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“Hold Infinity in the Palm of Your Hand and Eternity in an Hour”: William Blake’S Visions of Time and Space in the Light of Eastern Traditions

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“Hold Infinity in the Palm of Your Hand and Eternity in an Hour”: William Blake’S Visions of Time and Space in the Light of Eastern Traditions “Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand And Eternity in an hour”: William Blake’s Visions of Time and Space in the Light of Eastern Traditions by Maja Pašović A thesis presented to the University of Waterloo in fulfillment of the thesis requirement for the degree of Master of Arts in English - Literary Studies Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, 2013 © Maja Pašović 2013 Author’s Declaration I hereby declare that I am the sole author of this thesis. This is a true copy of the thesis, in- cluding any required final revisions, as accepted by my examiners. I understand that my thesis may be made electronically available to the public. iii Abstract This thesis examines William Blake’s conceptions of time and space in the light of thephiloso- phies of Hinduism and Islam. In order to perform this analysis, source material, often from rare and neglected texts, is utilized to examine Blake’s possible unorthodox influences. The analysis of influences takes a three-pronged track: literary, symbolic, and linguistic; Blake’s possible knowledge of Orientalist translations; the symbols in his poetry, prose, and paint- ings are analyzed; and his potential knowledge of major Orientalist languages is also examined. Once this has been examined in sufficient depth, an excavation of Blake’s views on time and space is then undertaken. This analysis of Blake’s philosophical perspectives utilizes a compar- ative phenomenological approach in order to show their similarity to the perspectives of the Hindu Vedanta and Ismaili Islam. Throughout this analysis, I aim to demonstrate boththat Blake’s views on space are inherently mystical (space as limitless and unbound by the phys- ical universe), and that his view on time, having a similarity to that of the Platonists, views Eternity as the one true reality. v Acknowledgments There is nothing more gratifying for a student of literature than encountering awork,oran author whose writings, both in the theme(s) addressed and the symbolism of language, paint a picture of events that transcend the common bounds of the time and place in whichthey were created. Even more so, if they succeed in contributing to the eudaemonia of one’s mind and soul; then the initial task of transforming the reader has been accomplished. Throughout my scholarly immersion into works from different literary traditions and periods, one au- thor in particular has profoundly impacted the manner in which I have come to perceive the world, namely William Blake. With his very unique, and ostensibly multi-faceted linguistic and visual symbolism, Blake’s works open the gates into a world where contraries blend into a unified and harmonious whole in both the terrestrial and heavenly planes. While working on Blake has been a highly challenging task that required a tremendous amount of research and an exhaustive investigation into a number of varied sources, it has also been very rewarding, for it taught me a very important lesson: the pursuit of wisdom is cyclical, but eternal. Of course, none of this would have been possible without the assistance and support of several people I feel greatly indebted to. Throughout the entire writing process, my mother and father have been a tremendous moral and emotional support. None of what I have writ- ten would have been possible if it was not for them introducing me to literature and writing at an early age. Thank you mama and tata! I would also like to acknowledge the support of a very special person, Farasha Euker, who has been wonderful throughout the entire process: her loving support and kindness have encouraged me to pursue my passion for Blake to the fullest. My most sincere thanks also go to my advisor, Tristanne Connolly whose thorough instructions and detailed comments have taught me to become a better writer, andwhose views on Blake stimulated me to have an even greater appreciation of his work; Jeff Wilson for his superb advice throughout, and for guiding me in alternative approaches to my thesis; and Jay Dolmage who has been very supportive, and whose perspicacious advice has greatly improved my writing. vii Dedication To all the pandas of the world, who, though small in number, are high in wisdom, and like me, are great lovers of Blake! ix Table of Contents Author’s Declaration iii Abstract v Acknowledgments vii Dedication ix Epigraph xiii Introduction 1 1 William Blake, Artisan of the Spirit 25 2 The Study of Hinduism and Islam as an Impetus for Blake’s Imagination 53 3 The Imago Templi and Blake’s Vision of a Non-Euclidian Universe 79 4 Eternal Duration and Cyclical Time in Blake’s Visionary World 109 Conclusion: The Harmony of Time and Space in “the Science of the Balance” 137 Works Cited 141 xi Epigraph Man does not have to renounce the command of matter and of souls, since he does not possess the power to command them.