DOCSLIB.ORG

Ancient Yet New: William Blake's Milton a Poem And

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Ancient Yet New: William Blake's Milton a Poem And ANCIENT YET NEW: WILLIAM BLAKE’S MILTON A POEM AND THE POLITICS OF ANTIQUARIANISM _______________________________________ A Thesis presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School at the University of Missouri-Columbia _______________________________________________________ In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts _____________________________________________________ by THOMAS FONTANA Dr. Noah Heringman, Thesis Supervisor MAY 2011 © Copyright by Thomas Fontana 2011 All Rights Reserved The undersigned, appointed by the dean of the Graduate School, have examined the thesis entitled ANCIENT YET NEW: WILLIAM BLAKE’S MILTON A POEM AND THE POLITICS OF ANTIQUARIANISM presented by Thomas Fontana, a candidate for the degree of master of arts in English, and hereby certify that, in their opinion, it is worthy of acceptance. Professor Noah Heringman Professor Anne Myers Professor Stefani Engelstein For Laura Poi le vidi in un carro trïumfale, Laurëa mia con suoi santi atti schifi sedersi in parte, et cantar dolcemente. — Petrarch, Canzionere, CCXXV ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to acknowledge the continuous support I’ve received from the faculty and graduate students of the English Department at the University of Missouri. In particular, I would like to thank my advisor, Dr. Noah Heringman, with whom I’ve had the pleasure of working for three out of my four semesters at the university. Without his always enlightening and encouraging feedback, this project could not have been a success. I would also like to thank Dr. Anne Myers and Dr. Stefani Engelstein for their thoughtful and thought-provoking responses to my project. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................. ii Abstract .............................................................................................................................. iv Introduction: Contemplation of the Present, Past, and Future ........................................................1 1. “Satan’s Druid Sons” as a Critique of Natural and State Religion ...........................8 2. “Verdant Cathedrals of Antiquity”: Stukeley’s Druids and Public Religion ..........34 3. “Poems of the Highest Antiquity”: Ancient Truths and a New Age……………...59 Conclusion: “The Great Harvest & Vintage of the Nations” .....................................................84 Works Cited .......................................................................................................................90 iii ANCIENT YET NEW: WILLIAM BLAKE’S MILTON A POEM AND THE POLITICS OF ANTIQUARIANISM Thomas Fontana Dr. Noah Heringman, Thesis Supervisor ABSTRACT This study explores William Blake’s engagement with eighteenth-century antiquarian discourse as a means of critiquing the political and religious institutions of his era. In his shorter epic, Milton a Poem, Blake suggests a model for national regeneration rooted in a view of British antiquity that is marked by an original liberty based on brotherhood and forgiveness. The first chapter demonstrates that Blake presents the Druids as Satanic missionaries spreading his message of submission to his moral law, which also disguises itself as natural law. Blake depicts Satan and the Druids in this manner in order to critique eighteenth-century notions of natural and state religion. The second chapter examines Blake’s particular engagement with the work of the antiquary William Stukeley. Stukeley’s dual role as antiquary and Anglican clergyman reveals that antiquarianism was an important force in the contemporary political landscape. His vision of the Druids as proto-Anglicans and national religionists provides Blake with an avenue for the critique of natural and state religion he presents in Milton. The third chapter demonstrates how Blake uses the poetic and prophetic figure of the bard in opposition to the priestly Druids in order to provide an alternative locus for concerns of national identity and a model for social change through poetry. Communicative acts between individuals inspire the broader spread of the call to self-annihilation and the combination of individuals in brotherhood and forgiveness to join the body of Jesus. iv Introduction The Contemplation of Past, Present, and Future Scholars have continually noted the presence of characters and images drawn from British antiquity in William Blake’s Milton a Poem. It may strike one as odd that a poem concerned with the primacy of the imagination over the memory and of the mental over the corporeal would reveal an interest in the study of antiquity, which is fundamentally invested in the recovery of cultural memory through material objects. As archaeological theorist and historian Alain Schnapp reminds us: Memory needs the earth in order to survive. Whether inscribed in stone, brick, or parchment, or flowing in the human memory by the agency of bard or poet, a foundation narrative must root itself in the land, invest itself with that reality which is sealed within the soil. It matters little if that seal is never broken, as long as there is some corner of the land which bears witness to its existence. (Schnapp 24) The four quatrains that appear in the Milton Preface take the form of persistent questioning, a desire to know whether Christ once walked in England “in ancient time” (2:27)1. The speaker looks throughout “Englands green & pleasant land” for an answer, turning his attention variously to England’s “mountains green,” “pleasant pastures,” and “clouded hills” (2:28, 30, 32, 42). The speaker’s search for the site of the former Jerusalem gives way to his resolve to build Jerusalem anew. The monument in question has remained the same, yet the speaker has shifted his role from that of discoverer to that of creator. As Schnapp explains, “We have to engage with the idea that other human beings, maybe tomorrow, maybe in a few hours’ time, maybe a few years or centuries 1 Unless otherwise noted, I refer throughout to the Princeton University Press edition of Milton, which uses copy C as its source text. Plate 2, which bears the Preface, appears only in copies A and B. It was initially part of copy C, but Blake later removed it. Essick and Viscomi include the plate from copy B as a supplementary illustration. 1 from now, will look upon our traces. Understood in this way, the archaeological consciousness is born more of confrontation with the future than with the past” (18). In Milton, Blake’s engagement with antiquity bears at all times a concern with past, present, and future. Jon Mee has described William Blake in terms of Claude Levi-Strauss’ notion of the “bricoleur,” due to his inclination to build brilliantly reorganized structures from a repertoire of disparate discourses. Given this comparison, it is no surprise that Blake engages with antiquarianism, a discipline defined by its interdisciplinarity, such that it was “part of an intellectual world in which modern disciplines such as geology, archaeology, anthropology and comparative religion were pursued interchangeably, with little sense of disciplinary boundaries” (Sweet 119). Antiquarianism can most readily be understood as the precursor to the modern discipline of archaeology, albeit much less empirically rigorous. Though sometimes derided by modern scholars as eccentric or amateurish, antiquaries played an integral role in the cultural and intellectual climate of eighteenth-century Britain. In particular, antiquarian investigations into the early inhabitants of the British Isles had a significant impact on the burgeoning concept of national identity that increasingly solidified over the course of the century. Rosemary Sweet argues: Antiquaries were also convinced of the importance of their studies to their contemporary world, not least because of the patriotic importance of establishing the earliest history of national origins. For the historian of eighteenth-century Britain these attempts to trace back the lineage of the nation illuminate the process by which national histories and a national identity were constructed and highlight the differences between the self- perceptions of the constituent parts of the kingdom. (Sweet 119) 2 By populating his poetic landscape with Druids and bards, Blake also explores this issue of national identity and the possibility of national transformation. This study will examine ways in which antiquarian discourse was used in the eighteenth century to help define the emergent British national identity. After touching on this more general concern, I will examine in greater detail the cases of Blake and the antiquary William Stukeley. Though Stukeley is no stranger to Blake criticism, I will examine the relationship between the two men’s work in more detail than is typically the case with either Blake scholars or those who study Stukeley or eighteenth-century antiquaries. Stukeley constructed an image of antiquity to bolster the power structures of the present. Blake’s work, in turn, constitutes a reaction against this use of antiquity. Blake turns the antiquarian discourse represented by Stukeley on its head and targets the Druids as part of an attack on those very institutions that men like Stukeley sought to defend. To complete the reversal, Blake turns to another figure from British antiquity, the bard, to show how poetry constitutes a prophetic call for individual change that spreads into broader social change. An epic poet typically takes up as his subject matter ancient characters and events
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Cómo Citar El Artículo Número Completo Más Información Del
    Revista de Estudios Históricos de la Masonería Latinoamericana y Caribeña ISSN: 1659-4223 Universidad de Costa Rica Prescott, Andrew; Sommers, Susan Mitchell En busca del Apple Tree: una revisión de los primeros años de la masonería inglesa Revista de Estudios Históricos de la Masonería Latinoamericana y Caribeña, vol. 9, núm. 2, 2017, pp. 22-49 Universidad de Costa Rica DOI: 10.15517/rehmlac.v9i2.31500 Disponible en: http://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=369556476003 Cómo citar el artículo Número completo Sistema de Información Científica Redalyc Más información del artículo Red de Revistas Científicas de América Latina y el Caribe, España y Portugal Página de la revista en redalyc.org Proyecto académico sin fines de lucro, desarrollado bajo la iniciativa de acceso abierto REHMLAC+, ISSN 1659-4223, vol. 9, no. 2, diciembre 2017-abril 2018/19-46 19 En busca del Apple Tree: una revisión de los primeros años de la masonería inglesa Searching for the Apple Tree: Revisiting the Earliest Years of Organized English Freemasonry Andrew Prescott Universidad de Glasgow, Escocia [email protected] Susan Mitchell Sommers Saint Vincent College en Pennsylvania, Estados Unidos [email protected] Recepción: 20 de agosto de 2017/Aceptación: 5 de octubre de 2017 doi: https://doi.org/10.15517/rehmlac.v9i2.31500 Palabras clave Masonería; 300 años; Gran Logia; Londres; Taberna Goose and Gridiron. Keywords Freemasonry; 300 years; Grand Lodge; London; Goose and Gridiron Tavern. Resumen La tradición relata que el 24 de junio de 1717 cuatro logias en la taberna londinense Goose and Gridiron organizaron la primera gran logia de la historia.
    [Show full text]
  • The Garden Designs of William Stukeley (1687–1765)
    2-4 GS Reeve + RS CORR NEW_baj gs 4/9/13 10:02 PM Page 9 The BRITISH ART Journal Volume XIII, No. 3 Of Druids, the Gothic, and the origins of architecture The garden designs of William Stukeley (1687–1765) Matthew M Reeve illiam Stukeley’s central place in the historiogra- phy of eighteenth-century England is hardly Winsecure.1 His published interpretations of the megalithic monuments at Avebury (1743) and Stonehenge (1740) earned him a prominent position in the history of archaeology, and his Vetusta Monumenta ensured his rep- utation as a draughtsman and antiquarian. Recent research has shown that Stukeley was a polymath, whose related interests in astrology, Newtonian natural history and theol- ogy formed part of a broader Enlightenment world view.2 Yet, in the lengthy scholarship on Stukeley, insufficient attention has been paid to his interest in another intellectu- al and aesthetic pursuit of eighteenth-century cognoscenti: garden design.3 Stukeley’s voluminous manuscripts attest to his role as an avid designer of gardens, landscapes and garden build- ings. His own homes were the subjects of his most interesting achievements, including his hermitages at Kentish Town (1760), Stamford (Barnhill, 1744 and Austin Street 1737), and Grantham (1727).4 In this, Stukeley can be located among a number of ‘gentleman gardeners’ in the first half of the eighteenth century from the middling classes and the aristocracy.5 He toured gardens regularly, and recorded many of them in his books, journals and cor- respondence. His 1724 Itinerarium Curiosum recounts his impressions of gardens, including the recent work at Blenheim Palace and the ‘ha-ha’ in particular, and his unpublished notebooks contain a number of sketches such as the gardens at Grimsthorpe, Lincs., where he was a reg- ular visitor.6 Stukeley also designed a handful of garden buildings, apparently as gifts for friends and acquaintances.
    [Show full text]
  • British Poetry of the Long Nineteenth Century
    University of Nebraska - Lincoln DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln Zea E-Books Zea E-Books 12-1-2019 British Poetry of the Long Nineteenth Century Beverley Rilett University of Nebraska-Lincoln, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/zeabook Part of the Literature in English, British Isles Commons Recommended Citation Rilett, Beverley, "British Poetry of the Long Nineteenth Century" (2019). Zea E-Books. 81. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/zeabook/81 This Book is brought to you for free and open access by the Zea E-Books at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in Zea E-Books by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. British Poetry of the Long Nineteenth Century A Selection for College Students Edited by Beverley Park Rilett, PhD. CHARLOTTE SMITH WILLIAM BLAKE WILLIAM WORDSWORTH SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE GEORGE GORDON BYRON PERCY BYSSHE SHELLEY JOHN KEATS ELIZABETH BARRETT BROWNING ALFRED TENNYSON ROBERT BROWNING EMILY BRONTË GEORGE ELIOT MATTHEW ARNOLD GEORGE MEREDITH DANTE GABRIEL ROSSETTI CHRISTINA ROSSETTI OSCAR WILDE MARY ELIZABETH COLERIDGE ZEA BOOKS LINCOLN, NEBRASKA ISBN 978-1-60962-163-6 DOI 10.32873/UNL.DC.ZEA.1096 British Poetry of the Long Nineteenth Century A Selection for College Students Edited by Beverley Park Rilett, PhD. University of Nebraska —Lincoln Zea Books Lincoln, Nebraska Collection, notes, preface, and biographical sketches copyright © 2017 by Beverly Park Rilett. All poetry and images reproduced in this volume are in the public domain. ISBN: 978-1-60962-163-6 doi 10.32873/unl.dc.zea.1096 Cover image: The Lady of Shalott by John William Waterhouse, 1888 Zea Books are published by the University of Nebraska–Lincoln Libraries.
    [Show full text]
  • In Harmony Lambeth an Evaluation ­ Executive Summary
    In Harmony Lambeth An Evaluation ­ Executive Summary Kirstin Lewis Feyisa Demie Lynne Rogers Contents Page Section 1: Introduction 3 Section 2: Methodological approach for evaluation of the project 4 Section 3: The impact of In Harmony on achievement 5 Section 4: The impact of In Harmony in improving musical knowledge: 7 Empirical evidence Section 5: The impact of in Harmony on musical knowledge and 8 improving well being: Evidence from tracking pupils Section 6: Pastoral impact on Children 14 Section 7: Impact on community aspiration and cohesion 15 Section 8: Impact on school life 17 Section 9: Conclusions 18 Section 10. Recommendations 19 1 Acknowledgements This evaluation was commissioned by the Lambeth Music Service in consultation with the London Borough of Lambeth and the DfE. The project evaluation partners are the Lambeth Research and Statistics Unit and the Institute of Education (IOE), University of London. The project was lead and co­ordinated by Feyisa Demie on behalf of Lambeth Council. In the Lambeth Children and Young People’s Service, many people were involved in all stages of evaluation. We extend our particular thanks to: • Brendon Le Page, Head of Lambeth Music Service and Director, In Harmony Lambeth, and his team, for full support during the evaluation period and comments to the draft report. • Donna Pieters, In Harmony Project Co­ordinator/ Amicus Horizon, for help and support during the focus groups and interviews. • Phyllis Dunipace, Executive Director of Children and Young People’s Service and Chris Ashton, Divisional Director, for their support and encouragement throughout the project. • Rebecca Butler for help in data collection and analysis of the In Harmony assessment data and pupil questionnaire survey results.
    [Show full text]
  • Issues) and Begin (Cambridge UP, 1995), Has Recently Retired from Mcgill with the Summer Issue
    AN ILLUSTRATED QUARTERLY VOLUME 31 NUMBER 1 SUMMER 1997 s-Sola/ce AN ILLUSTRATED QUARTERLY VOLUME 31 NUMBER 1 SUMMER 1997 CONTENTS Articles Angela Esterhammer, Creating States: Studies in the Performative Language of John Milton Blake, Wollstonecraft, and the and William Blake Inconsistency of Oothoon Reviewed by David L. Clark 24 by Wes Chapman 4 Andrew Lincoln, Spiritual History: A Reading of Not from Troy, But Jerusalem: Blake's William Blake's Vala, or The Four Zoas Canon Revision Reviewed by John B. Pierce 29 by R. Paul Yoder \7 20/20 Blake, written and directed by George Coates Lorenz Becher: An Artist in Berne, Reviewed by James McKusick 35 Switzerland by Lorenz Becher 22 Correction Reviews Deborah McCollister 39 Frank Vaughan, Again to the Life of Eternity: William Blake's Illustrations to the Poems of Newsletter Thomas Gray Tyger and ()//;<•/ Tales, Blake Society Web Site, Reviewed by Christopher Heppner 24 Blake Society Program for 1997 39 CONTRIBUTORS Morton D. Paley, Department of English, University of Cali• fornia, Berkeley CA 94720-1030 Email: [email protected] LORENZ BECHER lives and works in Berne, Switzerland as artist, English teacher, and househusband. G. E. Bentley, Jr., 246 MacPherson Avenue, Toronto, Ontario M4V 1A2. The University of Toronto declines to forward mail. WES CHAPMAN teaches in the Department of English at Illi• nois Wesleyan University. He has published a study of gen• Nelson Hilton, Department of English, University of Geor• der anxiety in Thomas Pynchon's Gravity's Rainbow and gia, Athens, GA 30602 has a hypertext fiction and a hypertext poem forthcoming Email: [email protected] from Eastgate Systems.
