1. "Would to God that all the Lord's people were prophets"; Blake quoted this verse at the end of the Preface to Milton. (It was quoted from (Numbers 11:29).)
This is very close to Blake's primary purpose. What
did Blake mean by 'prophet': a person who has a vision
and who shares it.
2. "What it will be Questiond When the Sun rises do you not see a round Disk of fire somewhat like a Guinea O no no I see an Innumerable company of the Heavenly host crying Holy Holy Holy is the Lord God Almighty" (Vision of the Last Judgment E566)
Now what in the world does this mean? Read the
things: not the corporeal, but the visionary.
The Task of Los is to "transform the round glob into living forms." (Erdman)
3. Look also at the end of Marriage of Heaven and Hell:
"Everything that lives is holy". How do you read that?
I think by holy he means the visionary, the Beyond
accompaniment or source of everything material -- such
as the sun.
Look at what immediately follows the 'Holy,Holy,Holy
passage:
"I question not my Corporeal or Vegetative Eye any
more than I would Question a Window concerning a
Sight; I look thro it & not with it."
As Above, so Below Hermeticism? you bet. Actually
the idea goes way, way back in Greek thought.
4. Here's another indicator of Blake's purpose. In his
visionary meeting with Ezekiel he asked the old prophet
why he did certain very extravagant things: Ezekiel's
answer (and Blake's) was "the desire of raising other
men into a perception of the infinite;"
So we may think materially (with the 'Vegetative Eye'),
or we may envision. These are the two contraries!
What is your vision?
Blake's Eden is the origin and destiny of man.
ReplyDeletego to
http://lclay3.50webs.com/blake/primer.htm
and search on Eden for more info.