called, inal claim for inclusion among the Los style and content expressive of inno- not surprisingly, "Lyrics from the Epic poems. A lesser but still bothersome cence for the innocent reader yet to Spring 1991 BLAKE/AN ILLUSTRATED QUARTERLY 147

engage the text, as it fulfills in a Grant. For those who require a com7 authority and must be presumed a pro- generalized and superficial fashion the plete text of Jerusalem (or miss Tiriet), duct of his modernizing prerogative. editorial policy of providing historical then David Erdman's generally diplo- (One may parenthetically wonder why and literary contexts; and by a matic edition or Geoffrey Keynes' he didn't go down the road from Lon- freeflowing epilogue essay on a higher perennially reprinted Oxford Standard don University, where he teaches, to and more organized plane which ap- Authors editon will be best. the British Museum Print Room and parently assumes that a world of ex- Having asserted my preferences, I'd check the originals—though discrepant perience has been gained by a reader like to back them by comparing the readings of the same points by Erdman who has gone through the preceding Mason (M) and Punter (P) editions with and Bentley abundantly illustrate that text. Unfortunately, the essay assumes each other and with Johnson/Grant even that reiterated appeal may be in a knowledge of Blake which simply (J/G), both in their respective treatments many instances "problematical.") But cannot be gained by the selections as of the accidental features of Blake's after "maid" in Visions line 19 it's M presented and abstracted from in this illuminated works and in the quantity who more chastely converts the ori- text. There is a refreshing honesty and and quality of their annotations. As a ginal's ambiguous colon/semicolon to due humility (particularly refreshing to kind of "control" in accidental matters I'll a period, while K and P supply the a reader who has just been through the use Erdman's latest edition of The Com- emphatic but unauthorized exclamation. first few pages of Mason's introduction) plete Poetry & Prose of William Blake At this point the vacillating subjectivity in Punter's admission that the abstract- (E), which, along with G. E. Bentley, involved in this kind of nitpicking, ing task which he is constricted to is a Jr.'s William Blake's Writings, does which makes the aforementioned rule "near-impossible" one because "noth- about as good a job as can reasonably of thumb always subject to a reader's ing can give the flavor of [The Four be done of reproducing in print the or editor's clinamen towards formal or Zoas, Milton, and Jerusalem] but a full pointing of the illuminated works. As rhetorical pointing, surfaces, as I find reading of at least one of them" and the traditional reading text since its myself wishing that M, like K and P, because they are "interwoven" and be- first appearance, Keynes's Complete had added rather than subtracted an cause we must "build up some famil- Writings OO may also serve as a stand- exclamation in Visions 5:3 (which in E iarity with the 'characters' before we ard of modernization in a reading text, reads "Creator of men! mistaken Demon can properly understand what is hap- since, along with J/G, it comes closest of heaven:"), though recognizing as pening." Unlike Mason, Punter also to observing what should probably be well the plausibility of M's editorial notes that the relevant works should an editor's golden rule of thumb: if it decision. be consulted in their illuminated form works, don't fix it. The fact that only M removes the because "there are many cases where A few collations from and comment interruptive but rhetorically effective our notions of a specific poem's mean- on variant pointing in Thel and Visions exclamation after "spring" in Thel 1:6 ing can be radically altered by looking may serve as an expedient if not suffi- may suggest a preference for a formal at the visual materials which not only cient index to differing policies of syntax (see also the comma used by K, accompany but frequently twine around modernizations, insofar as a policy can P, and M for the original question mark and thread through the written text." be inferred from practice. The "shriek after "spring" in the next line), though While the two texts seem meant for mark" is of all points the one which it is not clear that M consistently abides different audiences, the practical fact should be shunned if there is no clear by that preference. In Thel's "Motto," is that they will probably be in compe- authority for it, either in the original or only M among modernizers chooses to tion, along with other editions, for a in the texts and apparatuses of those change line 3's "rod?" to "rod," a change good part of the same audience, par- like Erdman and Bentley who have which seems particularly anomalous if ticularly since most, perhaps the great devoted their eyesight to Blake's ambi- one infers that the only justification for majority, of Blake readers will be in guous pointing. M's decision to pro- his (and K's and P's) changing line 4's