    [Show full text]
  • The Architecture of Joseph Michael Gandy (1771-1843) and Sir John Soane (1753-1837): an Exploration Into the Masonic and Occult Imagination of the Late Enlightenment
    University of Pennsylvania ScholarlyCommons Publicly Accessible Penn Dissertations 2003 The Architecture of Joseph Michael Gandy (1771-1843) and Sir John Soane (1753-1837): An Exploration Into the Masonic and Occult Imagination of the Late Enlightenment Terrance Gerard Galvin University of Pennsylvania Follow this and additional works at: https://repository.upenn.edu/edissertations Part of the Architecture Commons, European History Commons, Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons, and the Theory and Criticism Commons Recommended Citation Galvin, Terrance Gerard, "The Architecture of Joseph Michael Gandy (1771-1843) and Sir John Soane (1753-1837): An Exploration Into the Masonic and Occult Imagination of the Late Enlightenment" (2003). Publicly Accessible Penn Dissertations. 996. https://repository.upenn.edu/edissertations/996 This paper is posted at ScholarlyCommons. https://repository.upenn.edu/edissertations/996 For more information, please contact [email protected]. The Architecture of Joseph Michael Gandy (1771-1843) and Sir John Soane (1753-1837): An Exploration Into the Masonic and Occult Imagination of the Late Enlightenment Abstract In examining select works of English architects Joseph Michael Gandy and Sir John Soane, this dissertation is intended to bring to light several important parallels between architectural theory and freemasonry during the late Enlightenment. Both architects developed architectural theories regarding the universal origins of architecture in an attempt to establish order as well as transcend the emerging historicism of the early nineteenth century. There are strong parallels between Soane's use of architectural narrative and his discussion of architectural 'model' in relation to Gandy's understanding of 'trans-historical' architecture. The primary textual sources discussed in this thesis include Soane's Lectures on Architecture, delivered at the Royal Academy from 1809 to 1836, and Gandy's unpublished treatise entitled the Art, Philosophy, and Science of Architecture, circa 1826.
    [Show full text]
  • Articles Set in Albuquerque and Wolfgang Von Goethe, Friedrich Schiller, Ludwig Tieck, Some in Rochester
    N E W S De-Faced Blake Blake/An Illustrated Quarterly, Volume 20, Issue 3, Winter 1986-87, p. 110 PAGE 110 BLAKE/AN ILLUSTRATED QUARTERLY WINTER 1986-87 CALL FOR PLAYS NEWSLETTER Actors Theatre of Louisville is now conducting a nation- wide search for unpublished translations and adapta- tions of plays for next season's (1987-88) Classics in Con- text Festival — "The Romantics," which will celebrate DE-FACED BLAKE the ideals and influence of Romanticism on the stage. Readers may have noticed a certain patchiness in the Though plays by any dramatist whose work is associated type of our fall issue, the unfortunate but unavoidable with Romanticism will be considered, plays byjohann result of having some articles set in Albuquerque and Wolfgang von Goethe, Friedrich Schiller, Ludwig Tieck, some in Rochester. The patchiness will continue until all Alexander Pushkin, and Michael Lermontov are of par- articles set in New Mexico have been published, perhaps ticular interest. New plays (either original or adapta- as late as the summer and fall issues next year. tions of novels) that deal with the people, ideas, and events connected with Romanticism will also be con- ERRATA'S ERRATA sidered. Please submit plays by 1 November 1987 to Actors Theatre of Louisville, Literary Department, 316 Our readers might like to note these corrections to "Im- West Main Street, Louisville, KY 40202. proving the Text of The Complete Poetry & Prose of William Blake' {Blake, fall 1986): Blake p. 50: ENERGY AND THE IMAGINATION p. xvii canterbury should read Canterbury Morton D. Paley would like to purchase a clean, un- *p.
    [Show full text]
  • William Jones's Ancient Theology
    SINO-PLATONIC PAPERS Number 191 July, 2009 William Jones’s Ancient Theology by Urs App Victor H. Mair, Editor Sino-Platonic Papers Department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA 19104-6305 USA [email protected] www.sino-platonic.org SINO-PLATONIC PAPERS is an occasional series edited by Victor H. Mair. The purpose of the series is to make available to specialists and the interested public the results of research that, because of its unconventional or controversial nature, might otherwise go unpublished. The editor actively encourages younger, not yet well established, scholars and independent authors to submit manuscripts for consideration. Contributions in any of the major scholarly languages of the world, including Romanized Modern Standard Mandarin (MSM) and Japanese, are acceptable. In special circumstances, papers written in one of the Sinitic topolects (fangyan) may be considered for publication. Although the chief focus of Sino-Platonic Papers is on the intercultural relations of China with other peoples, challenging and creative studies on a wide variety of philological subjects will be entertained. This series is not the place for safe, sober, and stodgy presentations. Sino-Platonic Papers prefers lively work that, while taking reasonable risks to advance the field, capitalizes on brilliant new insights into the development of civilization. The only style-sheet we honor is that of consistency. Where possible, we prefer the usages of the Journal of Asian Studies. Sinographs (hanzi, also called tetragraphs [fangkuaizi]) and other unusual symbols should be kept to an absolute minimum. Sino-Platonic Papers emphasizes substance over form. Submissions are regularly sent out to be refereed and extensive editorial suggestions for revision may be offered.
    [Show full text]
  • Inventory · Daniel Katz Gallery
    John Linnell 1792 - 1882 The potato field - Isle of Wight Oil on Panel 28 by 35.7cm 1829 Signed and dated J.Linnell f./1829 Provenance: Purchased from the artist by Ralph Thomas, 1846. James Orrock Esq., 13 Bedford Square, London, by 1883. A.T. Hollingsworth Esq., by 1898. Exhibited: London, British Institution, 1830, n. 37 (30 gns) Glasgow, Glasgow Dilettanti Society, 1830, no. 40 (£37 10s) London, Royal Academy, Exhibition of works by the Old Masters and by deceased masters of the British School including a special selection from the works of John Linnell and Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Winter 1883, no. 108 (lent by James Orrock) Edinburgh, International Exhibition of Industry, Science & Art, 1886, n. 1453 (lent by James Orrock) Probably, Glasgow, Kelvingrove Park, International Exhibition of Science, Art and Industry, 1888, n. 47 as The Potato Harvest (lent by James Orrock) London, New Gallery, 1898, n. 204 (lent by A.T. Hollingsworth) London, Royal Academy, 1903, n. 104 (lent by A.T. Hollingsworth) 6 Hill Street London W1J 5NE Telephone 02074930688 | Email [email protected] | www.katz.art Signed and dated 1829 The Potato Field - Isle of Wight by John Linnell shows the sun as it starts to set across the rolling fields of the Isle of Wight. Small clouds pepper the sky and crows fly home to roost. The dark trees to the left begin to cast shadows and suggest the enveloping night which will soon follow. In the middle ground we see figures returning home and a man still industriously working the land. In the foreground, bent double on their knees, we see a group (possibly a family), of two young boys, two men, and a woman.
