The University of Mississippi Undergraduate Research Journal Volume 2 Article 3 4-1-2017 Perception, Identity, and Oppression in William Blake's "Visions of the Daughters of Albion" Pace Ward Follow this and additional works at: https://egrove.olemiss.edu/umurjournal Recommended Citation Ward, Pace (2017) "Perception, Identity, and Oppression in William Blake's "Visions of the Daughters of Albion"," The University of Mississippi Undergraduate Research Journal: Vol. 2 , Article 3. Available at: https://egrove.olemiss.edu/umurjournal/vol2/iss1/3 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by eGrove. It has been accepted for inclusion in The nivU ersity of Mississippi Undergraduate Research Journal by an authorized editor of eGrove. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Perception, Identity, and Oppression in William Blake's "Visions of the Daughters of Albion" Erratum 2017-04-01 This article is available in The nivU ersity of Mississippi Undergraduate Research Journal: https://egrove.olemiss.edu/umurjournal/ vol2/iss1/3 Perception, Identity, and Oppression in William Blake’s “Visions of the Daughters of Albion” Pace Ward Edited by Dr. Tim Earley In his mythical and prophetic especially in her response to the poem “Visions of the Daughters of Theotormon’s refusal to continue being Albion,” William Blake details the rape her lover, as she wishes, because of her of Oothoon, the “soft soul of America,” “defiled bosom” and her inability to by Bromion, leading to her separation “reflect / The image of Theotormon on from her former counterpart, [her] pure / transparent breast” (lines Theotormon (line 3). This narrative acts 38-39). She attempts to persuade as a display of Blake’s beliefs Theotormon, after calling for his eagles concerning the inhibition of perception, “to prey upon her flesh,” into forgiving the nature of human identity, and the her for having her “virgin mantle” torn roots of oppression. The Enlightenment “in twain” by Bromion (line 36; “The taught that human perception is reliant Argument”). Initially, she does so by on the five senses. This belief aligns explaining her understanding of the with essentialist philosophies that argue passage of time. She believes that the that the nature of human identity lies in passing of time and repentance would the perceivable embodiment of an lead to forgiveness and a reclamation of individual because one’s “essence,” or purity. She pleads to Theotormon, “I the nature of his or her soul, relies on a cry arise O Theotormon for the village set of sensible attributes. In the poem, dog / Barks at the breaking day… and Bromion manipulates Oothoon’s the Eagle returns / from nightly prey, perceived identity by raping Oothoon, and lifts his golden beak to the pure stripping her of her virginity and, thus, east; / Shaking the dust from his her purity as perceived by Theotormon. immortal pinions to awake / The sun This manipulation displays how that sleeps too long. Arise my patriarchal perspectives in the context Theotormon I am pure.” She begins to of essentialism can lead to proprietary understand how human perception passions and distaste through envy. itself has been altered since the Throughout “Visions of the destruction of the paradise that Daughters of Albion,” the characters Oothoon once wandered (lines 46-51). participate in an extensive discourse on This alteration can be characterized as the extent of human perception. the inhibition of infinite perception into Oothoon addresses this theme often, a limited perception that is completely reliant on the five senses. This theme first appears in an epiphany Oothoon Reason is the binding outward experiences: “They told me that the circumference of Desire, but night & day were all that I could see; / Theotormon’s response to these They told me that I had five senses to questions presents an opposing side to inclose me up. / And they inclos’d my the argument. Theotormon questions infinite brain into a narrow circle, / And the physical source for such joys: “Tell sunk my heart into the Abyss” (lines 53- me what is a thought? & of what 55). This epiphany makes Oothoon substance is it made? / Tell me what is a question the permanent destruction of joy? & in what gardens do joys grow? / her purity in the eyes of Theotormon, And in what rivers swim the sorrows?” and Theotormon’s refusal to forgive her. (lines 84-86). It is Theotormon’s Through Oothoon’s and conclusion—that human perception Theotormon’s dialogue, Blake utilizes relies solely on empirical experiences— multiple metaphors. These present and that explains his behavior in response to criticize Enlightenment-era beliefs about Oothoon’s having been raped and human perception and its effect on impregnated by Bromion. identity. These metaphors could be However, while Theotormon may seen as a response to John Locke’s express distaste for Oothoon’s lapsed “Essay Concerning Human purity, his