Blake's Whirlwind

In the Bible the whirlwind is a very common type/antitype, and it certainly is likewise in Blake. In the Four Zoas there are 5 of the whirlwinds in all of Blake.
Studying Enitharmon in Night 1 we have some of Enitharmon's Song of Death:
(Night 1 of the Four Zoas ; Erdman 305-6):

But Enitharmon answerd with Dark as a dewy morning when he
crimson light appears  To make us happy let them weary their
immortal powers While we draw in their sweet delights while
we return them scorn On scorn to feed our discontent; for
if we  grateful prove They will withhold sweet love, whose
food is thorns & bitter roots.

We hear the warlike clarions we view the turning spheres
Yet Thou in indolence reposest holding me in bonds
Hear! I will sing a Song of Death! it is a Song of Vala!
The Fallen Man takes his repose: Urizen sleeps in the porch
Luvah and Vala woke & flew up from the Human Heart
Into the Brain; from thence upon the pillow Vala slumber'd.
And Luvah siez'd the Horses of Light, & rose into the Chariot of
Day
Sweet laughter siezd me in my sleep! silent & close I laughd
For in the visions of Vala I walkd with the mighty Fallen One
I heard his voice among the branches, & among sweet flowers.

Why is the light of Enitharmon darken'd in dewy morn
Why is the silence of Enitharmon a terror & her smile a 
     whirlwind                              
Uttering this darkness in my halls, in the pillars of my
Holy-ones.....

This passage in Night 1 describes a big part of the Fall.
In Albion's sleep Enitharmon sings the Song of Death in
which she describes the horror of Female Love. She calls
her smile a Whirlwind.

What does the image of the whirlwind represent in general?
Stability, order are gone (Urizen's asleep!) chaos of love,
hate,suspicion, you name it.  All the things that make the
world we live in a vale of tears

In the Bible we first meet the whirlwind in connection with
the charior and horses of fire with which Elijah went up by a
whirlwind into heaven.

we meet it again in Job when after months of fighting with God
Job in 38 and 40 heard God answer out of the whirlwind.

So we see that the whirlwind introduces a theophany, the appearance
of God, sure to be a kind of unsettling experience.

It seems that Blake used it primarily as a contrary; his use of
whirlwind might be seen as the demonic equivalent or accompaniment
of the theophanies. Baptism, a great theophany was immediately
followed by the temptation of Satan in the wilderness.

(Night 1 of The Four Zoas; Erdman 305-6)

But Enitharmon answerd with a dropping tear & frowning
Dark as a dewy morning when the crimson light appears
To make us happy let them weary their immortal powers
While we draw in their sweet delights while we return them
scorn                                  
On scorn to feed our discontent; for if we grateful prove
They will withhold sweet love, whose food is thorns & bitter
roots.
We hear the warlike clarions we view the turning spheres
Yet Thou in indolence reposest holding me in bonds
Hear! I will sing a Song of Death! it is a Song of Vala!
The Fallen Man takes his repose: Urizen sleeps in the porch
Luvah and Vala woke & flew up from the Human Heart
Into the Brain; from thence upon the pillow Vala slumber'd.
And Luvah siez'd the Horses of Light, & rose into the Chariot of
Day
Sweet laughter siezd me in my sleep! silent & close I laughd
For in the visions of Vala I walkd with the mighty Fallen One
I heard his voice among the branches, & among sweet flowers.

Why is the light of Enitharmon darken'd in dewy morn
Why is the silence of Enitharmon a terror & her smile a
whirlwind                             
Uttering this darkness in my halls, in the pillars of my
Holy-ones"


Here is one of Blake's
Illustrations to
Dante's Divine Comedy.
It is popularly named
The Whirlwind, and that
is certainly what Blake
was thinking when he
produced it.


Blake's friend Linnel commissioned
him to do these illustrations ; this
one was called "The Circle of the
Lustful".

This wasn't the only whirlwind among Blake's works;

He was also commissioned by Linnel to do Illustrations
to The Book of Job. After great travail Job saw the
presence of God in the Whirlwind which is illustrated
at the beginning of this post.