[…] We live in a world of unreality and dreams. To give up our imaginary position as the center, to renounce it, not only intellectually but in the imaginative part of our soul, that means to awaken to what is real and eternal, to see the true light and hear the true silence. (Simone Weil, Waiting for God 99–100) xiii Introduction Learn, O Musæus, from my sacred song What rites most fit to sacrifice belong. Jove I invoke, the earth, and solar light, The moon’s pure splendour, and the stars of night[…] End and Beginning (greatest this to all), These with propitious aid I suppliant call, To this liberation, and these sacred rites; For these t’accede with joyful mind, my verse invites.1 (Orpheus 25) he need to locate the origin of the principles that frame our be- liefs, knowledge, methods of perception, and the paths we follow has per- T petually puzzled the human mind, but at the same time it has served as an incentive for transcending the epistemological limits of humanity and the perception of the world around us. In The Marriage of Heaven and Hell, William Blake made an intriguing remark on the origin of thought and universal knowledge, stating that “the philosophy of the east taught the first principles of human perception” (Blake, The Complete Poetry and Prose of William Blake 39), and thus, shed a light that only recently started to be examined with more attention. Likewise, his intricate statement in The Song of Los, which suggests that “Abstract Philosophy” was given “to Brama in the East” (67)calls for further examination. What exactly did Blake mean by this? Do statements of thiskind prove that Blake’s perception of the world was influenced by something more than just the generally acknowledged influence of Western thought and philosophy, that of the Bible, Milton, or Swedenborg and Boehme’s Christian teachings? Why have so many scholars and students of Blake failed to point to his fascination with Eastern teachings, undermining other possible interpretations of Blake’s textual and visual symbolism? Overall, why have some of 1 Musæus, as remarked in the writings of Plato and Sophocles, was a seer who uttered oracles that were used as a guidance for many philosophers and poets in ancient Greece. Though not equally hailed as a prophet during his own times, one could say that William Blake was in search of oracles and traditions that could provide answers to the existential questions that incessantly trouble the human mind. Not only that,but Blake’s own literary and pictorial works could be approached as oracles that may lead us to a path ofspiritual acuity and intellectual illumination. 1 Introduction the most dominant concepts in Blake’s works, namely those of time and space, beenpushed onto the margins of Blake studies in the last decade orso?2 The passages mentioned above are highly significant in adding to the comprehensive char- acter of Blake studies, as well as in summarizing some of the important teachings thatpoten- tially shaped Blake’s contextual and linguistic metaphors, and ultimately, his visionary knowl- edge. In the chapters that follow, I intend to prove that Blake’svisions of time and space, while considerably shaped by the teachings of various Christian traditions—sometimes heretical— and Blake’s critique of rationalism and empirical thought, are also a product of his fascination with and possible influence by Eastern thought and teachings, primarily Hinduism and Islam. Through this quest for answers, the exploration of Blake’s mysterious worlds trapped within time and space will take on a distinct approach. Blake’s concepts of time and space willbe addressed through the theories of modern sages—namely Henry Corbin, René Guénon, and Ananda Coomaraswamy—whose writings reflect upon the debased state of human thought in the face of technological and industrial advances. Just as Blake’s pen wanders through each page of his poetic prophecies, trying to dismantle “the mind-forged manacles” (Blake, The Complete Poetry and Prose of William Blake 27) in humans, Corbin, Guénon, and Coomaraswamy reach back to the teachings of the classical Eastern civilizations so as to ex- pose ideas aimed at a common spiritual quest: to evoke truth about human existence andthe importance of the soul in the world—as well as the World Soul—as manifested in every civ- ilization and all religious traditions. Whereas Coomaraswamy’s theories are largely based on Hindu and Buddhist metaphysics, and Guénon’s on Muslim and Hindu metaphysics (and his training in mathematics), Corbin functions as the overarching synthesis with his focus on pan-Abrahamic, Ismaili and Neoplatonic metaphysics to advocate for the importance and nurturing of Active Imagination above the generally acknowledged concepts of modern phi- losophy, which holds that reality is to be comprehended only through empirical or rational investigations.
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