reactionary behavior is Understanding,” in which Locke writes described as the result of envy. Blake that “…men can get all the knowledge describes Theotormon’s response to they have, and can arrive at certainty Bromion’s proprietary declaration of about some things, purely by using their having impregnated Oothoon: “Then natural faculties, without help from any storms rent Theotormon’s limbs; he innate notions or principles.” For rolld his waves around. / And folded his example, Oothoon begins using black jealous waters round the multiple examples found in nature of adulterate pair… / With secret tears; understanding beyond experience beneath him sound like waves on a through the senses: “With what sense is desart shore” (lines 26-30). Theotormon it that the chicken shuns the ravenous becomes jealous. He reasons that, hawk?... / With what sense does the bee because of the physical characteristics form cells? have not the mouse & frog / of the events he has witnessed, Eyes and ears and sense of touch? yet Oothoon has lost her innocence and are their habitations. / And their virginity. However, had he observed pursuits, as different as their forms and the nature of Oothoon’s soul—which, as their joys:” (lines 63-67). The “joys” according to the beliefs of the Age of that Oothoon mentions suggest Blake’s Reason, is imperceptible due to its belief that Desire or Energy is of the extension beyond that which is Body and is the only Good, and that conceivable through sensory experience—he would have heeded Oothoon continues throughout the Oothoon’s lamentations and rest of the poem to pose multiple understood that those contingent arguments, both comparative and occurrences in the embodiment of an rhetorical, for the lack of causality individual are not related to his or her between contingent occurrences that soul’s essence. affect the embodiment of an individual Furthermore, Bromion represents the and the essence of his or her soul. The misuse of essentialist language by interspersed lamentations also work to utilizing it to achieve ownership. It is further Blake’s argument that the through Bromion’s understanding that fulfilment of desire is the source of Blake displays the conception of the utmost joy, specifically in a context of permissibility of oppression. For sexual liberation. For example, she example, Blake describes Oothoon “on criticizes the accepted moral law of her his [Bromion’s] stormy bed, / Lay the belonging to her rapist: “Till she who faint maid, and soon her woes appalld burns with youth. and knows no fixed his thunders hoarse” (lines 16-17). lot; is bound / In spells of law to one Oothoon is described as a maid, she loaths: and must she drag the chain indicating that she still possesses purity. / Of life, in weary lust!” (lines 132-134). Contrarily, Bromion, who, along with These lines are meant to portray Theotormon, has constructed a Oothoon’s belief that the pursuit of patriarchal world in which Oothoon sexual desires should not result in lives: “Spoke. behold this harlot here submission to an undesired patriarchal on Bromions bed,” (line 18). Bromion authority simply because she “burns has manipulates the idea of Reason as with youth.” Oothoon continues to a solely empirical; as soon as he takes point of anger and criticism, calling to Oothoon’s virginity, she is demoted the “modest virgin”: “…com’st thou from a maiden to a harlot. Bromion forth…knowing to dissemble / With elaborates on this patriarchal nets found under thy night pillow, to manipulation of Reason when he says, catch virgin joy, / And brand it with the “Now thou maist marry Bromions harlot, name of whore;” (161-163). This and protect the child / of Bromions rage statement reveals the importance of the that Oothoon shall put forth in nine fulfilment of desire in the pursuit of moons time” (lines 24-25). This achieving joy. It displays the declaration works to instill envy in wrongfulness in the attempt to restrict Theotormon as a result of the an individual from pursuing whatever patriarchal world they have constructed. desire his or her Energy may instill in In this unjust world, Bromion’s taking of him or her. Oothoon’s virginity, however forcefully, “Visions of the Daughters of means that he possesses her forever. Albion” does not conclude with any form of resolution. Instead, Oothoon way it ultimately leads to the belief continues to deny her lapse of purity as that—due to an individual’s spiritual understood by Theotormon, and qualities resulting from the embodiment Bromion continues to believe in his of that individual—any idea of purity possession over her, resulting in deviating from that of the patriarchal oppression. Thus, Blake conveys his conception justifies oppression. own objections to the inhibition of human perception to the point that it is References reduced to nothing more than what the Blake, William. Visions of the Daughters five senses can discern.