Rosenwald LC Milton 42
Erdman suggests that the image of two people may be post-coital, "the moment of the fall of Milton's star, the descent of Ololon.....as an eagle screams waking naked lovers....the reluctant sleepers are archetypically Albion and his bride, Jerusalem.
Awake, awake: we hear that over and over in the New Testament; both the Bible and William Blake are trying to awaken us from our sleep; In MHH Blake quoted Ezekiel, who spoke of "the desire of raising other men into a perception of the infinite".
The concordance shows 87 occurrences to the word, 'awake' as:
I cry the watchman heareth not I pour my voice in roarings
Watchman the night is thick & darkness cheats my rayie sight
Lift up Lift up O Los awake my watchman for he sleepeth
Lift up Lift up Shine forth O Light watchman thy light is out
O Los unless thou keep my tower the Watchman will be slain
The concordance shows 71 occurrences of the word, 'couch' as:
"Is this the Void Outside of Existence, which if enterd into
PLATE 42 [49] t
Becomes a Womb? & is this the Death Couch of Albion
Thou goest to Eternal Death & all must go with thee
So saying, the Virgin divided Six-fold & with a shriek
Dolorous that ran thro all Creation a Double Six-fold Wonder!
Away from Ololon she divided & fled into the depths
Of Miltons Shadow as a Dove upon the stormy Sea."
The Dove upon the stormy Sea is obviously taken from Genesis:
Name the two people Albion and England represent the Lord's people.
The eagle found here is described in Jerusalem as a tradional symbol of St. John, the living trumpet of prophecy. (from page 259 of Erdman's Illuminated Blake) |
Here you may meet William Blake, join hands in a discussion, ask questions. This is your Blake Commentary. Please visit Larry's Blake Primer
Sunday, April 13, 2014
Milton 11
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment