Europe A Prophecy E-Book

William Blake

• Herausgeber: DigiCat
• Kategorie: Poesie und Drama
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2022

Beschreibung

William Blake's 'Europe: A Prophecy' serves as a profound and richly symbolic exploration of the social and political upheavals characterizing late 18th-century Europe. This prophetic work employs a visionary style, characterized by vivid imagery and allegorical figures, to critique the prevailing powers, ideologies, and religious institutions. Blake navigates through themes of conflict, revolution, and regeneration, using a complex interplay of text and intricate illustrations to invoke a sense of urgency about the moral and spiritual awakening of humanity in the face of tyranny and oppression. Blake, an emblematic figure of the Romantic era, was not merely a poet but also a painter and printmaker whose intricate artistic vision informed his written works. Living during a time of intense sociopolitical transformation, including the Enlightenment and the French Revolution, Blake felt an acute disconnection from the established norms and beliefs of his time. His personal conviction in the importance of individualism and emotional truth greatly influenced the writing of 'Europe: A Prophecy,' adding layers of personal and societal critique. This text is a crucial read for those interested in the intersection of art and politics, as well as for enthusiasts of Blake's unique visionary aesthetic. 'Europe: A Prophecy' invites readers to engage deeply with its provocative themes, rewarding them with insights not only into Blake's mind but also into the tumultuous era from which these ideas emerged.

Leseprobe

William Blake

Europe A Prophecy

With the Original Illustrations by William Blake

 

EAN 8596547001850

DigiCat, 2022 Contact: [email protected]

Table of Contents

Preludium

A Prophecy

Five windows light the cavern’d Man; thro’ one he breathes the air; 

Thro’ one, hears music of the spheres; thro’ one, the eternal vine 

Flourishes, that he may recieve the grapes; thro’ one can look.

And see small portions of the eternal world that ever groweth; 

Thro’ one, himself pass out what time he please, but he will not; 

For stolen joys are sweet, & bread eaten in secret pleasant.

So sang a Fairy mocking as he sat on a streak’d Tulip, 

Thinking none saw him: when he ceas’d I started from the trees!

And caught him in my hat as boys knock down a butterfly.

How know you this said I small Sir? where did you learn this song?

Seeing himself in my possession thus he answered me:

My master, I am yours. command me, for I must obey.

Then tell me, what is the material world, and is it dead?

He laughing answer’d: I will write a book on leaves of flowers, 

If you will feed me on love-thoughts, & give me now and then 

A cup of sparkling poetic fancies; so when I am tipsie, 

I’ll sing to you to this soft lute; and shew you all alive 

The world, when every particle of dust breathes forth its joy.

I took him home in my warm bosom: as we went along

Wild flowers I gatherd; & he shew’d me each eternal flower: 

He laugh’d aloud to see them whimper because they were pluck’d.

They hover’d round me like a cloud of incense: 

when I came Into my parlour and sat down, and took my pen to write: 

My Fairy sat upon the table, and dictated EUROPE.