John HiggÂs’s new book promÂises a conÂtemÂporÂary take on the works of WilÂliÂam Blake, makÂing them relÂevÂant to a modÂern audiÂence genÂerÂally, and to the counÂterÂculÂture in parÂticÂuÂlar. So, how well does it live up to its promise?
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The Fall’s Before the Moon Falls, W.B., JerÂuÂsÂalem and creÂatÂing a sysÂtem of your own
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What did Blake meantby sayÂing that when he looked at the sun he saw a choir of angels singing ‘Holy, Holy, Holy’, and how does it relate to his depicÂtion of apocalypse.
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The film Blade RunÂner is hugely sucÂcessÂful, but what does it mean? As the makers hint, the key is to watch it through the eyes of WilÂliÂam Blake and his mythÂoÂlogy of liberation.
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While A L MorÂton thought Blake may have read the work of the Ranter, AbiezÂer Coppe, modÂern hisÂtorÂiÂans say there is no evidÂence of Blake being familÂiÂar with Ranter texts. How much do Blake’s ideas overÂlap with The Ranters? I look at the JusÂtiÂficÂaÂtion of the Mad Crew (1650) to compare.
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Few could deny that WilÂliÂam Blake supÂporÂted the radÂicÂal politÂics of his time, yet revoluÂtionÂary ideas were not an adjunct to his visÂionÂary geniÂus, but the livÂing heart of it as a poet.
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An anaÂlysÂis of the recently disÂcovered engravÂings by Serge Arnoux illusÂtratÂing WilÂliÂam Blake’s ‘ProÂverbs of Hell’, with a disÂcusÂsion of surÂrealÂism and Blake, and the impact of MoraviÂanÂism on Blake’s idea of faith, sexuÂalÂity, freeÂdom and religion.
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To celÂebÂrate Blake’s birthÂday, here is one of his illusÂtraÂtions for Milton’s L’AlÂlegro, along with the poem itself, which seems suited to the mood fo the day.
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Thy purÂpose & the purÂpose of thy Priests & of thy Churches
Is to impress on men the fear of death; to teach
TremÂbling & fear, terÂror, conÂstricÂtion: abject selfishness.
Mine is to teach Men to desÂpise death & to go on
In fearÂless majesty anniÂhilÂatÂing Self, laughÂing to scorn
Thy Laws & terrors
The Tyger is potenÂtially the Led ZepÂpelin of Blake poems — brash, bomÂbastÂic and unnervÂingly sucÂcessÂful. It is supÂposedly the most anthoÂloÂgised poem in the EngÂlish lanÂguage — staÂdiÂum poetry, if you like. Your chilÂdren will probÂably come across it at school. Along with the Parry’s verÂsion of JerÂuÂsÂalem, this is the Blake that people know.
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Iain SinÂclair explores the hisÂtorÂicÂal backÂground to WilÂliÂam Blake’s radÂicÂal writÂings. Filmed on the South Bank of the River Thames, VauxÂhall, London.
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At the teleÂvised Vice-PresÂidÂenÂtial debate last week with Kamala HarÂris, Mike Pence specÂtacÂuÂlarly ignored the fly that came to rest very pubÂlicly on his head. This act of wilÂful ignorÂance crowned Pence’s role at the side of DonÂald Trump as ‘the man who preÂtenÂded not to notice‘.
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