college classrooms. To find out which vide an exclamation after "joys" in "Mole:" to "mole?" is that the four } of the two may be better as a teaching Visions3-6 is therefore dubious, given clauses of the "Motto" are best formal- and reading text is therefore well worth E's colon, Bentley's semicolon, and the ized into a modern syntax when each doing, though to do only that is to do relatively neutral modernization into a of them is followed by a question mark. less than enough. The best presently period preferred by K and P. Since M If one is going to change the question available text for teaching and reading states that on occasion he returned to mark to a comma in the first instance, is, with a qualification or two, undoub- facsimiles (not originals) to confirm or then why not keep the colon (along tedly the Norton Critical Edition qualify what he felt was "problemati- with the semicolon, a rhetorically pre- (Blake's Poetry and Designs, 1979) cal," his unique reading here and else- valent surrogate for the interrogative in edited by Mary Lynn Johnson and John where has no preferential claim to a series of clausal questions in Blake's 148 BLAKE/AN ILLUSTRATED QUARTERLY Spring 1991

time which may still be appropriately rhetorical pointing may further infer 3:36 is unobjectionable. M's "new- used); or else replace the question that even though all modernizers agree washed" (3:18) perhaps rightly avoids mark after line l's "pit" with a comma? to drop a given point, a Blakean effect a possible ambiguity in the original, The assumption is that modernization worth preserving—typically an empha- since Blake could hardly have intended helps the modern reader better under- sis on a word before the point—could "new" to imply, as unmodified it stand the sense of the words by a late thereby be lost (e. g., "Har," 2:1 in E, might, "new born." M's "fat-fed" seems twentieth-century pointing which joins "Har" in K, M, P). Extrapolating from to aid in understanding the rather them together in a formally consistent that inference, and all of the above, the obscure allusion of 5:14. Both M and P syntax. If the modernizer is simply going reader's ultimate (and charitable) con- change such obsolete or variant spell- to groom Blake's inferably inconsistent clusion may be that the modernizer's ings as "subtil," Visions 6:7. While a pointing into his own, the would-be lot, in theory and in practice, is not a few of M's modernizations, such as step forward is really a step backward, happy one. "tyger" to "tiger," will bother the on the grounds that in such cases There's some implicit disagreement Blakean, others, such as "may'st" for Blake's version is preferable. It is none- between M and P on the "metrical con- "maist," Visions2:1, should seem well- theless and also the case that no one is sequences" of the terminal "-ed." warranted, since they avoid a momen- likely to argue against normalizing to While Mason states that he retains tary ambiguity some readers would suit modern sensitivities such patently Blake's elliptical '"d" only when he otherwise hesitate over. J/G continue whimsical punctuation as that repre- feels it might have such consequences, to represent their relatively strict ad- sented by the half dozen pointing vari- P insists that any poem which contains herence to Blake's text by retaining ations which Blake worked into the both the "-ed" and the '"d" participles spellings such as "hipocrisy" ("Africa" several repetitions of "Mark well my should have them discriminated. Thel 3:13). Where this kind of retention stops words, they are of your eternal salva- is among these poems (we have "o'er- being a virtue in a reading text is a nice tion" in Milton. At the level of pure tired"— or is it "o'erfired"?—in 2:4, question. While "eccho," Visions 2:20, theorizing, one may care to applaud "naked" in 4:5). But for M, Thel 2:2 5:11, presents no problem, is retained the ideal surmise of Max Plowman, "ceasd & smild" in E becomes "ceased" in as popular an edition as The Norton who felt that even the "vagaries" of and "smiled" (P, following K, merely Anthology of English Literature, and Blake's pointing "would eventually provides an apostrophe). In fact, M patently "works," there seems no objec- prove explicable" {Blake's Poems and seems seldom if ever to find the fore- tion to "echo" it in a reading text (like Prophecies, xi). But in eagle-eyed con- shortened participle of any conse- M's) very much given to modernizing; frontations with the originals one very quence: my own random sampling of likewise with "perswading," 2:22—K soon discovers the futility of attempting his text has failed to turn up any ex- and J/G prefer Blake's spelling; M and to provide the context for that even- ample of his retaining it. While P per- P do not. P, apparently following Bent- tuality by trying to reproduce the poet's haps protests his point too much—he ley, prints "towards" rather than "to- intended punctuation when it is im- spends half his "Note on the Texts" ward" in Visions 1:2; he also prints "is possible to be sure whether a given minutely