    [Show full text]
  • William Blake 1 William Blake
    William Blake 1 William Blake William Blake William Blake in a portrait by Thomas Phillips (1807) Born 28 November 1757 London, England Died 12 August 1827 (aged 69) London, England Occupation Poet, painter, printmaker Genres Visionary, poetry Literary Romanticism movement Notable work(s) Songs of Innocence and of Experience, The Marriage of Heaven and Hell, The Four Zoas, Jerusalem, Milton a Poem, And did those feet in ancient time Spouse(s) Catherine Blake (1782–1827) Signature William Blake (28 November 1757 – 12 August 1827) was an English poet, painter, and printmaker. Largely unrecognised during his lifetime, Blake is now considered a seminal figure in the history of the poetry and visual arts of the Romantic Age. His prophetic poetry has been said to form "what is in proportion to its merits the least read body of poetry in the English language".[1] His visual artistry led one contemporary art critic to proclaim him "far and away the greatest artist Britain has ever produced".[2] In 2002, Blake was placed at number 38 in the BBC's poll of the 100 Greatest Britons.[3] Although he lived in London his entire life except for three years spent in Felpham[4] he produced a diverse and symbolically rich corpus, which embraced the imagination as "the body of God",[5] or "Human existence itself".[6] Considered mad by contemporaries for his idiosyncratic views, Blake is held in high regard by later critics for his expressiveness and creativity, and for the philosophical and mystical undercurrents within his work. His paintings William Blake 2 and poetry have been characterised as part of the Romantic movement and "Pre-Romantic",[7] for its large appearance in the 18th century.
    [Show full text]
  • KAREN THOMSON CATALOGUE 103 UNIQUE OR RARE with A
    KAREN THOMSON CATALOGUE 103 UNIQUE OR RARE with a Newtonian section & a Jane Austen discovery KAREN THOMSON RARE BOOKS CATALOGUE 103 UNIQUE OR RARE With a Newtonian section (1-8), and a Jane Austen discovery (16) [email protected] NEWTONIANA William Jones’ copy [1] Thomas Rudd Practicall Geometry, in two parts: the first, shewing how to perform the foure species of Arithmeticke (viz: addition, substraction, multiplication, and division) together with reduction, and the rule of proportion in figures. The second, containing a hundred geometricall questions, with their solutions & demonstrations, some of them being performed arithmetically, and others geometrically, yet all without the help of algebra. Imprinted at London by J.G. for Robert Boydell, and are to be sold at his Shop in the Bulwarke neer the Tower, 1650 £1500 Small 4to. pp. [vii]+56+[iv]+139. Removed from a volume of tracts bound in the eighteenth century for the Macclesfield Library with characteristically cropped inscription, running titles, catchwords and page numbers, and shaving three words of the text on H4r. Ink smudge to second title page verso, manuscript algebraic solution on 2Q3 illustrated below, Macclesfield armorial blindstamp, clean and crisp. First edition, one of two issues published in the same year (the other spelling “Practical” in the title). William Jones (1675-1749) was employed by the second Earl of Macclesfield at Shirburn Castle as his mathematics instructor, and at his death left his pupil and patron the most valuable mathematical library in England, which included Newton manuscript material. Jones was an important promoter of Isaac Newton’s work, as well as being a friend: William Stukeley (see item 6), in the first biography of Newton, describes visiting him “sometime with Dr.
    [Show full text]
  • The Poetic Mind: Blake, Wordsworth and Coleridge on the Imagination
    81 The Poetic Mind: Blake, Wordsworth and Coleridge on the Imagination Alexandra Kulik Lake Forest College This article examines the contributions of three leading British Romantic writ- ers toward advancing a theory of the poetic mind. I show how the works of Blake, Wordsworth, and Coleridge, by emphasizing the importance of the im- agination, disrupted the conclusions reached by the Age of Enlightenment that championed rationality over spirituality, the scientist over the poet or prophet. In turn, I review a selection of the poetic and prosaic works of each of these writers which seem to best illustrate their evolutive theory of mind. While ad- ditionally having recourse to authoritative scholarship, I examine how the imagination becomes the fountainhead of metaphysical truth and perceptual integrity for the Romantic thinkers. The nature of reality propounded by the so-called Age of “Enlightenment” was built upon systematic theory, a discourse of reason which for the most part renounced the capabilities of spiritual vision. It sought to supplant the emotional and the imaginative with the rational and the analyti- cal. Committed to the demystification of existence, theorists of the time were apt to reduce and codify the world in terms of binaries: subjects and objects, spirits and bodies, universals and particulars, I and other. What the age thus engendered was a proliferation of metaphysical boundaries and, consequently, the narrowing of the “doors of perception.” Against this backdrop of limitation and perceptual diminution, the insurgent glow of Romanticism was born, ignit- ing what Irving Babbitt rightly called “the most dangerous form of anarchy— anarchy of the imagination” (qtd.
    [Show full text]