arguing this particular—it's this" for "this is" in Thel 5:5 (his line point is a comma or a period, a semi- probably best to observe Blake's dis- 91—he does not use plate numbers in colon or a colon. tinction, so that in those poems where Thel). Only J/G among reading texts it may seem to matter the reader will consulted preserve and try to justify At times modernization means dis- discriminate appropriately. Certain the perhaps misread or more probably rupting Blake's emphatic caesura words seem to prescribe a pronounced misetched "o'erfired" in Thel 2:4. (E ("light," Thel, 1:23 in E becomes "light" "-ed," at least in poetry—e.g., Thel accepts, most dubiously to my eyes, in M; "cow," 2:10 in E, becomes "cow" 3:31, where M's "sailed" (for "saild") that Blake really did etch "o'ertired," in M) or his enjambment ("springs" will tend to become a disyllable in the which nonetheless seems to be what 1:24 in E becomes "springs," in M). pronunciations of some readers. he meant to etch.) Since I came across Only M provides an emphatic caesura it, I should perhaps record for some- Blake did not provide by adding a The great majority of Blake's rhetori- one's future purposes that M's refer- comma after "not," (3:2 in E). But only cal (or idiosyncractic) capitalizations ence to Proverbs 9:17 in his note to M among modernizers follows Blake are modernized away in both M and P, Europe, line 6 (iii: 6), is right, J/G's 8:17 in not providing the comma caesura in though both K and J/G retain most if wrong. 3:9 after "thou"—perhaps indicating not all of them. Hyphenations are added that random chance rather than organ- passim in M, with mixed warrant and While the Oxford jacket-cover claims izing intelligence rules the modern- effect: Visions2:33, "hot-burning" seems the text is "fully annotated," compared izer's syntactical universe. Accepting to me an unnecessary coalescence of to J/G, M provides us with a mere that indication, a reader sensitive to Blake's words, though "charnel-house," thimbleful, a good portion of which Spring 1991 BLAKE/AN ILLUSTRA TED QUARTERL Y 149

contains bare references to the Bible common sense of the context—Blake and to Milton or provides dictionary is hardly a feminist deconstructionist THE OXFORD AUTHORS definitions. Since the Routledge series trying to rattle our pronominal precon­ general Editor ■ Tra;i^ Kermodc^ more modestly emphasizes the histori­ ceptions in the interests of gender cal contexts of its authors, the fact that ideology.3 Likewise, while M provides Punter's notes are comparably sparse extraneous 1910 commentary from and a bit disproportionate in coverage Saintsbury for "Mad Song," he fails to may be accepted as a built­in limitation note, as E does, that in several copies of general editorial policy. It will once line 4's "unfold" was changed by hand again be most illuminating to let the to "infold" and that line 7's "birds" was two editions face off against each so changed from "beds." Both changes other, refereed again by the generally should have been accepted (as they preferable J/G.2 are by K, P, and J/G) in a reading text. Since M does not treat the Poetical Both M and P follow an editorial Sketches as a unit, he fails to provide it tradition, perhaps enforced by the texts, with even the perfunctory headnote of minimal annotation for the Songs of William which he generally supplies elsewhere. Innocence and Songs of Experience, J/G have an excellently informative though on balance M seems more help­ headnote on composition, publication, ful, at least in the Innocence notes. TSlake and content, including as well a refer­ P occasionally illustrates his historical EDITED BY MICHAEL MASON ence to the standard work on the poems, concerns—by, for example, noting that Margaret Lowery's Windows of the the introduction to Experience implies Morning. P provides only two of the Blake's view of the poet as one "in poems, with comparably minimal an­ whom the threads of human history There may be nothing particularly notation. M's deficiencies as annotator are drawn together," which leads him objectionable in M's telling us that, in relative to J/G begin early and stay late. to further infer that prophecy in Blake

Of "To Spring" he tells us that its metre meant "focusing" not futurizing. When the Cynic's first song in An Island in anticipates that of the "septenaries" he says that in "London" "mind­forged the Moon, "vest" is used as in modern and prophetic writings and that lines manacles" means that "we contribute American and probably signifies a

2­3 could be glossed by Dan. 11:18— to our plight by accepting and internaliz­ dandy but not when so telling us that an utterly irrelevant reference. J/G point ing various constraints on our freedom" bit of relative inconsequence may out that the seasonal cycle instituted he will allow the teacher to point out eliminate a reading of "Old Corrup­ with this poem parallels comparable to the student that what Blake more tion" as a radical term for the political sets of poems by Pope and Thompson, probably means and what the context establishment, a much more substantive noting as well that general anticipa­ better supports is the reading provid­ piece of information which a majority tions of the Biblical and Miltonic allu­ ing by J/G, who note that they refer of M's readers will not know—unless sions of the later works appear in these "primarily [to] the authorities of church they read J/G. In general, it's really not early poems, with "To Spring" echoing and state," though allowing the subor­ so much a matter of what M does tell the "Song of Solomon," "Lycidas," 163 dinate possibility that P exclusively ad­ us but what he does not which will (which lines 2­3 do echo and which vances. The differing annotative make his claim to "full annotation" a perhaps M meant to note), Comus, 744 policies of the editors under review subliminal self­mockery in the mind of [752?], Samson Agonistes, 119, and and J/G are obvious in such contrasts, the reader as he recurrently ponders Horace, Odes, 1, v, 3­5 [iv might seem with both P and M generally providing the relative value of the notes, what a more appropriate analogue]. In the only one (perhaps unduly subjective) they contain and what they do not. It "Love and Harmony" lyric, M simply reading, thereby avoiding alternative, is correspondingly the case that M's reprints without comment the obvi­ or even consensus, readings in order implicit claim to have provided a host ously incorrect "her" of line 17. Even if to impose their restrictive glosses. J/G of recent secondary commentary is un­ he had not cared to accept the hand­ will generally indicate their preference warranted. J/G, in one note to "The written "his"—the diplomatic rigors of but allow for alternatives. One kind of Mental Traveller," a poem to which M the Bentley and Erdman editions keep editor goes through the text objectively does provide a helpfully suggestive them from accepting it—he should have asking himself "How may this be most general commentary, provide more at least noted it, since other less mod­ helpfully annotated?"; the other kind such references than M does through ernized texts (K, P, and J/G) accept it subjectively asks "Do I have in mind the course of his annotations for all the as Blake's intention, which is also the an annotation I'd care to provide?" Blake he prints. 150 BLAKE/AN ILLUSTRATED QUARTERLY Spring 1991

Both P and M typically provide brief in a traditional way what Urizen stands the designs, he of course can't help his headnotes to each work. For example, for. Both J/G and P note "God tor- readers to these latter associations and for America P has about 60 words, M mented" as a justifiable meaning for qualifications, though he could have about 160, both therein providing the "Theotormon"; M simply notes the word emulated the clarity and relevance of barest sense of the poem and its his- as Blake's coinage. the preceding reading and application torical and symbolic relations (half of In his de facto headnote to The Book of the Preludium. M's note is concerned with defining of Urizen M expends most of his space Having dismembered and variously "prophecy" as M construes it). J/G have pointing out how Blake followed the distributed the "Song of Los," M is free over 1100 words, which enlarge on the Bible in using the word "Book" to de- to make his annotations fit his crime— historical context (beyond P), relate it scribe this and a few other of his works. the "four harps" are taken to represent in some detail to other works, and He then points out to no one's surprise the "sequence of four texts which com- devote some time to the designs. P who had looked at the Table of Con- mences with 'Africa.'" While the in- generally uses his fewer words to bet- tents that Blake "does not achieve any- ference is plausible, it's still the case ter purposes than M. M's Visions head- thing remotely like a Bible-sized text, that if Blake intended to sell what he'd note is mainly taken up with what the or even a Pentateuch-sized one"—and written as written, two of the four reader could infer from the poem he then flies off on an associative tan- would not make up the sequence as M without M's help: That it is dramatic, gent to tell us such would be the case prints it. Only J/G point out that "Africa" that its speakers are engaged in moral "even if the imitations of Exodus, has little to do with Africa. They also (sexual), philosophical, and political Numbers, Joshua, and Revelation in note that Blake's tendency to repeat dialogue. Even after allowing editorial Milton and Jerusalem are counted into lines in different poems is illustrated prerogative its exegetal due, a reader the project." Is this what the reader by the first line of plate 3 of America may balk at M's feeling that Blake him- needs to know? Instead of straightfor- and the last line of "Africa" but they do self does not arbitrate among the ward expository prose, we too often not further take advantage of that kind ideologies he presents and that, get this kind of magisterial gobble- of repetition, as M does, to separate Oothoon to the contrary, there is noth- degook, usually, as here, following what Blake has integrated so that they ing to choose between Bromion and from and further developing a relative- can integrate what he has separated. Theotormon. M's penchant for irrele- ly private thesis the editor believes in The fact that Marriage of Heaven and vant tidbits surfaces in his longest note, to the exclusion of all others: "[Urizen] Hell, Visions, and A merica contain the a disproportionate attempt at relating modulates from a complex reworking line "For every thing that lives is holy" the "jealous dolphins" with the story of of Paradise Lost into a strange psy- is an argument for a seminal thought the sea-nymph Galatea and a jealous chomachia that is combined with an connecting these poems but nothing suitor. He later tells us, to no helpful or imitation of Genesis." Irrelevance, dis- more than that. M reads the problemati- cogent purpose, that "wake her womb" proportion, and tortured prose work in cal "loose Bible" as a reference to the refers to a contemporary sexual physi- concert to produce the following note "considerable overlap in events and ology. A quick read through the fully to the Preludiumto Urizen: "The tradi- persons between the Koran and the annotated J/G Visions redundantly tional word-order of the opening to an Bible" which makes the former an ap- demonstrates how much better M epic (starting with the subject of the proximation of the laner. J/G simply might have used his time and space. M poem, which is also the object of the supply the etymological suggestion de- continues to illustrate his penchant for first main verb) is preserved, as is the rived by S. Foster Damon from George the arbitrary: Urizen "must have been Miltonic genitive grammatical aspect, Sale that Koran means "a collection of a formation from 'horizon,' and per- even though there is no main verb in loose leaves." (Since Antamon and haps Greek borizein to limit. The name Blake's opening, let alone one that takes Leutha, sexual sorts, give the Bible to is stressed on the first syllable." J/G a genitive." Compare J/G commenting Mahomet, Damon's further suggestion allow for the problematic and alterna- on the same context: "The text of the that moral or sexual looseness is im- tive by noting that while "probably" Preludium, in one formulation, sum- plied may seem a more contextually deriving from the Greek word, it may marizes the theme of the work and helpful interpretation.) Perhaps envis- also be a Blakean pun on "Your then invokes the 'Eternals' to dictate aging a more popular audience than Reason"; they further note that, while stories 'of torment.' This mood is some- either M or J/G, P tends towards strictly metrically Urizen accented on the first what alleviated by the design ... of a informative notes that will seem syllable seems best, pronunciation, as flying woman guiding a child, which B redundant to scholars and most stu- well as the etymology, of such words once printed separately with the cap- dents—he glosses Ararat in "Africa," must remain speculative. P here avoids tion, 'Teach these souls to fly.'" Since provides dates for Newton and Locke, dealing with the name but does define M does not believe in the relevance of and, it may be with his historical charge Spring 1991 BLAKE/AN ILLUSTRA TED QUARTERL Y 151

in mind, tells us the needful about "clearly derives from the Latin word out a consequential parallel in the "Song Rousseau and Voltaire, noting as well Orcus for the underworld and his god." of Liberty" to "those infinite mountains their urizenic parallels. His historical P does not try to derive the name, of light, now barr'd out by the atlantic bent is more obviously at work when merely identifying the character with sea." In this instance, the best note after he relates Blake's critique of the Kings revolution, desire, etc. J/G let the all might have been a reference to of Asia to the European ancien regime. reader take his choice from among the Damon's rundown of variants under Occasionally P indicates that he is not vagaries of an indefinite consensus "Adantic" or merely to "Atlantic" in the as much up on his American history as which derives the word from "Ore" Concordance. he should be—or he would have sin- (sea monster), or "Orcus" (hell, also a In his notes to Europe the reference gled out, as J/G do, "Light-horse Harry giant in Spenser), or "cor" (heart), or to the "secret child" (line 59, 3:2) is Lee" instead of letting the reader do "orchis" (testicle), concluding that what- simply the birth of Christ in M; in J/G what he can with Blake's America allu- ever you choose from the above, the it is not only a reminder of the "Nativity sion by sorting out the "many possible word represented for Blake a figure Hymn" (M's Miltonic associations Lees" in the Dictionary of American who struggles against political oppres- seem to have failed him here) but also Biography. Nor does P seem to have sion, sexual repression, and restrictions and consequently contains the impli- the background to suggest, as J/G do, on energy. M's "clear" if tunnel- cation that His birth should have that the scribe of Pennsylvania is pro- visioned identification is in keeping brought about an overthrow of Old bably Franklin and the builder of Vir- with his general assurance that what- Testament values it did not bring ginia probably Thomas Jefferson. ever he happens to know is both right about: Ore's birth, correlated with the Blake's tendency to foist names at and exclusively so. Actually, Ore's French Revolution, is thereby substan- his reader with an implicit challenge to later association with Luvah makes it tively kindred. make what he/she will of them can fairly clear that among other meanings Because excerpts make up most of lead to a superfoetation of predication "heart" has a good deal of Blakean the rest of P's text, annotation is com- as one moves from commentator to potential in it, with "testicle" perhaps parably selective, though the editor commentator. Both P and M note that warranted because at last Luvah is often provides a brief gloss, mainly a historical Ariston stole his best relegated to the place of seed in one concerned with their symbolic pur- friend's wife. But P discounts the ref- version of the Blakean millennium. poses, of the works he selects from. erence, supposing that Blake is "using The hellish reference M is so certain of M's annotation of the remaining works, the image for his own purposes, be- has no comparable justification in when compared to J/G, continues mini- cause of the double connotation of Blake or, for that matter, in classical mal, disproportionate, arbitrary, and grandeur and hiddenness," while M associations. relatively irrelevant. He corresponding- feels that the contextual association of P says of the "Atlantean hills" that ly continues to suffer from a misguided Ariston with Atlantis may indicate that Blake "was interested in myths of Atlan- tendency to originality, perhaps trace- Blake was "thinking of Plato's story tis; and they become useful here as he able to an insufficient knowledge of that Poseidon lord of Atlantis captured sets up a symbolic site for debate and secondary materials, while failing to a mortal bride." J/G, following Damon, battle between America and Britain." provide what's really needed and help- note both references, historical and This last would perhaps lead into a ful. The truly full annotation of J/G's platonic, though Damon himself feels helpful association if P would further Book ofUrizen indexes what we need the historical reference (from Hero- tell us what those myths were and how and miss in M. No objective reader dotus) "is probably a coincidence." he thinks Blake is usefully using them. could accept M's reductive assessment Readers may legitimately infer that the Since he feels he should remind us that of the integral relation between illu- real significance of this and other inex- George Washington was the President mination and text after reading through tricable allusions is that they remind us of the United States, why not more on J/G's commentary on the tide page or, of the infera' le holographs that based these myths? M is even less helpful— for that matter, after following up the the plates we have, as well as of lost he tells us "Atlantean" means "as mighty references to the designs which they drafts never transcribed into copper, as Atlas." J/G suggest a relevance for make passim. As usual, M's commen- that might have helped solve the refer- the association when they note that the tary suggests that all his reader needs ential puzzles the extant canon some- are bare references to the Bible and times presents both editors and readers. mythical Atlantis, referred to by Plato, "is the land of the Golden Age (cf. 10:7) Paradise Lost. M characteristically fails Examples of differences in annota- to demonstrate the validity of his paral- tive style may be as serendipitously which is now sunk beneath the Atlantic, breaking the continental link between lels to either work, with most of the picked up as Indian arrow heads were notes simplistically tangential analogues England and America." To further for Thoreau at Walden. For M, Ore (e. g., "Dictate. Milton's well-known strengthen this reading, they also point BLAKE/AN ILLUSTRA TED QUARTERL Y Spring 1991

but rather what he doesn't. Dictionary twenty percent more notes than M, definitions and references to "Gen. including nearly three times as many WILLIAM BLAKE 2:2" would be unobjectionable in an to Milton and his works, though one Selected Poetry and Prose edition that was in fact fully annotated. would have expected that M's persistent M simply does not make discriminat- use of that poet elsewhere would have ing use of the space he has. been appropriately compounded in a Edited by David Punter At times, M's annotative tendency to work specifically concerned with him. let what he happens to know loom As usual, M's annotations are typically disproportionately large relative to need the briefest of one liners—"Cf. Ps. 120: or merit verges on the speciously incon- 3"—while J/G's typically tell the stu- sequential—for example, his reminding dent who needs annotation what will us that "lovely woman" {Europe, line actually help him rather than uselessly 92, 5:3) is an echo of Goldsmith; or on cf. him into what may as well be a the inconsequentially ludicrous—for deadend. Both M and J/G refer us to example, the "doors of marriage are the Paradise Lost source of "To Justify open" {America, line 233, 14:19) is the Ways of God to Man," Blake's first somehow supposed to be glossed by Miltonic allusion, but J/G goes beyond the fact that "Blake married Catherine the obvious to proleptically point up Boucher in 1782," a biographical fact to the reader its irony ("Blake makes there is no reason to believe Blake Milton's purpose ... his own, but he ROUTLEDGE-ENGI. IS1I 1IX1S would have felt important enough to rejects Milton's theology"). M's notes intrude'into this 1793 prophecy. As J/G fail to alert the reader to the fact that indicate, the context could better sug- he has placed the preface to Milton word for the activity of his muse"; gest Blake's and the general liberal elsewhere in his edition, though even "cities: The appearance of cities at this hope that the Marriage Act of 1753 if he had so advised him, a trip to its point reflects their similar prominance would by then have been repealed or place in "Blake on Art and Literature" in Gen. 11-14 and 18-19"). Here as modified—it was being agitated in Par- would have provided nothing of an- elsewhere M pretends to a knowing liament around this time. Blake would notative value, though it would have superiority to his predecessors which have regarded it as a triumph for Ore, required yet another excursion into he fails to demonstrate: "[Urizen] is a as well as for "the females naked and "Lyrics from the Epic Poems" in order much more ambiguous figure than glowing with the lusts of youth." The for the reader to discover the rest of many critics recognize," a portentous fact that P does not note this may en- what Blake had meant to preface his utterance which delivers the usual Mil- courage an occasional impression that poem with. And even then all he would tonic mouse as its ambiguously super- his historical bent is often as per- get for his troubles is misinformation ficial inconsequence. At about this functory as it is sometimes superficial, (of the preface's "stolen and perverted juncture, one may strongly suspect even when compared to J/G, who writings" M vaguely supposes Blake that given a half-day's research for the have no special historical pretensions believed they derived "from more an- project, a competent graduate student to live up to. Their respective notes on cient sources," whereas J/G, arrogat- would have made up a more helpful "caverned" man suggest the relative ing to themselves some of M's usual set of notes for The Book of Urizen, awareness M and J/G have of their thunder, most helpfully and relevantly and, in a proportional period of time, author's associations. M's reference to note that "the idea that the classics were for at least a majority of the other Plato's allegory of the cave is generic, plagiarized from the Bible . . . had been works M so "fully" annotates. P has ten shop-worn, nothing much to any ad articulated by Milton's Christ" in Para notes to his selections from Urizen, hoc point. J/G's reference to Locke's dise Regained) or non-information (that proportionally more than M provides, epistemology reminds the reader of "delight is in destroying" is "not a specific and they are more helpful. M's annota- the Natural Religion propositions, of allusion"). In fully annotating "atone- tions for The Book of Los are com- Marriage of Heaven and Hell, of a ment" {Milton 2:13) J/G suggest a way parably sparse, unhelpful, mere particular bete noire in the Blakean M might have gone, had he really got deadwood—he tells us what a polybus pandemonium. below the surface with his Miltonic (and is, how "pliant" and "redounding" biblical) references: "Although much of It's more their quality and character should be defined, and of course that Milton's theology was radical ... his than their number and length that make chapter 2 is "full of memories of Para view of the atonement was the ortho- J/G's Milton annotations vastly supe- dise Lost." Again, the continuing point dox one that God demands man's death rior to M's, though J/G have about is not so much what M does give us, Spring 1991 BLAKE/AN ILLUSTRATED QUARTERLY 153

as punishment for sin, but accepts later supplemented by the editors in monochrome, is much superior to any Jesus' sacrificial death as a substitute Blake 16 (1982>. 107-110. other selected edition. If it were re- payment of man's debt (Paradise Lost Finally, a format matter which will edited with a. Jerusalem complete (and 3, 203-12, 236-41). To Blake, this view matter to some prospective buyers: Tiriel added), and with the first edition's of the crucifixion was no different from Mason and Punter save the typesetter errors and oversights corrected, it 'Druidical' sacrifice." The note is then a bit of time by numbering every tenth would on balance be not only the best supplemented by references to con- line; the Norton edition provides the reading text available but also the most firming and explicatory commentary on more traditional and helpful five-line helpful for nearly all scholarly pur- the subject of Blake and atonement. numerations. poses that could still do without most As noted, P realizes that excerpting As noted at the outset, the fact that of The Four Zoas and did not require from Jerusalem, as well as from Milton, the Oxford and Routledge texts may attempts at reproducing Blake's acci- is a "nearfly] impossible task," though be primarily geared to somewhat dif- dentals such as Erdman and Bentley one he must attempt. M in his annota- ferent audiences does not eliminate variously make. tion of his complete text of Jeruslem the probability that they will both vie continues as above, though he abro- for their major readership in the univer- 11 use the traditional plate/line number gates his introductory policy and sity classroom. Which of the two is references, as in E. M prefers consecutive line qualifies his general criticism of inter- then preferable for that readership? numbers to plate divisions throughout his edition—thereby seriously detracting from pretive summaries by providing an in- For most thorough-going purposes, its usefulness to students and scholars who telligent and perceptive account of the and in spite of deficiencies in format will therefore be unable to use it with the poem (as he had of Milton). He is of and annotation, the Mason text is Blake Concordance or with secondary ma- course certain that his rendering of terials using plate/number references. preferable to Punter's simply because 2 Jerusalem is the "best," but we've come it includes Jerusalem and Milton The recently revised and reissued W. H. Stevenson/David Erdman edition of The by now to smile indulgently at M's whole. The given instructor can set his Complete Poems of Blake (Longman/Nor- naive assurance of his overall superio- students right about the illuminations, ton) is also full of annotation and could rity to whatever in the world of Blake further apologize as needed for serve nearly as well as J/G (who seem to has had the blinkered misfortune to Mason's introductory remarks, caution have critically appreciated Stevenson's predate his original inferences about it. them about the notes, and/or perhaps notes) in relevant contrast to the editions reviewed here. Mason's bibliography is perfunctory simply follow the implications of 3 While Blake did later put the case for a at best, merely an outdated list of Mason's negating introduction and the female cupid (in the Notebookpoem "Why books containing nothing later than paucity or irrelevance of his notes by was Cupid a Boy"), his grammatical con- 1978 (only three listings later than telling them to indeed let Blake speak text here obviates a possible argument- 1970) and would not be acceptable altogether for himself. The Oxford text from-prolepsis. 4 appended to a graduate seminar paper is a handsome and invitingly legible P. H. Butter's Everyman paperback on Blake. Punter's coverage is even one, with generous margins and inter- (William Blake.- Selected Poems, 1982) is preferable to Punter's both for inclusiveness sparser than Mason's, perhaps justifi- linear spacings, a credit in this respect and annotation. In fact, Butter's occasion- able because of the narrower focus of to the publishers. On the other hand, ally arbitrary annotation is nonetheless, his editorial policy, but he does pro- if a given instructor or set of students where comparable, superior both in quan- vide a brief critical note for each entry, is satisfied with selections from Blake's tity and quality to Mason's. (He is besides a few of which update the bibliography major works, then Punter should be trenchantly helpful in explaining the problems of pointing in Blake which mod- through 1985. J/G provide an ideal their choice because his notes, if skim- emizers tend to assume without so ex- example of what a scholarly bibliogra- py, are typically more helpful and to plaining.) The complete Stevenson poetry phy can and should be, particularly in the point both in their facts and in their text noted earlier will be overpriced (at an edition which is meant primarily for interpretations than Mason's.4 $74.95) for most college classrooms unless the student: A compendious headnote or until a paperback significantly reduces But, as indicated, the choice is not so its cost. referring the reader to major Blake col- limited. The Oxford Standard Authors lections, bibliographies, journals etc., (Keynes) Blake is still the preferred is followed by a listing of over one choice for those who need all of Blake hundred titles divided into major edi- in a relatively modernized form; only tions, art collections and commen- Erdman's text will suit the scholars in taries, reference tools, biographies, a form most of them can readily afford. books of criticism, collected and Even as it stands the Norton text, selected essays. Not only is the bibli- which reproduces many of the illu- ography up-to-date in itself but it was minations in color and most of them in